Getty Jason Brown of the United States reacts with coach Kori Ade after he performs his free skate at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
Jason Brown is known for his effortless artistry and riveting technique on the ice. Brown quickly ascended in the figure skating world. At 20 years old, Brown became the youngest man to win a national championship since Johnny Weir in 2004.
The woman behind Brown’s success has been his lifelong coach Kori Ade. Here’s more on Ade and her coaching philosophy.
1. Ade Has Coached Brown Since He Was 5 Years Old
GettyJason Brown waits for his score with his coach Kori Ade after performing his short program at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
Coached by Kori Ade since the age of five, Brown and Ade share a close relationship.
“I remember saying, ‘Ooh, maybe I shouldn’t take over so much or be so involved,’ ” Ade told ESPN.
Brown learned more than jumps, spins and footwork from his longtime coach. In his early years, Ade taught him and other young students life lessons like, chewing with mouths closed, keeping socks on, and making eye contact with adults.
“She was a holistic coach. When they were little, she taught them to look a person in the eye when you talk to them, to shake hands,” Jason’s mother, Marla explained to ESPN. “From my perspective as a parent, I was just as impressed with how she was raising my child as a quality human being as much as teaching ice skating.”
2. Ade & Brown Relocated to Colorado From the Chicago Area in 2013
GettyKori Ade and Jason Brown walk the red carpet during the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Best of U.S. Awards at Warner Theatre on April 2, 2014 in Washington, DC.
Brown trained in various rinks in the Chicago area until April of 2013. Along with coach Kori Ade and choreographer Rohene Ward, Brown relocated to Monument, Colorado, from the Chicago area in the spring of 2013 to begin training at the Colorado Sports Center.
Brown remained loyal to Ade, although others tried to persuade the family to make a coaching change.
“We never thought about leaving Kori,” Marla Brown told ESPN. “Did some other coach have the secret technique? Did they have a better eye for mistakes he was making? My husband and I would talk and say maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t, but at the end of the day our child could not have been happier or more motivated with anyone else.”
Since 2009, Brown’s programs have been choreographed mainly by Ward.
3. Ade was Named Developmental Coach of the Year in 2011
Ade was named the Professional Skaters Association’s Developmental Coach of the Year in 2011. She holds PSA ratings in Moves in the Field and Freestyle and she’s an AFFA and F.A.S.T. Certified Off-ice Trainer, according to her bio on icoachskating.com.
Ade’s artistry isn’t limited to just the ice. The figure skating coach is also a hip hop dancer and choreographer. Her dance technique and choreography skills have allowed her to work for an impressive list of music industry and corporate clients including McDonalds, Sears, and Seventeen Magazine.
4. Ade Is the Technical Director of the 7K Skating Academy
GettyJason Brown and Kori Ade celebrate his score in the kiss and cry after Brown’s short program during the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Ade’s coaching philosophy is focused on equipping athletes with the “complete package.”
She created a program called “T.A.P.S.” (Total Athlete Performance Seminars), which is intended to develop the “whole” athlete, including the mental and emotional aspects that are required for successful training and competition at all levels.
Under this program, Ade developed a video series called “Koriography” which is intended to educate and inspire skaters. According to 7K Skating Academy’s website the purpose of this series is to “use the union of science and art to design each athlete’s unique journey towards success.”
The videos cover psychological, tactical and technical guidance along with helping athletes discover what motivates them to succeed.
5. Brown Also Trained With Frank Carroll in Summer of 2016
GettyJason Brown competes in the men’s free skating during the day two of the ISU World Team Trophy at Yoyogi National Gymnasium on April 17, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan.
Brown spent several weeks with world-renowned coach Frank Carroll in the summer of 2016. Carroll has an impressive coaching resume to say the least. Carroll was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1996. He became the first figure skating coach to be named the Olympic Coach of the Year in 1997. He was also elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2007. Carroll coached three skaters to capture World Figure Skating Championship titles: Linda Fratianne, Michelle Kwan, and Evan Lysacek
“When this summer rolled around, I needed some sort of change,” Brown told The Gazette in 2016. “Kori trusts Frank and he was kind enough to open up his home and work with me this summer. I am so grateful for that. It was a different kind of eye to watch me.
“He is so incredible with the process of maturing the skater. His eye was to make me a more class(ical) skater and to hit every line, and execute every jump.”
