Chapter 2 At the beginning of the season, I can let her get Advanced Level 3 this season...
After training, Xia Yuezi led Yang Yiyan to the cafeteria.
She stopped Yang Yiyan, who was going to get food at the window, and told her to wait at her seat. When she came back, she brought two trays of food.
The plate contained cucumber salad, chicken breast, shrimp, and rice mixed with corn kernels, along with half a sweet potato and a small bowl of cherry tomatoes.
Yang Yiyan stared in shock at the pile of plates in front of her, then looked at the same dishes on the coach's plate, but in different quantities.
Her lips twitched: "Coach, isn't this too much?"
Xia Yuezi picked up her chopsticks without even lifting her eyelids: "It's because you don't eat enough. You'll need to increase your exercise until you build enough muscle."
Coach Xia thought for a moment and added, "If you don't like it, I can adjust it according to your dietary preferences."
This was the first time Yang Yiyan had received such an instruction from her coach. Even though she didn't understand it, she still picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
In fact, Xia Yuezi wasn't completely without coaching experience. In the year before she transmigrated, she was her own coach, arranging her training volume and diet.
At that time, there was a shortage of promising young figure skaters in China, the system was chaotic, and foreign associations had a history of extending offers to her in the junior division. In order to protect her, the Chinese figure skating association did not allow her to go abroad for training, and there were no domestic coaches capable of training her. Over time, she taught herself, practiced on her own, and even created her own programs.
During her time in the youth group, she was able to communicate with choreographers and create the programs she wanted. After her skills matured, she was also able to offer suggestions to other members of her school.
Recalling these memories, Xia Yuezi glanced at the girl who was engrossed in eating, as if she were looking at her younger self.
She lowered her eyes and gripped her chopsticks tighter.
She really wants to change the trajectory of figure skating in China. She doesn't expect China to become a figure skating superpower, but at least she doesn't want her own people to become the first stumbling block on the athletes' path to success.
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Under Xia Yuezi's careful feeding, Yang Yiyan's weight increased within the normal range, and her muscle mass also increased during training.
Coach Xia felt gratified as he watched his apprentice roll up his sleeves to reveal his muscular physique.
The previously unstable success rate of 2A is gradually increasing, and 3T has also been finalized, indicating that the direction we are taking is correct.
What surprised Xia Yuezi even more was that Yang Yiyan's gliding was excellent, which meant that she could jump farther.
Whether in the past or present, jumping has always been the most important skill for athletes.
After the elimination of figure skating events in 1990, skating and footwork were given even less attention. As a result, by the time of Xia Yuezi, a group of athletes with high jump difficulty and eye-searing performances emerged, turning a sport that combined strength and beauty into a jumping and smashing competition.
Xia Yuezi herself couldn't say when this trend started, only that it had always been there, but it hadn't been so obvious before.
Therefore, Xia Yuezi decided to retract some of her criticisms of Xiaoyan's first coach. Although the jumping technique he taught had problems, he had really put his heart into gliding and footwork.
Yang Yiyan leaned against the barrier, taking small sips from her thermos, her hair slightly disheveled from the rapid spinning. Xia Yuezi reached out to smooth it down, her mind preoccupied with the figure skating exams in October.
Yesterday, all the coaches were called to a meeting to prepare for the upcoming new season.
The youth group competition started first, which highlights the talent pool of figure skating in some countries.
The head coach was speaking passionately, while Xia Yuezi was dozing off. She knew all the procedures, but more importantly, her only promising young player was completely unable to participate in any important competitions.
Not only is he too young, but he's also not qualified enough.
There is not much talent in figure skating in China, and athletes' careers are not long. If we follow the age limit for moving up to the next age group according to the International Skating Union, there are almost no athletes participating in domestic senior competitions.
As a result, an extremely awkward situation has arisen in the domestic competition arena—the competitions for junior and youth groups are based on age, while the competitions for adult groups are based on grading.
Xia Yuezi reached the double-ten level at the age of eleven and directly participated in the adult group competition. After winning the gold medal in the National Championships, she rarely competed in the youth group anymore.
"Clatter".
The sound of the thermos being put back on its flap pulled Xia Yuezi back to reality.
She looked at the little girl who was obediently leaning against the barrier and asked, "Are there any problems with the performance for the exam?"
Yang Yiyan paused for a moment, then said honestly, "The rotation is okay, but 2A is a bit over-rotated."
Xia Yuezi raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting that the girl's jumping ability had also improved significantly after she gained muscle.
Generally speaking, there shouldn't be a big problem if the number of cycles is kept within 45 degrees, but if it's too much, it's easy to be considered as insufficient cycles and be demoted in the next group.
Xia Yuezi picked up the portable speaker that was placed to the side and said softly, "Do you still have the energy? Let me watch a program."
Yang Yiyan nodded and skated to the center of the ice rink. There was no one on the ice now, which was perfect for practicing the program.
She applied for the Level 7 free skate this time. Due to her severe imbalance in her skills, which makes many athletes complain, she achieved Level 9 in footwork, but she is still stuck at Level 6 in free skate.
Level 8 free skate is the threshold for adult competitions. Figure skating grading exams do not allow skipping levels, but students can take the exam again or make up for it at the fifth event.
According to Xia Yuezi's plan, Yang Yiyan should be working on five programs this season. The two programs for Group A can be reused from last season, with the jumps replaced according to the current difficulty. The grading program and the adult group program need to be prepared anew.
Yang Yiyan's parents had no objections, but due to time constraints, they couldn't find a suitable choreographer for the time being.
Domestic choreographers are scarce and expensive, and many contestants extended invitations to them at the end of the season. For contestants like Yang Yiyan, who do not have the halo of being the top female dancer and were invited late, they simply did not have the spare time. Therefore, Xia Yuezi had to do it herself.
Considering Yang Yiyan's training time after the start of the school year, Xia Yuezi directly edited the music based on the original songs of the Group A program, rearranged the adult group program, and used the adult group short program as a grade examination program.
The Junior A group is divided into a short program and a free skate. However, compared with the regular program, the short program has one less spin, and the free skate has one less combination jump, one less step sequence, and one less spin.
The internet wasn't very developed in 2010, but finding a set of competition videos wasn't a problem.
Xia Yuezi crammed on the competition rules before they were completely messed up and created two decent-looking programs.
The speaker volume was turned up to the maximum, and melodious music slowly wafted out as a girl in a black training uniform skated out on the ice.
Xia Yuezi's gaze was fixed on Yang Yiyan, completely unaware of the head coach standing at the entrance of the ice rink.
She looked up at the girl on the ice rink who was grabbing her legs and lifting them up, forming a teardrop shape with her body. Her rapidly spinning body made her look like the heroine of a music box from afar.
That's the most common Bielmann spin in women's singles, which requires extremely high flexibility from the athlete.
Her petite frame gives her not only high RPMs but also high glide speeds, which is an advantage for underdeveloped racers, but also a potential risk.
When the music ended, Yang Yiyan's face turned red, and she slid to the barrier, panting.
"Hello, Coach Li."
Xia Yuezi then realized that there was someone standing behind her, and it seemed that they had been standing there for quite a while.
She greeted him and inquired about his purpose.
Li Tan waved his hand: "You didn't seem to be in good spirits at the meeting. Is something still not fully recovered?"
Xia Yuezi felt a little embarrassed; she couldn't very well say that she didn't want to hear it.
Fortunately, Li Tan didn't continue the topic and turned his gaze to Yang Yiyan.
The little girl lowered her head and clenched her fists, clearly somewhat afraid of the head coach, since the last time she saw him was when he transferred her to Coach Xia's team.
Xia Yuezi turned off the speaker, picked up a towel and a water glass and handed them to Yang Yiyan, telling her to go and rest.
Li Tan then looked away and asked, "What are the child's plans for the second half of the year?"
Xia Yuezi paused for a rare moment, but still answered truthfully: "First, take the grading exam, then compete in Group A. If you're lucky, you might even be able to compete in the adult group."
Li Tan, who had just watched the whole thing, was not surprised. Instead, he commented, "Xiao Yan 3T turns pretty fast, but its landing on the ice is a bit off."
With years of coaching experience, Li Tan has a keen eye. Even though Yang Yiyan's muscle mass has increased, he can still see through her speed-focused nature at a glance.
"Yes, I'm working on my muscles right now," Xia Yuezi said, but as soon as she said it, she realized something was wrong. "Did someone say something?"
The first person she thought of was Wang Can.
Li Tan shook his head, a worried look on his face: "Building muscle is good, it won't be so difficult when you're in the developmental stage."
He watched Yang Yiyan gliding freely on the ice. The little girl lifted her right leg, spread her arms, and her ice skates were on the outside. Her whole body was tilted outward, and from a distance, she looked like a swallow enjoying flight, just like her name.
Xia Yuezi noticed the frustration in Li Tan's eyes and tentatively asked, "Is it because Mengyi... has reached puberty?"
I almost blurted out the familiar title, "Sister Mengyi".
They are close in age and competed together for a long time, even competing in many international events together.
She remembered Zhang Mengyi as tall and thin, nearly 1.7 meters. In order to get through the growth spurt, she dieted excessively and practiced hard, which made her energy bar low. She often experienced exhaustion in the free skate and never managed to perform her advanced triple triple again.
The culprit behind this phenomenon was her coach during her youth group years, and Zhang Mengyi regretted it for the rest of her life because of the unscientific training methods.
In fact, even in her time, there were no scientific methods in China to help athletes overcome developmental challenges.
Li Tan sighed, his voice lowering: "She was trying to lose weight by not eating, and ended up breaking her leg a couple of days ago."
Excessive weight loss can cause a decrease in bone density in athletes, making it difficult for them to withstand the impact when landing on the ice.
Xia Yuezi's pupils constricted: "Is he alright? Where did he break his bone? How serious is it?"
Li Tan was bewildered by these three questions, but he still answered honestly: "I have a broken leg and I won't be able to play this season."
Xia Yuezi's hand trembled slightly, and her eyes darkened. Sensing the oppressive atmosphere, she took the initiative to change the subject back to Yang Yiyan: "I plan to have Xiaoyan reach Advanced Level 3 this season."
"Advanced level three! She's only been out for three weeks, and you're already planning to let her use Hook and Philip?" Li Tan smiled bitterly, feeling that Xia Yuezi was just talking nonsense to comfort him.
He's seen Yang Yiyan train before; last year, she didn't even make it onto the platform in the junior high group, and she only recently started training for the 3T (three-times-tested) class.
Triple jumps are not the same as double jumps. It is impossible for athletes to master all jumps except for the triple A without talent.
Xia Yuezi knew that Li Tan didn't believe her, after all, Yang Yiyan's previous achievements were there for all to see.
To be fair, Li Tan is a very good coach, but he is not suited to be in a leadership position. He cares deeply about every figure skater and tries his best to secure better resources and support for them.
His tenure with the Beijing team can be considered the peak period of figure skating development in China. Current Chinese number one figure skating player Lu Ying, next-generation number one Zhang Mengyi (currently in the junior group), and Xia Yuezi were all trained during his time in charge.
However, Li Tan resigned later, and the glory of the Beijing team producing three top female players came to an end. In addition, with more and more unreasonable incidents, it directly led to its decline.
Although it was called early retirement, she felt it was no different from being forced to resign. A fleeting look of dejection crossed Xia Yuezi's eyes as she thought of this.
"What if I could do it?" Xia Yuezi stood by the ice rink, throwing the question back at her. Her eyes were free of shadows, revealing confidence, before she took off her skate sheaths and prepared to step onto the ice.
“I know some people have always been dissatisfied with me, so I have to prove myself with my abilities. Consider this my pledge.”
Anyway, this isn't the first time they've made such a pledge.
Without waiting for Li Tan's reply, Xia Yuezi rushed onto the ice rink and shouted Yang Yiyan back.
Li Tan looked at the master and apprentice on the ice, his hands hanging by his sides slowly clenched into fists, and then relaxed again.
He sighed deeply, put his hands behind his back, and quietly left.
Xia Yuezi's decision to issue the military order was not made on a whim. Even though the training period was not long, it was enough for her to understand Yang Yiyan's physical abilities.
Yang Yiyan's jump height is indeed insufficient, but her rotation speed can make up for this deficiency. If she controls it well later, she can convert the fat she is developing into muscle, which is the best option for a long career.
As a result, Yang Yiyan received a high-intensity training package at the end of her summer vacation.
A note from the author:
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