Dalilah Sappenfield

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Dalilah Sappenfield (left) with Britney Simpson and Nathan Miller in 2010

Dalilah Sappenfield is an American who has worked as a figure skating coach and choreographer and specialized in pair skating. She started working as a coach in 1993, and was named the 2008 USFSA/PSA Coach of the Year,[1] after her pair teams won the gold medals at the novice, junior, and senior levels at the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Her pair Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[2] She is the adoptive mother of Laureano Ibarra, and he and his first partner were her first pair team.

In May 2024, Sappenfield was permanently banned by the United States Center for SafeSport for physical and emotional misconduct, retaliation, abuse of process, and failure to report a potential SafeSport violation.[3]

Early life[edit]

Sappenfield was born in Miami, Florida, to Cuban parents.[4] She was the fifth of 10 children.[5][6] She described it as "a strict, Hispanic family" with "a lot of discipline."[7]

Coaching career[edit]

At 19 years of age, Sappenfield switched from skating to coaching.[8] Sappenfield coached in Monument, Colorado at the Monument Ice Rinks. She coached Alexa Scimeca Knierim & Chris Knierim to two U.S. National titles (2015, 2018), Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker to two U.S. National titles (2008, 2009), Caydee Denney & John Coughlin to the 2012 National title and Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin to the 2011 National title.[9][10][11][12] She also coached McLaughlin & Brubaker to the 2007 World Junior title and the 2006 Junior Grand Prix Final title. Her pair teams have won several medals on the ISU Grand Prix and the ISU Junior Grand Prix. Additional skaters she has coached include Jessica Rose Paetsch & Jon Nuss,[13] Meeran Trombley & Laureano Ibarra,[14] Brittany Vise & Nicholas Kole,[15] Igor Macypura,[16] and Austin Kanallakan.[17]

U.S. National Champions coached by Sappenfield include:

Allegations of abuse and permanent suspension by SafeSport[edit]

On October 8, 2021, USA Today published an exposé by Christine Brennan in which former pairs skater Tarah Kayne detailed alleged emotional and psychological abuse she suffered while being coached by Sappenfield. Kayne ultimately left Sappenfield with her skating partner, Danny O'Shea, in September 2020, before Kayne retired in December that same year. Kayne stated that Sappenfield's abuse prompted her to engage in self-harm behaviors and that she'd been afraid to seek mental health treatment out of concern that Sappenfield would find out. She said, "These awful experiences forced me out of the sport I love. Dalilah said multiple times that she wanted to end my career, and she succeeded." O'Shea expressed his support for Kayne on social media. Kayne was one of several skaters to file complaints against Sappenfield with the United States Center for SafeSport, leading to her suspension pending further investigation.[18] On May 29, 2024, Sappenfield was permanently banned for "physical and emotional misconduct," retaliation, abuse of process, and failure to report a potential SafeSport violation.[19][3]

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dalilah Sappenfield.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Welcome to U.S. Figure Skating
  2. ^ "U.S. Figure Skating Announces Pairs Nomination for 2018 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team". U.S. Figure Skating. January 7, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Brennan, Christine. "US Olympic pairs figure skating coach Dalilah Sappenfield banned for life for misconduct". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ [3]
  7. ^ [4]
  8. ^ [5]
  9. ^ SCIMECA KNIERIM & KNIERIM
  10. ^ McLAUGHLIN & BRUBAKER Archived April 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Yankowskas & Coughlin
  12. ^ Penny, Brandon (June 15, 2011). "Powerful Denney & Coughlin taking risks". TeamUSA.org. Archived from the original on June 19, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  13. ^ "PAETSCH & NUSS". Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  14. ^ TROMBLEY & IBARRA Archived June 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Vise & Kole". Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  16. ^ MACYPURA Archived May 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ KANALLAKAN Archived May 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Brennan, Christine. "Figure skater Tarah Kayne details abuse allegations against sanctioned Olympic coach". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  19. ^ "U.S Center for SafeSport - Centralized Disciplinary Database". cdd.uscenterforsafesport.org. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  20. ^ Edwards, Schaefer (April 7, 2021). "Former Rice Fencing Coach Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Houston Teen In '90s". Houston Press.
  21. ^ Brennan, Christine (June 1, 2021). "U.S. Center for SafeSport suspends figure skating coach Ross Miner for sexual harassment". USA TODAY.
  22. ^ Nir, Sarah Maslin (November 19, 2019). "George Morris, Equestrian Legend, Is Permanently Barred From the Sport". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  23. ^ "George Morris Permanently Banned By SafeSport". The Chronicle of the Horse. November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  24. ^ Draper, Kevin; Futterman, Matthew (January 31, 2022). "Disgraced Running Coach Was Barred for Life for Alleged Sexual Assault". The New York Times.
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