"You have to know when to be a Coach, a Teacher, or a Trainer"
Peter Burrows simply exudes quiet confidence, unperturbed by the bustling atmosphere of the 2008 European Champs, while I am trying to delve into the 47 years of his coaching success during our conversation. The former British Junior and Senior National Champion, European & World team member has trained a cohort of 14 Olympians and 26 World team members, among whom are World and Olympic Champions

Peter, what is more important for an athlete – when his/her mentor is more of a coach, a teacher, or a trainer?

Well, you have to know when to be a coach, a teacher, or a trainer. When you explain an element, you are a teacher; when you help the athlete to learn it, you are a trainer, when you go to competitions, you are a coach.

Do you adhere to a strict and uniform coaching policy towards every athlete you coach?

Quite the contrary. Every athlete is unique and needs a unique approach.

Still, there must some core guidelines that you follow.

It can be summarized in one sentence "to get the athlete believe in himself".

Will there be any special words you will be saying to Tamar before she gets on the ice tomorrow? (The interview was taken one day before the ladies' short programme at the 2008 European Championships in Zagreb).

"Stand up to the occasion".

If we can divide the training process into the mental and physical components, which is more important for getting an athlete ready for the major competitions?

I would say they are equally important. I wouldn't compromise one for the sake of the other.

Can one learn the profession, or is it gained by hands-on experience?

Hands-on experience is crucial, and there is no substitute for it. This is how I became a coach, and have been running two skating schools for more than 30 years.

-Sometimes an athlete is just not in the mood to do an element or to fulfill other requirements of the coach. What do you do in such situations?

Flexibility is key.  I first try to understand what brought the athlete to that point. But there should be awareness that training has to be sustainable.

You have been coaching Tamar for about half a year now. What has improved most in her skating since then?

The speed and the jumps. She is now doing complete run-throughs of her short and long programmes on the daily basis. It dramatically improves stamina and helps her cope with the stress of the competition.

Peter, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us, and we wish your coach-athlete tandem with Tamar Katz lots of success.