Three U.S. Figure Skating coaches and service providers have been honored by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Coach of the Year Recognition Program for their significant impact on skaters’ lives both on and off the ice.
Jenni Meno-Sand was named the USOPC 2023 Olympic Coach of the Year, Caroline Silby, Ph.D., CMPC, received the USOPC 2023 Service Provider of the Year award, and Garrett Lucash was recognized with the USOPC 2023 Doc Counsilman Science and Technology Award.
“U.S. Figure Skating is incredibly proud of Jenni, Caroline, and Garrett for these well-deserved honors,” said Heidi Thibert, U.S. Figure Skating director of coach development and education. “They embody the core values of excellence, integrity, respect, resilience, and community, and they demonstrate a deep commitment to their skaters as athletes and individuals.”
Each honoree was selected by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee based on their accomplishments in 2023. The selection was made by an independent panel of coaching and sport education professionals.
Jenni Meno-Sand: 2023 Olympic Coach of the Year
As a former athlete, Meno-Sand is a three-time Olympian, three-time World medalist, and three-time U.S. champion. As a coach, she has led multiple pairs teams to success in 2023. At the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2023, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier earned silver.
Meno-Sand also coached two teams to podium finishes at the U.S. Championships, with Knierim and Frazier winning gold and Sonia Baram and Daniel Tioumentsev securing pewter. Baram and Tioumentsev later won the World Junior title. Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy also claimed bronze at Skate America under her guidance.
Caroline Silby, Ph.D., CMPC: 2023 Service Provider of the Year
Silby, a sport psychologist, has spent 30 years helping U.S. skaters with mental performance and mental health. She has made significant contributions to sports psychology at U.S.
Figure Skating, supporting athletes, coaches, and parents. Silby is the first U.S. Figure Skating member to receive the Service Provider of the Year award.
Garrett Lucash: 2023 Doc Counsilman Science and Technology Award
Lucash, who co-directs Athlete Centered Skating, integrates sports science into his coaching methods. His book, “A Constraints-Led Approach to Figure Skating Coaching,” was published in 2022. Lucash’s notable athlete, Maxim Naumov, earned the U.S. pewter medal in 2023.
He has also served as chair of the PSA Sport Science Committee and a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Sport Science and Medicine Committee. Lucash is the first U.S. Figure Skating coach to win the Doc Counsilman Science and Technology Award since 2009.
