Message from our new club chair

I would firstly like to wish everyone involved in Whitley Bay Junior Ice Hockey a very Happy New Year.

After a meeting last Monday with the members of the committee, I was asked and have gladly accepted the job of chairman, so I thought it was best to let you know a bit about myself.

My name is Peter Ian Head born on 30th August 1958; I have always lived in the Whitley Bay area and now live in West Monkseaton with my partner Anita and children Michelle (20) and Rebecca (11). I am a part time Civil Servant and also have just become involved in a small joinery home improvement business with a friend.

As a teenager living close to the ice rink, you had two choices of sport either football or ice hockey, I chose football but many of my friends chose ice hockey, so after a few years I became a big Whitley Warriors fan, travelling the length of the UK including two trips to Wembley to watch games.

Near the end of my football career I met Michael Mishner and through socialising and football and our obvious love of Ice Hockey became very good friends.

It was at this time that Michael asked me if I would give him a hand as manger of the second team here at Whitley Bay, after working with Mick for one season I recognised his potential and how passionate he was about ice hockey and very quickly he transformed the fortunes of the then 2nd team, we won the English League and Championship in our second season working together.

I then became Secretary of the then Youth Development Committee and also a member of the fund raising committee. I enjoyed many happy years at Whitley Bay seeing youngsters who would become Warriors of the future notably David Longstaff and Simon Leach, more lately DJ Good and Rob Wilson.

After attending many meetings on behalf of WBIHC, I was asked by the then Secretary of the English Ice Hockey Association (Bill Britton RIP) to join the disciplinary committee which I did for many years also finding time to work on the Northern conference Under 12 and 14 teams (which I was proud to say included several players from Whitley Bay) I also had a temporary stint as secretary of the EIHA Under 19 league.

In my time on the EIHA, I saw many changes in Ice Hockey and new rinks and coaching methods were quickly being introduced, I had the chance to work with Mick Mishner again at England level when the EIHA accepted my recommendation for him as a head coach.

It was at this time that I made a choice that would affect me for years to come; I tried unsuccessfully with the EIHA to change the mentality of not only team/player discipline, but also the attitude of rink owners in the North East to the EIHA as I tried to embrace the EIHA way forward for youth Ice hockey. (A lot of this has now been achieved)

After failing in attempts to get Mick Mishner back to Whitley Bay from Sunderland as Head Coach of Youth development and disagreements with the main committee mainly because of my EIHA beliefs, I left WBIHC. At this time the Youth Development committee was very well organised but on Ice I would say was ok but not brilliant.

Although I have been away from Ice Hockey for almost 10 years, I know feel that I have the chance to come back and hopefully complete what I see as unfinished business here at WBJIHC.

WBJIHC have in Mick Mishner, appointed one of the most qualified head coaches in the UK which is already showing in the results throughout the club.

Congratulations must go out at this stage to the under 12 players and Coaches who I understand have already won their league.

For this club to continue to be successful, it must work towards a future plan and have the coaches and a committee who will work together to achieve the club aims, Mick Mishner has set out his targets for the club, and I see my role as being someone to help the committee achieve what is required to make this club even more successful.

We want the young players within the club to not only achieve recognition at Conference and GB level but also hopefully fulfil their potential to be where possible ,Whitley Warriors of the future, hopefully this once great club will in the years to come, see these players play in a full capacity Whitley bay Ice rink again.

It is my belief that to move forwards you should not look back, unless that is to learn from your mistakes, I admit to making a few in my time and no doubt will make some new ones again, but I will try to use my past experiences to take this club forward.

The club now has this great looking website which can be a very good communication tool, I will be looking at ways of using this facility on a more regular basis to keep everybody informed of events that affect the successful running of this club, including more input on the individual teams, on a far more regular basis.

I look forward to meeting more of the coaches’ players and parents in the very near future, you will however, all find that I have an open door policy and am willing to speak to anyone at any time about ideas or problems they wish to discuss, or you can contact me via this website.

To close I would like to say that, although our club aims may be tough to achieve at times, I think us as committee members, parents, players and coaches alike should all try to enjoy what we do.

Please contact me with any questions you may have,

Peter Head
Chairman

 

 

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