Who pays these coaches, like Frank Carroll - who seems to be a bitter old queen. And what good are they? And why do some of these guys choose such horrible music and do such silly routines?
I am dumbfounded.
The skaters pay the coaches. The coaches "coach", like directors "direct"...they are the ones who stay on top of the mindboggling rules and dogmas of the skating federations...the ones who contract for choreographers and consultants on finding the best routines to suit the strengths (and mask the weaknesses) of the skaters.
The music is a collaboration...and taste is everything...and often lacking, admittedly. Influence can be wielded, of course, from all sorts of people...there are many folks involved in the career of a skater.
Coaches primarily ensure the skaters perform their movements correctly...letting them know what they are doing wrong and how to correct it...during their practices. They bring in specialists to help skaters overcome stumbling blocks...like when skaters start maturing and find the extra body weight makes doing things they excelled at suddenly very difficult.
Skating is very costly. Many families sacrifice dearly to keep a skater on ice with a coach, and very often far away from home. Many get sponsors to offset costs. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars EACH YEAR to keep a skater like Michelle Kwan or Johnny Weir on ice.
One of the benefits of the changes in rules (in the mid-1990s) about skaters earning money for endorsements and special appearances is that it enabled skaters to continue skating beyond one appearance at an Olympics. We used to see skaters for about four years...and then they were gone, whether they won or lost at the Olympics. Now it's possible for skaters to go to two or three Olympics.
Skaters like Tara Lipinski come along very seldom...she won Gold at age 15 and retired. She skates professionally, but cannot do much of what she did to earn her gold medal. Her jumps are severely restricted now because of hip problems. Sara Hughes wanted an education...and also put on a lot of weight within a year of winning her medal. She just could not maintain a balance of study/weight/practice to continue as an amateur.
It may seem silly and frivolous...and the coaches may appear to some as "bitter old queens"...but it's a sport that demands dedication and discipline...and not a little talent.