The Future of Shinty

In order for shinty to develop and continue growing as a sport it is vital that it is continuing to be promoted throughout Scotland and it could be introduced to England as there is a team in London and so if it caught on in England then it would be a step in the right direction as a league in Scotland and England could be set up. Also the youth shinty needs to continue developing as that is the future of shinty as they will be the next generation of players if they continue to play. The future of shinty also depends on whether it can continue to attract new players either children or adults as without this there will be no future for shinty. Other sports are also important to shinty's future as there are millions more youngsters playing football as opposed to shinty and so in areas such as the highlands and islands and central scotland shinty needs to be promoted more in order to try and encourage people to try this sport. Although as with anything it is not possible to predict the future and so shinty might end up fizzling out and become a game of the past or it will grow dramatically and see a rise in the number of players and teams, lets hope that is the outcome.

                                             

The Youth Game

The youth game is one of the fastest growing for any sport with more and more new teams forming each year. The introduction of shinty is becoming a key part of many schools curriculum and the primary schools leagues are growing and the number of kids getting invloved is looking promising for teams. Along with primary schools developing the high schools are also gaining teams each year. New tournaments are being set up year in year out for the high schools to compete in due to the number of teams rising each year. High school shinty can be an important part of where that player ends up playing after they finish school as if the player is not already playing for a registered club then this gives coaches the opportunity to invite the player to play with them. Outside of schools the youth shinty is in full force with there being u12s, u14s and u17s leagues and tournaments played throughout the year. There are many people who put a lot of hard work and effort into helping the youth shinty develop from shinty co-ordinators throughout scotland, coaches who give up many hours of their week to help, the clubs involved who register the players and organise the pitches,strips and generally looking after te team and finally to the parents who help transport the children to games and training. The youth players involved are all at different standards with some having played shinty since they could walk and others joining later in their lifes so it is vital that the coaches are equipped with the knowledge of the game to help every individual gain experience and a higher skill level of the game. Many youngsters are not lucky enough to get shinty in school and due to this there are large numbers of people unawair of what shinty even is and so in my opinion it is vital that children are taught shinty in primary school at least and that way by the time they finish if they do not want to continue it then at least the camanchd association can say they have tried. However there is a competitive streak amongst youngsters and so the coaches also have to try and teach the children that winning isnt everything as this is the only way to help kids control their emotions and behaviour on and off the pitch.

My Personal Success in Shinty

I first started playing shinty at the age of 9 but then after a year the organisers stopped and then as a result I had stopped playing. Then at the age of 11 it started up again and after two weeks of being at the primary school training I was asked to join for Glengarry. This was an achievment in itself as I was the youngest person ever to join a club in the premier league. After attending several training sessions I was asked to play my first game and it was the semi final of the Camanachd Cup and I was just 11. We won that game and as a result I was selected to play in the final. By the time of the final I had turned 12 and had played many more games and was slowly gaining experience. The final was one of the best moments of my shinty career with us defeating Kingussie 4-1 and me getting the opportunity to play in this event at such a young age. I also set a record as I was the youngest person to ever receive a winners Camanachd Cup medal and still am to this day. From that I continued to develop and gain experience and confidence from playing week in week out and was soon part of the starting line up. In 2006 I was awarded Glengarry Girls player of the year after a successful season this topped it off as i had been player of the tournament in both of the tournaments and named player of the match in the Camanachd Cup final. However receiving the Player of the Year was amazing as this showed that my team mates and the coach believed that I was playing at a high level. The following year I was put forward to attend international training and was selected to play for the team at just 15 years old. This was another achievment as I was the youngest person ever to play in the international and still to this day I am still the youngest person to have played. Since then I have played in the international team another 3 times taking my total caps to 4. I am looking to add to this and play again this year and make it 5 years in a row in which i have been selected. Along with this success I have achieved many medals and trophies for various cups and competitions. And i am looking to add to this year in year out and this year is no exception. I was also captain of Glengarry Girls in 2010, this was a great honour to be able to take control of the team and keep them going and motivate them even when things are not going to plan. From being captain and my team winning the Camanachd Cup I received a black caman which costs over £300 and only 2 players every year receive it, one male player and one female player and i was honoured to have recieved one. These are a few of my best achievments and hopefully in the next few years i continue to play at a high standard and of all goes to plan i hope to win more awards and wish that Glengarry Girls continue to strive and develop as a team so others get the opportunities that i have.

The Success of Glengarry Girls

Glengarry Girls Shinty Club has been developed for 14 years and throughout that time have gained a reputation of being the most successful women's team in the sport. This is due to the club winning games and improving each week they play. As a team they have produced many of the best players in the game for the women's game with the likes of Sarah Corrigal, Karen Cameron and Laura Mackay all playing with Glengarry and becoming key players all of whom have played for Scotland. The club has also won five out of nine Camanchd Cup finals and has been involved in 8 therfore only not making it to the final once in the last 9 years. Along with this the Glengarry Girls have won the johnstone tournament 12 times out of 13 which is and incredible record and only Badenoch and Strathspey defeating Glenagarry in 2009. The team has also won the league cup 6 times out of 12 and is still the team with the most wins of the league cup with the next team having 3 wins. Besides winning cups and trophies Glengarry Girls have been successful in many other ways such as organising anual tournaments, fundraising for different charities such as Cancer Care in the Highlands. Glengarry are also the only team remaining from the 3 who where first set up Glengarry, Dunadd and Oban Lorne. However as the game grew and other teams were developed Dunadd and Oban both lost players and ended up folding in due to a shortage of players. The team is continuing to grow with the youth teams being coached to a high standard and all wishing to play further thus meaning both the mens and women's team is always receiving new players every year and not many leave. In 2009 Glengarry Girls triumphed winning both the Camanachd Cup final and the League cup in the same year along with winning all tournaments. This success was then continued in 2010 with the girls winning the Camanachd Cup again with a 5-0 victory over Tir Connel Harps. However Glengarry were defeated in the league with Glasgow Mid Argyll winning the league after a play off with Glengarry. Hopefully Glengarry can continue the recent success and progress this year through to the Camanachd Cup Final and potentially win the league as well.

     

   

Glengarry Shinty Club

A club called Glengarry played against Fort Augustus in 1882 and was active in the 1930s. However in 1948 the club amalgamated with Fort Augustus and became Inveroich. The club was reconstituted as Glengarry in 1976 and has continued to this day. The club won the Balliemore Cup in 1985, 1988 and 1989 and also reached the final of the Valerie Fraser Cup in 1990 and 1991.Glengarry Shinty Club is a shinty team from Invergarry, Inverness-shire, Scotland. There is one senior team, competing in North Division Two. The club also runs a highly successful women's team. Nowadays, the club has one of the smallest playing squads in the game, however, the players are loyal and proud to play & represent the communities of Invergarry & Fort Augustus. Most of the present day squad is made up of the successful Under 14 juvenile team which won the National Development Trophy in 2005. The mens team is improving every year and last year finished 2nd in their league and have started the season 2011 as strong as they finished winning their first game, the boys are looking to gain on their success last year and hopefully they can finish on top this year and gain promotion to north division one.

In 1997, Glengarry Women’s Shinty team was established. The Garry Girls became one of only 3 women’s teams in existence, with Dunadd from Lochgilphead & the Oban Camanchereos, what begun as a bit of fun for the Garry Girls has seen them, not only become the driving force in the women’s game but the most successful women’s shinty team ever. The Women's team is currently as strong as it was in 1997 still having 2 players who were part of the team in 1997. However neither the mens or women's team would have continued to survive without the manager Ewen Cameron who has been an influencial part of both teams bringing the best out of every player. Along with Ewen who coaches Catherine Cameron is also a major part of the team in that every game without fail she will be there to assist in writing team lines, cleaning the changing rooms, preparing the food for both teams playing and just generally looking after all players and coaches.

International Game

Each year there is an international match between Scotland and Ireland. This game is different to normally games played as the Irish play Hurley whilst the Scottish play Shinty and for this match the two games are played in one game both games have compromised rules. The game is played in different places each year for instance one year it would be in Ireland the next it would be in Scotland. However in 2010 they decided to have the trophy competed for over two matches, one was in Ireland then the return leg was in Scotland. Due to the rules being mixed this allows both games to be played fairly with no team being given an advantage. For instance in hurley they are normally allowed to catch the ball and run with it in their hands however for this game they are allowed to catch it but only take three steps with the ball in their hands. Also in shinty if the ball goes across the by line then it would be a corner but for this game it is a 45 and this is where they ball is taken back 45 yards from the goal line and a player has to try and hit the ball over the bar from there. Another difference in this game is that both teams play with 15 players compared with 12 in a normal game.
In order to be selected for the international team you are required to attend training sessions throughout the year and after the first few trainings an initial team of 30 would be selected to continue training then with about a month before the game the final team of 20 would be announced. The teams each year have had a few suprise players from smaller clubs which shows how although they may not be playing in the highest league there are still players of very good quality throughout every league. This game gives the opportunity for shinty to grow and develop as young and upcoming players will aspire to get the chance to play for their country. The video below shows the international part 2 from this year and shows clearly how it is a fast and potentially dangerous game.

Leagues and Cups

Within the mens game there are many cups competed for all of which different teams play for depending on the current league in which they are in. Aberdein Considine Sutherland Cup, Artemis Macaulay Cup, Balliemore Cup, Bullough Cup, Glasgow Celtic Society, MacTavish Cup and the Strathdearn Cup are all highly contested for between the mens teams. However the main cup in which teams want to win is the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup. The Camanachd Cup has been running since 1896 and is still continuing to be the most highly contested cup. The current holders of the Cup are Fort William who have won the Cup for the last four years. In the Women's game there are fewer cups to play for however every game is competed for at a level just as high as the mens. As with the mens game the women's also compete for the Camanachd Cup but this one is called the Valarie Fraser Camanachd Cup and is sponsorded by Peter Gow. However along with this is a Caledonian Challenge cup which gives teams in the lower divisions a cup in which to compete for, however if a team enters into the Valarie Fraser Cup then they are not allowed to enter the Caledonian challenge Cup and it is the same for teams who have entered the Caledonian Challenge Cup they cannot enter the Valarie Fraser Cup. Along with these cups each league plays for the cup for winning their league. The current leagues are:North Division one, North Division two, South Division two. There is not a South Division one as their are few teams so they compete in the North Division one League.