IT’S was a good news week for Lynne Beattie and Mel Coutts when basically they upstaged the Australians in their own back yard.
What exactly did this Dynamic duo actually do? Representing Scotland at Beach Volleyball, they recorded their first round win, the first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour win ever recorded by Scotland.
This tournament is part of the build up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia and gives them vital points towards qualifying. I have been trying hard to imagine how different the build up to this competition must have been between these two teams? Sun, Sea and Sand against Sleet, Snow and Sand, I know which one I would prefer.
Both players have been involved with indoor volleyball for many years, with Beattie captaining the British volleyball team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
They turned to beach volleyball when news came through the sport would be included at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
You may recall I spoke about these awesome players some weeks back as they were looking for an indoor training base to enable them to train throughout the winter months. So hard work and determination pays off and I look forward to hearing of their continued success.
Another sport that you don’t automatically associate with Scotland, is cricket. However cricket is making its mark in Scotland in very many ways, not least with a new initiative called All Stars Cricket.
This project is aimed at providing children aged five to eight with a great first experience ensuring that fun is at the forefront of it all. The programme which was delivered across England and Wales in the first instance, helps to develop children’s skills through an eight-week programme All girls and boys are welcome, and each child who registers receives a pack of cricket goodies including a cricket bat, ball, backpack, water bottle, personalised shirt and cap. A great way to create interest in the game with the younger generation and this ensures that they don’t forget the experience and continue with their love of cricket when they go home.
All Stars pride themselves in delivering an eight week programme that has an emphasis on fun and being active. They also encourage mums and dads to get involved as well. This of course has both plus and minus points. It is good to get parents involved, rather than have them view sport as a ‘baby-sitting’ service, however it is also necessary to ensure that parents don’t start coaching from the sidelines and abide by the coaches decisions, letting the coach get on with the job of coaching.
Cricket in Scotland is moving with the times and their Chief Executive Malcolm Cannon is very clear about the position of women with the sport. He spoke about the changes made since he took up post several months ago.
He said “There are three very clear benefits to what we have done,” he said. “Firstly we have moved towards a more equitable model with a woman’s position on the board secured. Uniquely as a sport we have the opportunity for girls and women to play alongside their male counterparts – if they want to and are good enough they can play for the national ‘men’s’ team - so having a woman on the board by rights is very important.”
The also opened membership up to independent directors for the first time and made four new appointments, which included another two women, individuals who are all highly competent and experienced. So they now have three women on the board which makes them one of the leaders in terms of parity on board representation.
All of this along with the success of the wildcats who won the European Qualifiers vs Netherlands 3-0 to reach the World Cup Qualifier in Sri Lanka in February 2017 and came 4th in their group and are now looking forward to the 2018 T20 qualifiers later this year.
It may be the case that Scotland appetite for sports is moving in a different direction from the traditional ‘Scottish’ sports. This can only benefit the health of the people of Scotland as we give them more choice and opportunities to get fit and keep healthy.
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