Head Coach – Phil Collier
Phil is the former Head Coach of the England team. He led the team for 7 years, and in that time won 2 European Championships (2015, 2019) and a Bronze Medal at the 2017 & 2022 World Championships. He brings his unique insight to the role of his previous experience coaching and playing in international men’s sides.
Phil Collier started to play lacrosse aged 11 and went on to have a successful playing career, including representing England at the World Championships in 1982 and 1986. He has over 25 years coaching experience at the international level. As Head Coach he led England’s U19 and senior men’s teams to wins at three European Championships. As Head Coach for Scotland’s men’s team, he took them to the World Championships in 1998 and 2002.
In 2014 he became National Team Director for the England Women’s Team as they prepared for the 2017 World Cup. He led the team to gold medal success at the 2015 and 2019 European Championships, and to a bronze medal at the 2017 World Cup. During Phil’s career in sports development, he has worked for the GB Sports Council and was Head of Education & Training Sport England where he was responsible for national sports coaching policy. He helped to set up SkillsActive, the new sector skills council for sport and recreation, before moving on to become the Director of Business Development at Coachwise Ltd, the trading arm of UK Coaching.
Phil now runs his own coaching consultancy business, working part-time as head of lacrosse at the University of Surrey, and as well as coaching at local schools and clubs.
Assistant Coach – Ailsa Stott
Ailsa is the current Head Coach of the Scotland team and and is delighted to be a part of the GB staff, having represented GB as a player in the 2017 World Games. Ailsa combined an international playing career for England and Scotland spanning 20 years with development of her coaching career. She has worked at all levels and in all forms of the game, from teaching pop lacrosse as the LDO for Timperley LC through to a successful university coaching career with Edinburgh University, winning the BUCS championships twice. She has coached at various clubs and schools around Scotland, and after retiring from playing internationally in 2018 joined the Scotland staff as an assistant coach. She took on the head coach role at Scotland in 2019. In her spare time she works as a GP and looks after her 8 month old son.
Assistant Coach – Kate Nelson-Lee
Kate is currently an Assistant Coach for the England team, and a former Scotland U19 Head Coach. She led Scotland at the 2007, 2011 and 2015 junior World Championships. Kate has over 20 years coaching experience and currently works teaching PE in the South West.
She has been involved as a coach or volunteer at the last seven World Lacrosse competitive tournaments, developing positive relationships with officials and event organisers.
Associate Coach – Erica Erb
Erica is the current Head Coach of Wales and had two successful years as Head Coach at Exeter University (going one season undefeated), where she also earned two Masters degrees. Erica has significant international coaching experience, having worked in Germany, the USA and the UK.
