GB Futures Head Coach Euan King says the players will gain so much experience being part of the under-16 men’s Four Nations tournament in Tallinn this weekend.
GB were beaten 8-0 by HS Riga on Thursday and will now turn their attentions to tomorrow’s match with Hungary.
They complete the four-team tournament with a match-up against hosts Estonia on Saturday.
King said: “Latvia are a top hockey nation and their men’s team are ranked 10th in the world, so this was always going to be a tough test.
“Some of these Riga players are on the path for play for the Latvian national team who year after year now are competitive at the World Championship.
“We made some mistakes but that, of course, happens at this age. I was impressed with the way the guys stuck at it, but we know why we are here and what we are aiming to do with these kids.
“We want to show them the details needed to play at the international level and develop those skills as we progress through this process.
“I think the experience of playing at an international tournament is huge for our youngsters and they will really benefit from it.”
GB Futures Results and Schedule
Thursday 28th August: GB Futures 0-8 HS Riga
Friday 29th August 14:30 (12:30 BST): Hungary v GB Futures
Saturday 30th August 14:30 (12:30 BST): GB Futures v Estonia
The team for the trip was selected following a two-day national development camp which brought together 54 of the top under-16s players from across the home nations.
The GB Futures programme is a new collaborative initiative between IHUK, EIH and SIH, designed to align and strengthen the national development pathway.
It connects talent identification and coaching networks across the UK, while giving young athletes the opportunity to represent Great Britain and develop toward formal IIHF competition.