A lot of great skaters have made great coaches. Maribel Vinson-Owen, Carol Heiss-Jenkins, Brian Orser, Irina Rodnina, Tamara Moskvina, Yuka Sato, Jason Dunjen....I could go on. I think Yuna probably has it in her to be a great coach.
But I wouldn't be surprised at the same time if it wasn't for her. A lot of champion skaters don't go on to teach. Just because you're really good at something, doesn't make you qualified to teach it. There's a somewhat unfair and unkind saying among football fans that mediocre players often make the best coaches. I don't believe that goes for everyone, but there's a little truth in it. Someone who's naturally good at something may not have the best understanding of why they're good at it, or the mechanics of it.
And not everyone has the teaching "gene." I certainly don't. I tried teaching, but found it unfulfilling. I worked with an excellent skating school that made every effort to encourage and support its coaches, but my heart wasn't in it. I wanted to be out on the ice doing my thing, not standing still, freezing my butt off watching someone else do theirs. Maybe that makes me selfish. But I think I'm doing any potential students a favor by letting them take up with a more dedicated coach who will help them flourish.
I'm always happy to lend advice to another skater, watch a few moves and give a few pointers, but my calling is not in coaching.
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