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KIDS' QUESTIONS
October 2009
Kids' Questions with Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani
The ice dancing team of Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani began the 2009-10 campaign by capturing the Junior Grand Prix Series event in Lake Placid, N.Y., over Labor Day weekend. This sister-brother combination has won U.S. titles at the novice (2007) and intermediate (2006) levels. Last season, they collected U.S. junior and World Junior silver medals and qualified for the 2008 Junior Grand Prix Final. When they aren't on the ice, both excel at their schools in Michigan and enjoy a wide array of interests.
Where is the most exciting place you have competed? Do you get to do some sightseeing when you travel?
Tatayana Daniels, 11
New York, N.Y.
Maia: Last season, we went to a lot of exciting places including Courchevel, France; Madrid, Spain; Goyang City, South Korea; and Sofia, Bulgaria. Each place holds great memories and the competition experiences were exciting — especially since it was our first year competing internationally. As far as sightseeing goes, we always try to do some, but it can difficult to schedule. Since we keep in mind that our main purpose for being there is the competition, the sightseeing we've done has mostly happened once the competition is over. After our event in Courchevel, we stopped off in Paris. I loved the Eiffel Tower and the beautiful Monet paintings in the Orangerie museum. After the Junior Grand Prix Final in South Korea, we stopped off in Tokyo. Mt. Fuji was a stunning site from our hotel room, and I loved the food.
Alex: The most exciting place to compete was Goyang City/Seoul, South Korea. We were there for the Junior Grand Prix Final. The fans are so incredibly passionate about skating. We had a great time performing for them and hope to have the chance to return soon. When we're at a competition, we try to keep focused on what we need to do in order to represent Team USA as best we can. It's always a lot of fun to explore new places and get a sense for the culture.
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| Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani with their coach Igor Shpilband |
You guys seem to do a lot of video blogs and I think it is great. Do you plan on doing any more?
Alex Zisson, 9
Greenwich, Conn.
Maia: We really enjoy making the video blogs, and we are glad that people like them. It is fun to share what it is like off the ice at competitions. For the skaters, it is not just all about serious business. Being part of Team USA is always fun, and we enjoy spending off-ice time with skaters from all over the world. We would love to do more video blogs whenever we get the chance.
Alex: They're a lot of fun to film and put together. There's no fancy equipment, just a simple handheld video recorder. We try to make them informative and funny as well. There are many moments that happen behind the scenes when you can see the athletes' personalities.
What other sports do you enjoy?
Hannah Park, 8
Boston, Mass.
Maia: I love swimming and tennis. (I really enjoy making my dad and Alex run after the ball.) I also enjoy watching many different sports aside from skating — especially short track speedskating (Apolo Ohno is amazing) and gymnastics.
Alex: I enjoy watching and following a lot of different sports throughout the year, especially the major college and professional team sports.
What are the pros and cons of having your brother/sister as a partner?
Bonnie Weinberg, 13
Sterling, Va.
Maia: There are many pros to skating with your sibling. Being part of the same family makes it easier to coordinate schedules and make decisions. I think the most important benefit is that all of the shared experiences, including the ups and downs, can make for a closer bond between siblings. Alex and I are both teenagers, so it shouldn't be too surprising that being together almost every day, as much as we are, can have its moments. Do you know any siblings who are always happy together? I don't. So, overall, I think the pros outweigh the cons. We have a close relationship, and this is definitely a source of strength for us as a team.
Alex: There are no “cons.” (Innocent face)
When you become senior dancers, what do you hope to accomplish?
Kate Manzagol, 16
Clarkston, Mich.
Maia: Each season, our goals are to improve every aspect of our skating so that we continue pushing our skills to another level. When we become senior dancers, we hope to continue doing what we love — performing for audiences, interpreting great music and competing internationally. Like most every skater at the senior level, we share the dream of earning the chance to represent our country at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Alex: The difference between competing at the junior versus senior level is large. When we do become senior dancers, we hope we will be well prepared for that important transition. Regardless of what level we compete at, however, our hopes for accomplishments on the ice don't really change. We always try to share our love of skating with people who enjoy the sport. If we can achieve that every time we perform, I know that we will accomplish a worthwhile goal.
What is your typical day like during the school year?
Jennifer Sherwood, 15
Dallas, Texas
Maia: During the school year, my average day is busy and long since I take a full academic load in high school and train at least 25 hours a week. I wake up at 4:15 a.m., and I'm at the rink by 5:15. Alex and I are on the ice by 5:45. We train with some breaks until about 10:30 a.m. Immediately after that, I head to school. I usually end up either finishing my homework or eating my lunch in the car. Once at school, I take three academic classes, and have a fourth period to meet with friends about a service club that I co-founded and organize. After school at around 3 p.m., I usually do an off-ice workout. I also take two other academic courses online, which I try to make a point of doing every day. Finally it's dinner, and hopefully bedtime by 9 p.m.
What do you plan on studying at the University of Michigan?
Julieanne Fabrizo, 12
Sacramento, Calif.
Alex: This is my first semester of college, and because of the university's size as well as top-notch graduate and professional schools, I'm really excited about the incredibly wide range of academic choices. This fall, I will start with some requirements — a writing class and a language (Japanese). I am looking forward to the writing class since “new media” and sports journalism are potential career interests. Overall, I'm aiming for courses that will keep me aligned with business and communications tracks. I have a while yet before I have to decide on a major.
Which skaters do you enjoy watching most? Do you have any mentor ice dancing teams?
Sarah Dunning, 17
Houston, Texas
Maia: I love watching skaters in every discipline, and it is especially enjoyable going to competitions like the U.S. Championships, since we have many friends who skate freestyle and pairs. At our own rink, we learn so much from watching everyone we train with. In some ways, I enjoy watching practices as much as I do watching performances. As far as having other teams that mentor us, we are definitely fortunate in that regard. We get a lot of advice and support from Meryl Davis and Charlie White, as well as Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. They are mentors about a whole range of things, not just skating, but also travel, school and about being partners. It is like having big brothers and sisters at the rink every day. Not only are they amazing ice dancers, they are wonderful people and role models.
Alex: We have a lot of strong dance teams at our rink, and we are able to learn a lot just from watching them and training with them every day. We find different things to admire in different teams. Now with YouTube, we really enjoy watching many of the great skaters and performances that took place before we were even born. For instance, we learned so much working with Christopher Dean when we trained in Colorado Springs. Being able to watch (Jayne) Torvill and Dean's performances only enhanced our appreciation for how great this sport can be. There have been so many amazing athletes and artists in the history of ice dance. It is such a great inspiration to watch their performances.
What's been the greatest moment to date in your careers?
Sandra Matthews, 14
New York, N.Y.
Maia and Alex: For both of us, the greatest moment to date was competing at the 2009 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was such an honor to represent the United States at Worlds during our first year of competing internationally. We were really pleased we were able to skate three strong performances, which reflected all the hard work we put in throughout the season. To pull up in the standings after each phase and ultimately stand on the podium, win the silver medal, and watch our flag go up was a great moment for us, and one we'll never forget.
