History of the British Ice Teachers Association

The Association started life in 1936 when a small group of the top coaches in England got together to form the Ice Teachers Guild. This was the first Professional Coaches Association in the world!
The founder members were Jacques Gerschwiler, Howard Nicholson, Gladys Hogg and Eric Van De Weyden. The first meeting was held at the Queens Ice Club in London and membership was open to any Coach teaching in the UK
A Teachers Test was instituted but only covering figures and free and was entirely voluntary. After the Second World War Arnold Gerschwiler joined the original Committee and the Teachers Test was modernised and made more comprehensive but was still a voluntary test. The name of the Association was changed to The Imperial Professional Skating Association to include coaches from the Colonies. Some years later the name was again changed to International Professional Skating Association to include foreign skaters.
In 1950 Roy Callaway joined the Association; in 1955 he was elected to the Committee. At the time of writing (May 2000) he has served on the Committee continuously in the capacity of Committee member, Chairman and is at the moment Vice President. He also served on the Championship Committee from 1965-9 with Joan Hawkins, Don Crosthwaite and Peggy Tomlins to organise the World Professional Figure Skating Championships at Wembley.
By the mid 80's the name was again changed to British Ice Teachers Association as other countries were beginning to form their own Coaches Associations but BITA would still accept foreign coaches. The name has remained the same to this day and following it's very humble inception, now boasts over 400 members from around the world and is continuing to grow.

Past Chairmen: Jacques Gerschwiler, Isobel Clive-Smith, Charles Gorton, Joan Hawkins, Don Crosthwaite, David Clements, Adrian Florence, Roy Callaway, James Young, and currently Joan Slater MBE