From Cambridge to World Youth Hockey Festival Winners

Just over a year ago, I travelled to Cambridge for a three-day Hockey Mentors trial to join their High-Performance Programme (HPP) writes Hockey Mentors player Rudi B

Last week, I was in Amsterdam playing right wing for the Hockey Mentors Boys U16 squad at the World Youth Hockey Festival.

It’s still sinking in but, we came home as Elite BU16 winners.

How I found Hockey Mentors

I first heard about Hockey Mentors through other strong hockey players in the South West. They had played against Hockey Mentors in a national cup and had been beaten by them.

I applied and, at the end of May 2025, travelled to Cambridge for a three-day trial.

I didn’t really know what to expect. I just knew I wanted to play more hockey, challenge myself and see what I could do.

I got in and was selected for the U14 Boys Competitions Squad. Later, I was selected for the Junior International Programme.

Since then, Hockey Mentors has given me opportunities and experiences that I don’t think I would have had otherwise.

Playing hockey in new places

One of the things I’ve loved most has been getting to play different teams in different environments.

We’ve played friendlies against some of the best private school teams, including Repton. I’ve travelled to the Netherlands for an indoor hockey tournament, we won the Mizuno Cup for our age group and we won silver with Hockey Mentors at the UK National Indoor Championships in December.

Then, in February, we travelled to Spain to play friendlies against Catalonia in Terrassa.

That trip gave me probably my favourite Hockey Mentors moment so far.

I scored a goal.

It wasn’t my favourite moment just because I scored, though. It was the goal itself. It was one of those goals where everything seemed to come together and I knew immediately that it was a good one.

The reaction from everyone made it even better.

My teammates all came over to congratulate me and they were still mentioning the goal afterwards. I think that’s one of the reasons I remember it so clearly.

Playing hockey overseas is something I’ve really enjoyed. You experience different teams, different styles of play and a different level of challenge. You also get to travel with your teammates and spend much more time together than you normally would.

More than a team

One of the things I hadn’t expected when I joined Hockey Mentors was how many people I would get to know.

I now have hockey friends from all over the UK.

We have WhatsApp groups and keep in touch when we’re not together. People congratulate each other when something goes well, cheer each other on and genuinely want each other to succeed.

There are high standards and everyone puts effort into what they do, but that doesn’t mean people are afraid to try things.

If somebody tries something and it doesn’t go to plan, nobody laughs at them. Players support each other and go out of their way to be there for each other, both on and off the pitch.

That makes a difference.

You’re surrounded by players who want to improve and coaches who expect you to work hard, but you’re doing it with people who want you to do well too.

Learning from great coaches

The standard of coaching has also been one of the things that has impressed me most.

I’ve had the chance to work with coaches with experience at very high levels of hockey. They expect a lot from us, but they also help us understand how we can improve.

Every camp, competition and tour gives you another chance to learn something.

Sometimes it’s technical. Sometimes it’s tactical. Sometimes it’s about playing with different people or adapting to a different position or team.

All of those experiences have helped me develop as a player.

Amsterdam was probably one of the best examples of that so far.

Amsterdam

I went to Amsterdam knowing it would be a challenge. I was playing right wing (not my usual position) and, I was playing up an age group for the Hockey Mentors Boys U16 squad.

It turned out to be an amazing few days.

Hockey Mentors took four teams to the World Youth Hockey Festival and we played against teams from around the world. It was a completely different experience and I learned so much from it.

The coaching was brilliant. Alex Williams coached our team throughout the tournament and I came away feeling that I had learned a lot from him in just a few days.

We worked hard and played some really good hockey, but we also had a lot of fun together.

Our team finished the tournament as the Elite Boys U16 winners.

Winning was an incredible feeling, especially because I was playing up an age group, but one of the things that made the whole experience special was that it wasn’t just about our team.

Hockey Mentors had four teams at the festival and all four finished in the top four. Everyone supported each other, watched each other play, cheered each other on and celebrated when another Hockey Mentors team did well.

It felt like we were there together.

And when we weren’t playing, we were surrounded by hockey.

We got to watch teams from around the world competing at the festival and also went to the Hockey World Cup, where we could watch national teams playing at the highest level.

For someone who loves hockey, it was pretty special.

Where one opportunity can lead

When I went to that trial in Cambridge in May 2025, I had no idea where it might lead.

Just over a year later, I was in Amsterdam playing up for the Boys U16 squad at the World Youth Hockey Festival and coming home as an Elite BU16 winner.

But the biggest thing I’ll take from Amsterdam isn’t just winning. It’s how much I learned and how much I enjoyed being part of it.

When I first applied to Hockey Mentors, I just wanted the chance to play more hockey, challenge myself and see what I could do.

Since then, every opportunity has led to another.

I still don’t know where hockey will take me next.

That’s probably one of the things I like most about it.

And I’m only just getting started.