Ice Hockey Australia – Para Ice Hockey

Ice Hockey Australia appoints Mr. Bill Siegloff to the position of Para Ice Hockey Director.

Bill Siegloff (Bill) was the President of the Australian Para Ice Hockey Association (APIHA) prior to APIHA’s successful merger into Ice Hockey Australia (IHA) national sporting organization (NSO) structure. 

Bill has represented Australia in the C Pool world championships in Finland 2018, is an accredited coach, coaches Para Ice Hockey teams and a Div. 1 Summer season Able Bodied ice hockey team in Victoria. Bill understands the challenges that effect Para Players. His passion, dedication, and ability to work with others and grow our sport makes Bill a brilliant ambassador for all ice hockey in Australia and abroad.

Prior to this merger APIHA successfully obtained a federal grant of $342,000 plus GST, this grant has been transferred to the Para portfolio under IHA. The major grant will help provide sleds and safety equipment, training times and management of the grant to deliver a national para program throughout Australia. IHA through Bills leadership, are working with the IHA member associations and clubs to facilitate the effective roll out of the grant. To date we have received a major order of Bauer safety equipment, sleds, and associated equipment from Unique Inventions in Canada, for which many items have already been distributed to South Australia in readiness for the start of a new Para Program starting this year in Adelaide.

The merger with APIHA & IHA sees a transfer of the Paralympics Australia governance from APIHA to IHA. This assigns the management of Para Ice hockey in Australia to IHA. This requires all athletes, coaches, managers etc., that wish to be involved in State or National teams to be members of IHA.

IHA will be advertising for a Para Ice Hockey national team Head coach in 2022 with the expectation of fielding a team to compete in the C Pool world championships in November 2022, with an expectation of hosting an Australian National Championships this (July/August) prior to the World Championships.

We welcome Bill to the team at IHA and are excited to be working with the Para community and ice hockey players and supporters across the country.

Regards

Grove Bennett

President

Ice Hockey Australia