Team GB
The Great Britain team that participate in the IIHF In-Line World Championships is an independent body established to operate for the sole purpose of operating a team at the World Championships and developing talent for future entries. The team survives on funding from sponsorship, volunteer staff and player contributions and prides itself on presenting a professional image on and off the rink.
All enquiries can be directed to the david@gbhockey.net
IIHF In-Line World Championships
The IIHF In-Line World Championships truly are the ultimate test in In-Line hockey. Organised by the International Ice Hockey Federation ( www.iihf.com ), the world's governing body for ice hockey, the inline Championships have taken place annually since 1996 and the standard just gets better every year.
Featuring sixteen international teams from all over the world split into an Elite Division and Division One, the tournament is renowned as the one of the most well planned and most heavily sponsored in-line events in the world calendar.
Competing nations regularly line-up with players from the world of professional ice hockey as well as the cream of inline hockey players. The level of inline hockey on show is in some senses simply staggering. Even superstar players from North America 's Professional Ice Hockey League, the NHL have made appearances at the event including Edmonton Oiler and NHL All Star Ales Hemsky.
Great Britain have won two gold medals in Division One of the tournament ranking 9th in the World in 2004, 2006 and narrowly missed out on promotion to the elite division of eight in 2007. In 2008 GB are a team on the brink of promotion to the Elite Group and the performance of the team is credit to the dedication of the young athletes who have worn the jersey.
The Great Britain team is selected through annual trials from the best available inline hockey talent in the UK and the trial information is published annually in December.
Team GB Coaching and Management
Andrew Sillitoe, Director of Inline Hockey
Thirty-three year old Sillitoe has one of the most recognisable names in the British Inline Hockey scene. Having taken up playing the game at the age of 6, Sillitoe has won every award there is to win in club hockey as a player and has represented Great Britain in every IIHF In-Line World Championship since 2002. As a coach Andrew has been the head instructor for Lets Get Rolling and more recently RHUK and has coached junior and senior inline hockey teams since 1987. Andrew became GB Head Coach in September 2006 taking over from Mark Cavallin, winning the gold medal in Budapest as player/coach and moved to the role of Director of Inline Hockey in late 2007. His role supervises the future development of the national team.
Nick Crawley, Head Coach
Thirty-six year old Altrincham born Crawley brings a wealth of domestic and international experience to the position having played and coached at the highest levels of inline hockey and served as a professional ice hockey player for several seasons at the top levels of the British game. Crawley had been an Assistant Coach with the GB programme since 2003. Crawley helped GB to their first gold medal in Division One in 2004 and the bronze medal in 2005. Crawley boasts a strong domestic coaching record as a Head Coach. Since 1997 Crawley has served with several clubs including Heywood Hawks, Fallsworth Wildcats, Saddleworth Eagles, Walkden Cobras and the West Coast Wasps. His main involvement has been with the Macclesfield Meltdown where two BiSHA Championships have been won as well as making appearances in the European Cup and the Kaarst International tournament. Under Crawley Meltdown also won a BIPHA Championship.
David Hawkins, Team Manager
David has been Team Manager for the Great Britain team since September 2005. Formerly the editor of the internationally distributed ice and inline hockey publication 'Face-Off', David became involved in the Great Britain programme in 2003 when writing a feature on the GB team for the magazine. Several years later, David's involvement has grown immeasurably. Taking charge of media and publicity as well as pre-tournament and mid-tournament planning, David was Manager of the Gold Medal winning team in Budapest 2006.
Jonathan Maw, Assistant Coach
Jon made his debut for GB as a player in Germany 2002 and was named Assistant Coach in 2006. Jon was the Head Instructor at RHUK and is actively involved in coaching all over the UK for the Great Britain Academy. In his first appearance as a coach in 2006 Jon was behind the bench as GB won gold.
Rob Coulstock , Assistant Coach
John Crawley, Equipment Manager
Robyn Cribben, Team Physio
Mo Sillitoe, Team Secretary
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