As we head into the month of November the ISBHF ball hockey community is hard at work and play; Euro leagues are just hitting their stride and training is well under way for our junior players.  But for the ISBHF and our Board of Directors (BOD), we are planning; hard at work collaborating with the Committees that will be holding events for the players of the world in 2018.  The Czech Republic and Canada will be hosting the best young players in the world.  If you are an aspiring youth player then this is your destination; to experience a phenomenal hockey atmosphere and play the best young players in our sport from the ISBHF family.  You must be in the Czech Republic or Canada!

We as a Board are very proud also that we will have our first ever U-20 Girls Championship in the Czech Republic.  We feel that this is a huge step forward for our Women’s game and its future growth & stability; and one that signals another step in our evolution.

We have a hard working Organizing Committee from Bermuda already planning for the first ever World Championship on its sandy shores, as it is set to host the ISBHF World Masters.  We are working closely with the BBHA for our Masters players and regardless of stripe, they should know that much work and planning is going into all of these events.  This really is why ISBHF events are planned with such detail, and proudly represented by the committees and people on the ground, who are your hosts. Anticipation is also building prior to announcing the Asia Championship in 2018, which will fill the card of events for the ISBHF next year; Czech Republic, Canada, Bermuda and Hong Kong.

I am quite proud of our new committee structure and know that we have been working steadily on New Nation Federation Development, Marketing, Coaching & Leadership, GAISF Membership in addition to looking at ISBHF 3 on 3 events.  All of these initiatives have several key people from many nations involved and being part of this new growth, and new energy.  We are always looking for motivated, talented people to join these specialized think tanks and work visionaries as we move forward on crucial items for fundamental growth and evolution. If you want to become involved and have that passion for our game, we absolutely want to hear from you!

Combined with a prudent Financial Direction and a strong Technical Team that you can see from our new website developed, the stories coming in from all over the world is that there is something really great and different happening.

For the players of today and the future, for me the most impactful may be the group working on our GAISF membership and getting our sport into the realm of the Olympic elevator. This group of young leaders on our ISBHF Board of Directors and passionate leaders on our ISBHF Committees are carving out a new direction and vision for our sport.

We hope that you all enjoy the coming months ahead, and enjoy your games and this great sport in whatever capacity it provides you; as a coach, player, referee, support staff, volunteer or just a fan of your team or family member.

Know that at the ISBHF, we are working to make upcoming World Championships and this game stronger every day; with the ultimate destination – the Olympics.