2020 U.S. Figure Skating Championships with Chris Knierim, Alexa ScimecaKnierim, Jessica Calalang, and Brian Johnson
2020 Coaches of the Year
Jenni Meno-Sand, Todd Sand & Christine Fowler-Binder
By Terri Milner Tarquini
I
t helps in life and career to have a goal. The 2020 PSA Coach(es) of the Year are clear on what theirs is: Return the United States to the pairs podium at the World level. The coaching team of Jenni Meno-Sand, Todd Sand and Christine Fowler-Binder pack a one-two punch of loads of pairs experience, as well as a huge new facility, Great Park Ice & Fivepoint Arena in Southern California, that is set-up specifically to train pairs teams from beginning levels to elite. “Todd, Jenni, and I have been teaching together for over 12 years,” said Fowler-Binder, a World, International and National coach and choreographer; past PSA president, and last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner. “When I moved here from the East Coast in 2007, Todd and
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Jenni had just started coaching. We had similar coaching styles and trusted each other right from the beginning.” It has been an immensely successful partnership producing multiple National medalists: Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker (World team members 2012), Jessica Calalang and Zack Sidhu (Junior World Competitors, 2nd in Junior Pairs), Chelsea Lui and Brian Johnson (Junior World Competitors, 2nd in Junior pairs, Novice Pair Champions), and Ai Setoyama and David Botero (Novice National Champions). “I think many years of collaboration, mutual respect and trust allowed us to break through in senior this year,” Fowler-Binder said. “I consider myself very lucky to teach alongside them every day. They are the leaders of the team and I am there to support them.
Jenni is excellent at managing all of us and motivating our skaters with run-throughs and training. Todd (an ISU technical specialist) has a great eye for detail and amazing technical knowledge. And I help with skating skills, footwork levels, and overall performance. We also have choreographers and off-ice trainers that help our skaters, too. It’s a great team approach.” Team coaching can be tricky, and it is a unique relationship that needs to be defined and nurtured. “Mutual respect and trust are big, but I also think that having the same coaching philosophy makes team teaching work,” Fowler-Binder said. “Making the right decisions for the well-being of your athletes, operating every day with morals and ethics, and being role models for your skaters is something we all strive for every
