Meet our staff!
You can reach our coaches by email at emeralds.synchro@gmail.com
Tina Kupferschmidt
Tina is originally from Roseville, Minnesota. She moved here in 2012, due to her husband’s acceptance of a job offer with Microsoft. Prior to her arrival in Washington she coached at the Maplewood FSC in Maplewood, MN where she had been coaching synchronized skating for 10 years. She has coached all ages, from Beginner – Intermediate leveled Synchro teams which attended and were competitive at many local, regional, and sectional competitions each year. Her intermediate level team competed at the US Synchronized Skating National Championships for 3 consecutive years from 2008-2010. Currently, Tina is a coach at the Seattle Skating Club and her areas of instruction include learn-to-skate lessons, compulsory ice-dancing, moves in the field, and of course synchronized skating as a coach of the Washington Ice Emeralds.
Danielle Buckley
Originally from Bellevue, Washington, Danielle grew up skating in the Seattle area before attending the University of Delaware. While at UD, she competed nationally with the University of Delaware Synchronized Skating Team at the collegiate level. After graduating, she moved back to Seattle, began coaching Synchro, and helped found the Washington Ice Emeralds in 2013. Danielle is a USFS double gold medalist (Moves in the Field and Ice Dance) and has coached synchro at the youth and adult levels at local through sectional competitions, in addition to skating with the Ice Emeralds adult teams.
Marie Grieshaber
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Marie has participated in several disciplines of figure skating including Synchronized Skating, Singles, and Theater on Ice. Marie competed yearly in the Southwest Regional Championships as well as ISI Worlds Competition in synchronized skating, group, and solo events from 2000-2008. Marie began coaching in 2007 and has experience working with skaters of all ages. Furthermore, since 2009, Marie has taught summer camps, group classes, and private lessons. In 2013, Marie helped to create The Highlanders beginner synchronized skating program and joined the Washington Ice Emeralds coaching staff in 2015. Marie has had the pleasure of coaching the Ice Emeralds 2017 Pewter and 2018 Bronze Synchronized Skating Open Juvenile champions. Additionally, she skates on the Juve+ team since 2016 in addition to coaching two adult teams with Coach Sarah Berkshire.
Sarah Berkshire
Sarah is originally from Anchorage, Alaska and has been skating since a young age. She competed nationally with Glacier’s Edge Synchronized Skating Team from 1996-2001 in both the Junior and Intermediate Division. Sarah left Alaska to attend University of Oregon and then Regis University where she earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy. Sarah moved to Seattle in 2009 to work as a physical therapist and renewed her love of synchronized skating. She has been skating with the Adult teams since 2016 and joined the coaching staff in 2018. She also helps with off-ice conditioning for all the teams in the organization and owns her own physical therapy practice, Twist Physical Therapy, where she specializes in working with figure skaters.
Celeste Chettiar (Junior Coach)
Celeste has been skating since she was 12 years old and currently skates for Seattle Skating Club. She was a part of the Open Juv and Intermediate teams for 3 years and won a bronze medal at Sectionals in 2018. She has passed Juvenile moves in the field and is a Pre-Silver ice dancer.
Chayse Pile (Junior Coach)
Originally from California, Chayse moved to Seattle 7 years ago and has been skating with the Ice Emeralds ever since. She has 13 years of competitive skating experience, holds two USFS Gold Medals (Ice Dance and Moves in the Field), and has been skating synchro since 2015. She competed with the Ice Emeralds through numerous competitions, including winning the bronze medal at Sectionals in 2018. Currently she coaches the Learn to Synchro program and is pursuing a career in professional show skating.