Above: Loni Keenan and Kathleen Gazich at the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
By Kama Stigall
At the tender age of 3, Ava Thomas began her figure skating career. She started off in a Learn to Skate USA class before progressing to private lessons, and it was there that she met coach Loni Keenan.
“Loni had coached my mom for many years, even helping her reach and pass her gold free skate test, so my mom had many reasons to trust that I would benefit from working with her,” said Thomas, now 18 and a freshman in college. “After working with Loni for a few years and upping the number of hours I was on the ice per week, I began lessons with Kathleen Gazich.”
Thomas is just one example of the impact the coaching team of Keenan and Gazich has had on the skating community. Since 2013, they have served as co-head coaches at the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club in Edina, Minnesota.
By the time they officially began their partnership, the two women had known each other for several years.
“Kathleen and I skated at Braemar during the same era,” Keenan said. “Over time, we both chose coaching as our professional path, and in the early years of our careers, we admired each other’s work with our students. I always appreciated the quality and creativity Kathleen brought to the ice, and I know she was equally complimentary of my coaching.”
There is strength in numbers, and the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club is fortunate to have many excellent technicians on staff.
“We have an amazing team of off-ice and on-ice specialists who complement what we do,” Keenan said. “We’re grateful to be surrounded by so many talented coaches.”
Strong communication and alignment are the keys to their coaching success.
“The best part of coaching with Loni is that we get along well and are like-minded,” Gazich said. “We complement each other with our coaching styles. We communicate every day about our students, so we are on the same page, but also to bounce ideas off each other when problem solving for our skaters.”
The importance of communication cannot be underestimated, Keenan said.
“Communication is at the heart of our partnership,” Keenan said. “We talk constantly —often multiple times a day — even before we step onto the ice. That ongoing dialogue helps us stay aligned, responsive and fully invested in our skaters’ development.”
Knowing how to package a skater is an artform. Keenan and Gazich have worked diligently and intentionally on their process.
“For us, packaging is about more than just aesthetics — it’s about crafting a complete and personalized experience that helps each skater shine,” Keenan said. “We’re always thinking ahead to the next season, mapping out the best path for each athlete to fulfill their goals. That includes selecting music that not only suits their style but also challenges them artistically and technically; and coordinating costume design that reflects their program while respecting budget, timeline and personal taste.”
Working with their skaters has, and continues to be, deeply rewarding, Gazich said.
“I love those days when a skater learns a new skill, and seeing the improvement over the course of years,” she said. “There are also some pretty special performances from my students that makes me proud to have been a part of the process.”
Keenan agreed.
“One of the most meaningful aspects of our work is teaching second generations of families we’ve coached in the past,” Keenan said. “It’s a testament to the trust and connection we’ve built over time. We love sharing our training philosophy with our skaters and watching them carry those lessons into other areas of their lives.”
To see their mark on the sport, look no further than their students.
“I could go on and on about how Kathleen and Loni are each so unique and amazing in different ways, but one special characteristic they both share as coaches and people in general is that they care deeply,” Thomas said. “They care about the sport, their skaters’ successes, how their skaters are feeling and how they can always keep improving themselves.”
Archie Schuster, 16, began working with the coaching duo in December 2023.
“They have taught me that there is always something positive and something to improve in every session and competition, which has truly helped me to grow as a skater and have confidence in all that I do,” Schuster said. “They don’t just come to the rink to be coaches — they come to support the next generation of future athletes that figure skating has to offer.”
Gazich and Keenan hope their coaching philosophy will continue to influence their students long after their skating careers have ended.
“Ultimately, we believe that strong fundamentals, thoughtful coaching and a positive, high-energy environment are what makes our skaters stand out — not just on the ice, but in life,” Keenan said.
