[1] He began as a singles skater and competed at the intermediate level coached by Priscilla Hill for six years.

[2] He began training in ice dance at the age of 12 at which time he partnered with Rachel Siegel and competed with her on the juvenile level.

Copely competed at both the Novice and Junior levels with Anastasia Cannuscio until April 2008 when he relocated to Canton, Michigan[2] to train with Igor Shpilband and Marina Zueva known for coaching many North American and European teams to National and Olympic podiums.

Lichtman and Copely won Gold and Bronze medals competing in the 2010–2011 ISU Junior Grand Prix series, and qualified for the JGP Final in Beijing, China where they finished 5th.

They went on to win the Bronze medal at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Gangneung, South Korea..[6] Lichtman and Copely announced the amicable end of their partnership on April 27, 2012.