Tommy Steenberg is busily preparing for the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, to be held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland from January 18-25. Representing the Skating Club of Northern Virginia, Tommy had his best finish ever last year in St. Paul, where he placed ninth among the senior men. I had a chance to ask Tommy and his coach Audrey Weisiger, founder of Grassroots to Champions, about the upcoming Nationals and his programs for this season. (Photo at right, Tommy and Audrey at competition)
This is your fourth Nationals as a senior competitor. What do you learn from each experience that you bring to the next Nationals?
TS: I like to record my program run throughs in order to see my progress and if I'm on a good track and time frame for Nationals. It also isn't a bad idea to look back on records of last year's programs. Preparation is so important in order to feel confident in putting out your toughest elements in front of a big audience. Of course, each experience is exciting and useful -- I have learned to practice the way I want to compete and then compete the way I have been practicing. Last year I moved up five places at Nationals, and of course this year I'm excited to go for an even better performance and outcome! It's all about chasing your personal limits and I am pushing myself to do so.
Audrey, how does a coach keep the fire burning in a skater such as Tommy, who is only 20-years-old but who is also a "veteran" with a ton of experience competing nationally and internationally?
AW: The elite skater, just like a total beginner, must have a learning process and reason to work hard on a daily basis, so to keep the "veterans" feeling inspired and fresh in their outlook can be challenging, but I have several strategies. One is to have mini-competitions. We are in the midst of the "Good News, Bad News Classic," an event that we started back in 1998 prior to Nationals when Mike Weiss, a senior man, and Lisa Kwon, a novice lady who trained with Mike at Fairfax Ice Arena, had a daily head-to-head competition to see who could do the best run through of the day.
The name "Good News, Bad News" was born from a statement that Nick Perna made to Mike after the men's long program. Nick said, "Michael, we have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that you have just made an Olympic team. The bad news is that Lisa Kwon beat you." This year, the competitors in the "Good News, Bad News Classic" include Tommy Steenberg, Kiri Baga, Kate Charbonneau, Molly Oberstar, Chrissy Hughes, Emily Hughes, Sebra Yen and the players keep joining. The skaters are, in essence, doing a cyber event. Another method of keeping skaters sharp is to bring in an audience to watch them perform. Debbie Weidman and Joe Inman are always very supportive of the Fairfax skaters, and my parents, Anna and Henri King, love to come to the rink and cheer the kids on.
What are your short and long programs for this season and how did you come to select them?
TS: My short program is modern and I skate to "Dralion" from Cirque du Soleil. I had a great time creating the program with choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo, and Del Arbour made the neatest costume for it! "Dralion" is a nice change of pace for me because my free skate is set to "Don Quixote" by Minkus, and it contains much more traditional choreography. Chris Conte [Tommy's coach along with Audrey Weisiger] and Vladimir Djouloukhadze, a ballet master at the Kirov in D.C., helped me create this program. I've really enjoyed working to achieve better lines on the ice these past couple years, and my coach and I felt that I was ready to take on a ballet for a long program this year. I'm really happy with how it has progressed, and I plan on seeing the ballet in a week when it comes to the Kennedy Center!
If you could advise up-and-coming skaters, what is the one thing you would tell them?
TS: I am actually a part-time coach at my rink, so I have already been on the other side of the boards giving advice! It makes you appreciate your coach in a completely different way. That being said, I would tell up-and-coming skaters to try to think from their coach's perspective when reflecting on themselves. For instance, if I were my own student, would I be pleased with my punctuality, work ethic, focus, attitude, etc. One of the toughest things to learn is to not make excuses -- even if it's just in your head. Mentally convincing yourself that you cannot do something never helps.
What have you learned from your years of coaching that helps you with young skaters and elite skaters like Tommy? Is there a universal truth that applies to all skaters?
AW: The number one trait a skater must posses is a love of the sport and second, a desire to become their best. Note I said their best. My mission is helping people realize and fulfill their potential.
**CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AUDREY'S GRASSROOTS TO CHAMPIONS SEMINARS!**
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