The state of figure skating

In the July/August issue of Professional Skater magazine, Executive Director of the Professional Skaters Association (PSA) Jimmie Santee (see right) wrote an editorial about the state of figure skating; specifically, peoples' perception of our sport. Whether it's the Nancy and Tonya saga, or the 2002 Winter Olympics judging scandal, he believed that the integrity of the sport becomes compromised when judges, coaches and skaters are constantly the target of jokes, whether they be from talk show hosts, bloggers or columnists. Now that is not to say that being the butt of these jokes is totally unwarranted -- at times, we ask for it. Jimmie also pointed out that recent news have cast a somber note over the sport, including the alleged rape of a young skater by her coach in Japan, Pasha Grishuk's date rape case, Christopher Bowman's death, and Maxim Staviski's sentence for drunk driving, which put a boy in a coma. Jimmie emphasized that we owe it to ourselves and to our predecessors who worked so hard to bring legitimacy to our sport, to act morally and ethically, and to forgo the idea that all press is good press. Below is the story that he ended with, which I thought was really great:

Two Wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Comments

[Laura@requiredelements.com]

I think there is a stark difference between being the butt of jokes by talk show hosts, etc., and loss of legitimacy of the sport. Although the president often gets made fun of by comedians, the government doesn't really lose legitimacy because of that - it's far more harmful when things like Watergate showcase complete ethical breakdowns.

The integrity of the sport is compromised when it can't account for itself, such in the 2002 Olympic judging scandal. I know you wrote that he mentions that, but he should also note that there were never more jokes and attention paid to the sport than in 1994 with Tonya and Nancy, but even if someone would argue that that damaged the sport's image (although I don't necessarily know that it did), it was nowhere near the damage done by the judges in 2002.

[Laura@requiredelements.com]

PS - I am glad he exhorts his colleagues to act ethically, etc. That seems more the key to legitimacy and integrity.

[Lela]

Figure skating - either you love it as a real sport, or you laugh that it's even considered a sport. We'll never come out on top. Those days are long gone. Maybe the next generation will be the key--right now, there's too much criticism in the US that baby ballerinas are winning the competitions, damaging their young bodies in their quest for gold.