Junior ice hockey player Ben Churchfield is preparing to make his international debut after being selected to play for England in an important tournament.
Ben, a pupil at Mount St Mary’s College, received his call-up for the England U16 Hockey Team following four months of trials.
The 16-year-old, from Hooton Levitt, Rotherham, will be one of two goalkeepers representing England in the Chris Verwijst tournament in Tilburg, Holland, next month, competing against teams from around Europe and the USA.
Ben said: “Playing for England is a dream and something I’ve wanted to do for ages so I’m really pleased they accepted me. I can’t wait to get started.”
It is the latest in a string of achievements for rink star Ben, who first fell in love with ice hockey when he began skating in Sheffield at the age of eight.
He went on to play as goalkeeper for Sheffield Junior Steelers for two years, before moving to America, where he joined for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Junior Knights. The team achieved Tier 1 Triple AAA status while he was there – the highest level of youth hockey in the United States.
In 2008, Ben was invited to try out for an All Star team in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He travelled 200 miles twice a week for five months before eventually being selected as a goalkeeper for the Hershey Quebec AAA team, which went on to win the World Championships, International B Division.
Following his success in the US, Ben moved back to Sheffield in August 2010, joining Mount St Mary’s College, in Spinkhill.
In 2011 he was selected for the Midlands U15 Conference Team, playing in the Czech Republic, and went on to form part of the winning Midlands team at a national tournament two months later.
While his career goes from strength to strength, Ben still makes sure he puts time aside to do schoolwork.
“It’s sometimes tough fitting training in around school, but I manage – I know it’s just as important to do well in my exams as it is to do well in my sport,” he said.
Laurence McKell, Headmaster, Mount St Mary’s College, Spinkhill, said: “We are very proud of Ben’s latest achievement. As a school, we seek to encourage our pupils to excel in all areas – not just academically, but in extracurricular activities too. Ben is clearly a talented young sportsman and a credit to Mount St Mary’s. He is a great example of what our pupils can achieve.”