Club Coaching Professionals

Jessica Mills Kincade

Director of Skating

502-830-8607

72/hour

Jessica is a former World Jr. Champion and National Jr. Ladies Silver medalist. At the Senior level she was a three time Regional Champion, Sectional medalist and four time National competitor. Internationally, she earned a Bronze medal at Skate Canada.

She has achieved the Professional Skaters Association Masters Rating in Free Skate and Certified Rating for Group Instruction. She is a U.S. Figure Skating Accredited Master Coach in Singles and holds a Level II Certification in Group instruction.

Mary Vaughn

Learn to Skate USA Director

Aspire Director

(502) 718-9017

60/hour

Mary teaches group and individual Basic Skills, Free Skate, Skating Skills, and off-ice dance fitness.

Mary Vaughn's initial competitive figure skating career spanned over a decade in figures and through Intermediate Freestyle as a member of Figure Skating Club of Memphis, including summer training with Colorado Skating Club. She rediscovered her passion for skating as a member of Louisville Skating Academy (LSA) and teammate in the adult Louisville River Stars synchronized figure skating team, 2-time pewter medalists at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.

Mary's professional career includes over 20 years combined experience as a secondary educator, volunteer, group fitness instructor, and figure skating coach. Mary earned a Bachelor of Arts, English major, Latin American Studies minor, from Vanderbilt University and a Masters of Education in School Counseling from the University of Louisville.

Mary currently serves as LSA Learn to Skate USA Director, LSA Aspire Director, LSA Board of Directors Secretary, Norton Children's Hospital Foundation Bourbon & Bowties board member, and appointed member of the inaugural U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Council.

Sarah Neal

(502) 819-7751

72/hour

Sarah teaches Singles, Skating Skills, Ice Dance, Basic Skills, and yoga.

Sarah is a Master level U.S. Figure Skating Accredited coach with a Level III ranking. She also holds an RYT-500 certification. As a skater, she achieved the gold level in Ice Dance and Skating Skills and the Silver level in Free Skate and Free Dance.

Sarah began her coaching career in Arizona in 1998. She later directed a large skating school in Spain, where her students represented Spain at competitions throughout Spain and in Andorra, France, and Slovenia.

Since moving home to Louisville in 2003, Sarah has coached skaters to over two dozen gold medal tests and in competition at the regional, sectional, and national levels in five different disciplines. Her students have represented LSA at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, USFS National Development Camp, USFS Collegiate Championships, USFS National Qualifying Series, USFS Excel Series Final, USFS National Showcase, USFS Solo Dance Series Final, and the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, as well as the Midwestern Sectional Championships and former Eastern Great Lakes Regional Championships. They have won multiple titles and medals at these events, including the title of 2014 Midwestern Intermediate Ice Dance Champions. In addition, many of her skaters have gone on to collegiate skating at schools such as Cornell, Boston University, University of Toronto, Adrian College, William & Mary, University of Delaware, University of Kentucky, and Miami University. Sarah also served as LSA club President, Artistic Director, and Learn to Skate Director for many years.

As founder of The Skating Yogi, Sarah has helped over 100 skaters learn to train smarter, skate better, and enjoy the process by guiding them on The Skating Yogi Journey through the 8 limbs of yoga. Through her blog www.theskatingyogi.com, she helps parents and coaches build and nurture a safer, more supportive skating community while continuing to develop young humans and skaters.

Sarah holds an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from Arizona State University and has been a Lecturer of Spanish at universities in Metro Louisville since 2003.

Valory Thompson

(513) 827-2851

70/hour

Valory teaches Basic Skills and Freestyle.

Valory is a U.S. and Canadian double Gold medalist in Figures and Freestyle. She competed nationally and internationally through the junior level. She won the Vienna Cup in Austria and also represented the U.S. in Milan, Italy. She has been coaching for approximately 25 years and has taught all levels from beginners to national, international and junior world level skaters.

She enjoys choreography and has been involved in the off-ice training of her competitive students as well.

Heidi Whitlow

(502) 633-9241

66/hour

Heidi teaches Basic Skills, Freestyle, Moves in the Field, and Synchronized Skating.

Heidi has passed USFS Novice Skating Skills, Adult Gold Moves in the Field, Juvenile Freestyle and Pre-Gold Dance as well as ISI 8 Free Skate, ISI 4 Pairs and ISI 8 Couples. Heidi has achieved the ratings of Master Skating Skills, Master Group Instructor and Certified Freestyle Instructor.

She holds a B.S. in Journalism/Advertising and in Agriculture/Horticulture.

Susan Caudill

(502) 649-6051

64/hour

Susan teaches Basic Skills, Freestyle, Skating Skills, and Dance.

Susan has achieved USFS Gold in Dance and holds the PSA ratings of Master in Skating Skills, Dance and Group Instruction. In addition, Susan holds the rating of Certified Figures and Freestyle.

Susan and her partner were Midwestern Bronze and Silver Dance Champions and placed 4th at Nationals in Silver Dance. Susan has coached teams to compete at the the U.S. Championships in dance.

She has a B.A. in Business Administration from Butler University.

Rebecca Hatch-Purnell

(502) 415-0962

63/hour

Becca teaches Freestyle, Skating Skills, Synchronized Skating and Basic Skills.

Becca is a U.S Figure Skating Accredited Master Coach in Singles and Skating Skills and holds a Level II certification in Synchronized Skating and Programming. Becca has coached singles skaters at the U.S. junior national championships and U.S. sectional championships.

Becca graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Chinese Language and Economics and worked for more than 10 years in finance and business management.

Chase Becht

(502) 640-2752

60/hour

Chase coaches Singles, Choreography, Skating Skills, Group and Pairs.

Chase is a double Gold medalist in Skating Skills and Singles and a pre-gold medalist in pairs. Chase was the National Silver medalist at the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships in 2014, and the National Pairs Champion in Juvenile Pairs in 2016.

After moving from Louisville to Colorado Springs, CO at age 16 to train at the Olympic Training Center, Chase went on to have multiple top 10 finishes at the National Championships in singles and pairs. Additionally, he competed for Team USA internationally, including earning a top 10 finish at the 2021 ISU Jr. Grand Prix, Austria.

Beverly Durborow

(859) 396-5618

60/hour

Beverly offers coaching in Basic Skills, Freestyle (Singles), Skating Skills, Ice Dance (beginning dances), Off-Ice Training, and Pilates.

A former collegiate gymnast, Beverly discovered figure skating as an adult and has since earned a Gold Medal in Adult Skating Skills, Pre-Gold Medal in Master's Ice Dance, and Silver Medal in Adult Singles. She is a USFS Adult Championships medalist in Ice Dance and Artistic Skating, winning gold in Centennial Ice Dance in 2021. She also competed as a team member of the Louisville River Stars adult synchronized figure skating team.

Beverly holds Master's degrees in Health & Human Sciences (LSU), and Physical Therapy (Univ. of AL at Birmingham). She is a certified Pilates instructor for mats.

Jennifer DeVore

(502) 410-9997

50/hour

Jennifer teaches Basic Skills, Freestyle, off-ice training, and choreography.

Jennifer has passed Novice Skating Skills and Novice Freestyle and also competed at that level in qualifying and non-qualifying competitions. She is a two time Ellen Jenkins award winner.

Jennifer is also an insurance agent and loves to spend time with family and friends.

Ravnn Thornton

(502) 269-2628

50/hour

Ravnn teaches Basic Skills, Freestyle, Skating Skills, and Dance.

Ravnn has achieved USFS Gold Skating Skills, Gold Dance, and Novice Freestyle. She was a 7-time Eastern Great Lakes Regional Championship Qualifying and Non-Qualifying competitor.

She is currently a student at the University of Louisville.

Elizabeth Dalton

(502) 762-2032

40/hour

Elizabeth coaches Learn to Skate and gives private lessons to Basic 1-6 skaters.

Elizabeth has achieved the 4th Figures, Bronze Singles, Pre-Silver Pattern Dance, and Silver Skating Skills levels.

She holds a Masters of Education in Instructional Design and has 20 years experience as an educator, working as special education teacher before transitioning into eLearning design and development in both higher education and corporate training.

Stephanie Peters

(407) 403-3041

35/hour

Stephanie teaches Group, Singles, and Introductory Ice Dance & Pairs.

Stephanie has achieved the Adult Gold Pairs, Adult Gold Skating Skills, Adult Gold Singles, Silver Dance (Adult 21+), Pre-Silver Skating Skills (standard), and the first Figure levels. She is a Gold medalist from the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Adult National Championships in Adult Silver Pairs. She earned the Silver medal in Adult Gold Pairs at the Adult Championships in 2023 and 2024.

Stephanie holds a Masters of Library and Information Science, a Bachelors in English/Creative Writing, and a Bachelors in Telecommunication & Film. She is a former Disney World cast member and librarian who currently works as an admin for UPS Airlines. She has taught Learn to Skate on-and-off since 2016.

Evan Whitlow

(502) 655-9480

35/hour

Evan teaches Basic Skills, Free Skate, Skating Skills, off-ice, off-ice harness, and specializes on the pole harness.

Evan is a National Juvenile Pairs Silver medalist, a Sectional Juvenile Pairs Silver medalist, a six-time Sectional competitor and a three-time Regional medalist. Evan is a USFS double Gold medalist in Free Skate and Skating Skills.

Evan has earned the rank of Eagle Scout, holds an Airframe and Powerplant maintenance certificate, and placed first in the 2021 USPA Kentucky State powerlifting championship in the 67.5kg class.

Hannah Avery

(502) 873-8072

30/hour

Hannah has achieved the Silver Pattern Dance and Pre-Silver Skating Skills levels. She has earned a High School Diploma and has began coaching at LSA in 2021.

Hannah has professional experience in senior care and retail.

Alee Keating

(908) 319-1987
30/hour

Alee teaches Singles, Skating Skills, Ice Dance and Group.

Alee has achieved the Gold Skating Skills, Pattern Dance and Free Dance levels and Pre-Silver Singles level. Alee is a student at the University of Delaware.

Mollie Shapira

(502) 445-9188
30/hour

Mollie teaches Group and Singles.

Molly has achieved a Gold medal in Skating Skills and Pattern Ice Dance and the Bronze level in Singles. Molly is a student at William & Mary College.

Ryan Wood

(502) 780-2712

30/hour

Ryan coaches Group, Singles, off-ice jumps and conditioning.

Ryan has achieved the Silver Skating Skills and Pre-Silver Singles levels. He has a High School Diploma and is a certified Personal Trainer though the International Sports Science Association. Ryan also completed the Fundamentals of Coaching course through the Professional Skaters Association.

He has professional experience working in customer service and elder care.