Head coach of GB U16: We will do anything for victory!

How challenging was it for you and your colleagues to assemble the final roster for the 2023 Junior World Championship in Liberec?
Assembling the roster for this year's World Championship was not easy. Our coaching team had a preliminary plan on how we wanted to proceed with player selection. We had a minor dilemma regarding the goaltender and several injured players. Nevertheless, we feel that we have chosen a good group of players who will be prepared for the tournament.

Were you looking for players who meet certain skills? Or do you rely on the individual abilities of your players?
We established clear criteria for selection, seeking player types that we were already familiar with. It wasn't all about skills, but also about attitude and abilities. Because we knew how demanding the tournament in Liberec would be, we had to consider which players could perform in certain situations with designated roles. It's not always about selecting the most skillful players for us, but about building the right selection that considers overall success. The coaches' task is to lay the foundations of how we want to play and teach the players how to approach it without completely taking them out of their comfort zone.

How is your team's preparation going so far? What are you focusing on?
The preparations have been going well. I think they could have been better, but in the end, we made the most of them. We adjusted our training sessions to the tactical aspect of the game so that the players know what to do when they are on the field. We also spent a lot of time explaining the importance of all players being physically and mentally prepared. We feel that our strength lies in playing as a team. We don't want to rely on individuals in the matches. The team spirit we have in our team will support us throughout the tournament. It will help us give everything to the tournament. We want to be able to say at the end that we sacrificed everything for each shift or at least feel that way.

There will be no easy opponents in the tournament. What do you expect from the other participants?
We know it won't be an easy tournament, and we fully expect every match to be tough because we are playing against the best players and countries in the world. The teams will be well-prepared, highly skilled, fast, and strong both with and without the puck. We are aware that any experienced opponent can quickly punish any mistake we make.

What are your ambitions for the tournament?
Our ambition in the tournament is to compete with all our opponents. We want to prove that we belong at the World Championship. We know how difficult it will be for us, but we have to give everything in every shift, and that will reflect in periods and whole games. Medals are something to dream about, but we will try to take it one game at a time without getting ahead of the tournament's progress.

How much are you looking forward to the tournament overall? What is the mood like in your team?
We are looking forward to the tournament. The preparation has been good in all aspects, and we know that when the ball drops on the playing surface in our opening match, we will do anything for victory. It's about continuing with intense training so that the players' playing styles become ingrained. The overall mood in the team is good, and that's what we want.