Don Laws : the life of an Olympic figure skating coach / Beverly Ann Menke.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Menke, Beverly Ann, 1953-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Laws, Donald E.

Figure skaters--United States--Biography.

Figure skaters.

Figure skating coaches--United States--Biography.

Figure skating coaches.

United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiv, 195 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2012.

Summary:

At the 1984 Olympics, American Scott Hamilton skated into the history books when he claimed a gold medal in Sarajevo. Beside him the entire time was his coach, Don Laws, a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and a U.S. junior Champion. Laws is one of the most respected and admired figure skating coaches in the world, having coached not only Hamilton, but champions Michael Weiss and Patrick Chan, as well.. This authorized biography tells the story of Laws's exemplary life and chronicles his dedication to figure skating.

Don Laws The Life of an Olympic Figure Skating Coach recounts Laws's life, from his childhood in Washington, D.C., to his junior Men's Figure Skating Championship, to his triumphs as a coach on the international stage. Featuring personal interviews with many of his former pupils, this humorous and enlightening biography captures Laws's devotion to the sport and his students. In addition, this book goes behind the scenes of the controversial new judging system-Laws was one of only four coaches worldwide to take part in its creation-and touches upon the break between Laws and one of his star pupils, Patrick Chan.

Including exclusive interviews with Scott Hamilton, Michael Weiss, premier Russian coach Tamara Moskvina, former International Skating Union member Sonia Bianchetti, and current ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta, this book is a one-of-a-kind look at a man who never strayed from his beliefs and ideals and never wavered in his love for the sport. A chapter devoted to skating techniques laid out by Laws will be a helpful tool for figure skating coaches; but for the figure skater, and for any fan of the sport, it will be the stories, interviews, photographs, and history that make this book entertaining and inspiring. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The 351st CommRecon Company 1

Chapter 2 The Renegade Alphias 21

Chapter 3 Passion 29

Chapter 4 Once Bitten, Twice Shy 39

Chapter 5 I Was a Centerfold 45

Chapter 6 Halcyon Days 49

Chapter 7 The Crash 53

Chapter 8 Beware of the Word "No" 59

Chapter 9 Organized Chaos 67

Chapter 10 Full-Tilt Boogie 79

Chapter 11 The 6.0 Club (or the SSSO) 87

Chapter 12 Paving the Way: Teaching and Coaching Techniques 95

Chapter 13 Scott 113

Chapter 14 Peanut Butter and Jelly for Vodka and Caviar 131

Chapter 15 Penumbra 153

Chapter 16 The Sum of It All 175.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9780810885349

0810885344

9780810885356

0810885352

OCLC:

785874883