In partnership with Scottish Hydro, the Camanachd Association has today announced that The Scottish Hydro Youth Development Fund is now open for applications with a share of £5000 available to shinty clubs across Scotland.

The Youth Development Fund, which was established in 2010, aims to support member Clubs who wish to increase youth participation by providing a maximum grant award of £500 in support of new or enhanced Club initiatives which will deliver sustainable growth in the number of young people playing shinty.

It is a competitive application process with a total annual awards budget of £5000.  All applications will be considered by the Review Group and funding awards will be prioritised in support of those proposals which best meet the stated aims and criteria of the scheme.

In speaking of the Fund, Camanachd Association Youth Director, Callum Duff, said, “Sourcing funding is a constant challenge for Clubs, so the Scottish Hydro Youth Development Fund is a great avenue of support which we are able to offer them.  The Award Panel was very impressed with the standard of applications received in 2011.  We are confident this year will be no different and the funds awarded will go a long way in maintaining and increasing youth participation in the sport.”

Jonny Petrie, Head of Sponsorship with Scottish Hydro, added: “We are very pleased to be able to continue our support of shinty at a grassroots level with the Scottish Hydro Youth Development Fund. The fund helps develop not only up and coming talented players but also encourages participation from young people of all skill levels which is crucial for the ongoing success and development of the sport.”

For further information and an application form, click below.  The deadline for applications is Friday 1st February 2013:

Application Form

Guidelines

The Camanachd Association is pleased to promote the initial Coach Education Calendar for 2013. The courses available include Foundation Coaching Certificate in Shinty, UKCC Level 1 Coaching Certificate in Shinty and the new Foundation Speed Agility Quickness (SAQ) Coaching Certificate in Shinty

This is a major opportunity for clubs/schools to encourage their coaches to improve their ability to provide quality coaching for the players. Players are also invited to take part in the practical element of the SAQ courses so they can experience the practices.

The Level 1 course is United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) accredited and all courses have been developed in relation to the United Kingdom Coaching Framework and the principles of Coaching Scotland.

1)   Saturday 12^th January 2013: SAQ Foundation. Course Fee £30

Oban High School, Soroba Road, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4JB

Theory: 10.00am to 12.30pm

Practical: 1.00pm to 4.00pm (Open to all players – No charge)

2)   Saturday/Sunday 19/20^th January 2013: UKCC Level 1. Course Fee £100

Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, O’Donnell Way, Motherwell, ML1 2TZ

Theory & Practical: 10.00am to 6.00pm both days

(Follow up coaching assessment at the candidates Club/School. Date agreed with candidate)

3)   Saturday 2^nd February 2013: SAQ Foundation. Course Fee £30

Inverness Sports Centre, Bught Lane, Inverness, IV3 5SS

Theory: 10.00am to 12.30pm

Practical: 1.00pm to 4.00pm (Open to all players – No charge)

4)   Sunday 3^rd February 2013: Foundation Coaching. Course Fee £30

Oban High School, Soroba Road, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4JB

Theory: 9.30am to 12.30pm – Practical: 1.00pm to 4.00pm

5)   Saturday/Sunday 2/3^rd February 2013: UKCC Level 1. Course Fee £100

Plockton High School, Plockton, Ross-shire, IV52 8TU

Theory & Practical: 10.00am to 6.00pm both days

(Follow up coaching assessment at the candidates Club/School. Date agreed with candidate)

6)   Saturday/Sunday 23/24^rd February 2013: UKCC Level 1. Course Fee £100

Kinlochbervie High School, Manse Road, Kinlochbervie, Sutherland, IV27 4RR

Theory & Practical: 10.00am to 6.00pm both days

(Follow up coaching assessment at the candidates Club/School. Date agreed with candidate)

Applications must be returned by:

5 days prior to the Foundation Courses

14 days prior to the Level 1 courses

The Foundation Course fee is £30 but funding support may be available from local Sports Councils

The UKCC Level 1 course fee is £100 but 50% funding support is available from sportscotland on www.sportscotland.org.uk within Coaching – UKCC funding. This funding must be applied for by preferably 4 weeks prior to the course.

Additional funding from other sources may also be available

Funding towards appropriate accommodation may be available, on application, for candidates travelling a large distance.

For further information and application forms, please contact:

Graham Cormack, Coaching and Performance Development Manager, 01463 715931 (w) – 07894 588538 (m) graham.cormack@shinty.com

On Sunday 25th November the Women’s Camanachd Association (WCA) held their AGM in Fort William.  Drawing on the reports from each member of the committee on the season gone by, it could certainly be said that the WCA have had a successful year and made great progress across many areas including events, future planning and online media.  Specific areas highlighted as standout successes were the Women’s Cup Finals Day – held in Strachur for the first time, the Senior Development Camp held at Strathallan School and a brilliant fundraising campaign that sent the Scottish Women’s Team to Ennis and returned them victorious.

Three proposals passed in the meeting agreed to the establishment of a Development Committee, reducing the number of free weekends to 1 per season – in line with the men’s game and finally allowing Skye Camanachd Ladies to play all home games on a Saturday – in line with their Club Constitution.  The WCA are pleased to announce the passing of these proposals, all of which that they feel will contribute to a successful season ahead and an increasingly promising future for women’s shinty.

The WCA are very excited at the launch of a Development committee which they believe will be hugely conducive to making huge progress in the development of women’s shinty at every level.  It is envisaged that each women’s club will provide 1 volunteer to contribute to the committee, Ronald Ross will also sit on the committee in his role as National Development Officer at the Camanachd Association.  The Development Committee will be led by former WCA President Fiona Mathie who has stepped down from her previous role due to escalating work commitments but is very keen to focus her efforts and events experience on specific areas such as the development camps.

Subsequently, the position of President is currently vacant at the Womens Camanachd Association as no candidates put themselves forward ahead of or during last Sunday’s AGM. With this in mind the WCA committee made a decision to leave the position vacant but highlight filling the vacancy as a matter of urgency.

The WCA would like to invite anybody interested in taking up the position of President to contact the committee at womens.shinty@googlemail.com in the first instance. With the establishment of the development committee and with a very strong committee with clearly outlined duties, it is envisaged that the post of President will be largely advisory and representative for example, attending major events and being the ‘face’ of the WCA.

With women’s shinty going from strength to strength and on the back of a very successful 2012 at all levels, this is an exciting time for an individual to step forward and become involved. If you you, a club member or work colleague may be suitable for the position please do not hesitate to get in touch. All enquiries are very much welcome.

The WCA would like to thanks all of the players and volunteers who made 2012 a success for women’s shinty, here’s to much more to come in 2013.

Members are reminded of the invitation to attend the Season Review and Competitions Review meetings at the Alexandra Hotel in Fort William on Saturday 1^st December 2012.

The Season Review meeting will run from 11.30 am until 1pm and is intended to provide an opportunity for members to highlight and discuss a range of matters relating to the 2012 season, particularly in relation to Byelaw 1 (Rules of Play).  The meeting will also include discussion on possible amendments to go before the General Meeting of the Association on Friday 1^st February for introduction prior to the 2013 season starting in March.

The Competitions Review meeting will run from 1.30pm until 3.30pm and provides an important opportunity for members to be updated on progress of the Competitions Working Group.  Following receipt of completed questionnaires from our members in October, responses have been summarised and a range of initial options developed for further discussion and consideration by members before the end of the year.  The final format for the 2014 playing season will be presented to members at the General Meeting of the Association on Friday 1^st February 2013.

A buffet lunch will be available to attendees between 1.00pm and 1.30pm on the day.

If you are unable to attend on the day but wish to put forward a topic/point for discussion, or if you require any further information, please contact the Camanachd Association on 01463 715931 or email astie.cameron@shinty.com.

Additional match referees are required for the Camanachd Association’s senior/adult leagues starting in March 2013.

Referees receive a £30 match fee plus a 40p per mile travel allowance and games can be allocated on a local basis to fit with availability throughout the season.  Both the Camanachd Association and Referees Association provide ongoing individual support and mentoring of new officials throughout the season, plus a programme of relevant training and development workshops.

As a first step towards getting involved all you need do is attend a FREE two-hour Foundation Refereeing Course.  There are two courses taking place in the near future:

Inveraray Primary School – Wed 16th January – 5.00pm-7.00pm

Camanachd Association Office, Inverness – Wed 23rd January – 5.00pm-7.00pm

Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh – Sat 26th January – 10.00am – 2.00pm

To register your interest in the above please download and complete this form.

If you cannot make either date but are keen to get involved, please contact Graham Cormack, Coaching & Performance Development Manager on 01463 715931 or email graham.cormack@shinty.com and individual arrangements can be made.

Referees are vital to the continued development of shinty and the role provides individuals with a unique opportunity to have an active involvement with the sport at all levels. So if you are interested, or if you know someone who would be, please get in touch.

The Camanachd Association is supporting an indoor First Shinty Festival at The Aquadome Games Hall, Inverness on Saturday 24th November from 9.45am until 11.30am.

The festival is open to all children from P1 to P3 ages and will feature 45 minutes of coaching at different skill stations with qualified coaches, including Premier League players, then small sided games with the emphasis on participation and enjoyment as well as improving skills.

Parents, clubs and schools are invited to bring along children either individually or in groups, you don’t have to enter as a team, the coaches will pick teams for the games.

For more information and to book a place, click here.

They are a small but successful team, looking for someone who can pass on their enthusiasm and experience.

Please contact Lindsay Mitchell for further details either on Facebook or by email to lindsaykeddie@hotmail.com.

Aberdour Shinty Club will hold a Shinty Camp at Dunfermline High School on Friday 16 November 2012.

The Shinty Camp is for players aged 7-14 years and will be held on the outdoor astro pitch.

The event takes place between 10am and 3pm and it costs only £10 for the whole day!

Just bring lunch and outdoor gear!  For more info, contact Lisa Norman at lnorm1@aol.com.

Camanachd Association Communications Director, Donald Stewart, speaks to Skyecamanachd.com’s Alasdair Bruce about the future of the Shinty/Hurling Internationals:

With the 2012 Shinty / Hurling International series between Scotland and Ireland now behind us, attention turns to the future of the annual composite rules clash between the Celtic cousins.

What happens next with the international series is one of the topics contained within the current Competitions Review being carried out by the Camanachd Association. A paper issued to clubs said,

“Recently the Senior Shinty / Hurling International has been played on a home and away basis, although both the Under 21’s and Women’s team have only had one match. Should we expand this to enable all three teams to have annual home and away fixtures or should we revert to just one fixture per team each year?”

Scotland Head Coach Drew McNeil has come down clearly in favour of continuing with the home and away series and you can read his views by clicking on the following link Drew McNeil.

Camanachd Association Communications Director Donald Stewart has been an advocate of the international series and he was instrumental in the introduction of the home and away format. He is also charged with raising the funds necessary to cover the costs of playing the international series on a home and away basis each year. In an interview with Alasdair Bruce, Donald answered some of the questions being raised in the shinty community at present.

AB – How did the home and away format for the Shinty / Hurling Internationals come about?

DS – A delegation from the Camanachd Association met with Irish officials ahead of the 2009 single Homecoming international in Inverness. Duncan Cameron was Camanachd Association President at the time and he was joined by Archie Robertson and me. We met with current GAA President Liam O’Neill and Pat Daly, GAA Director of Games & Development. We talked about how we could raise the profile of the game and get maximum exposure. We wanted to expand the programme so that the players, supporters and both associations got more out of the experience. Included in our discussions was the fact that it obviously takes a financial commitment from both parties to fulfil the fixture. It was felt by both ourselves and the GAA that playing the senior game on a home and away basis each year would help us realise these objectives. We decided to pilot the fixture as a two-test affair from 2010 and it has moved on from there.

AB – Cost is an obvious issue. Can the shinty community afford the financial commitment required for the senior team to continue to take part in an annual home and away series?

DS – Cost is often cited as a reason for reverting back to one international each year. However the reality is that sponsors are more interested in the home and away format than they were with the single venue event. In the main, each country raises money to cover the costs accrued in their home fixture. It is difficult to get continuity with sponsorship for an event that only happens every two years. That was one of the factors we took into account when moving to two tests. Look at the television coverage this year. BBC2 Scotland covered the game in Inverness live whilst BBC Alba started their daily broadcast a full two hours earlier to show the game in Ireland live. This series is regarded as a national event. On the Irish side, TG4 covered both tests live and they are really impressed by the whole spectacle. This means that we can offer sponsors a platform of up to four hours coverage on national television on two successive Saturdays. There is also live radio coverage of the game on a national and local level. Add in press coverage and it shows how we can offer sponsors an attractive package.

AB – What is the financial cost to the Camanachd Association of running the series on a home and away basis?

DS – No money comes out of the Camanachd Association coffers to fund the Shinty / Hurling International series. It is all self-funded. The event does take up some Camanachd Association staff time but it has also galvanised a huge band of volunteers. Our Head Coaches; Drew McNeil with the seniors, Ronald Ross with the U21s and Sarah Corrigall and Laura MacKay for the ladies, are all volunteers. So are their assistants and those who provide medical and fitness support to the various squads. And there are other volunteers too. These people commit their time and they make a financial commitment because they believe in the game and all the benefits it brings. In 2009, the single Homecoming international was properly budgeted and properly costed. In fact, we made close to a £2,000 profit that year and that was mainly down to some great work by Alice MacRae and her brother Roddy who organised the refreshments tent. We then calculated how much money we had to raise to have the event on a home and away format starting from 2010 and we raised it. Thereafter we broke even in both 2010 and 2011 too. The 2012 home international made a profit and we used this money for our share of the costs of going across to Ireland.

AB – If we were to revert to just one international for the seniors each year, would the funds used to participate in the second international be available for other aspects of the game of shinty?

DS – The short answer is no, they would not be available for other aspects of the game of shinty. The whole event is self-funding. We have a main sponsor in Marine Harvest who under-pin the series. Event Scotland, the Inverness Common-Good Fund and Caledonian Brewery have also contributed to the home match. Co-operative Foods and Scottish Hydro also provide financial support. JIG Groundworks of Kiltarlity got involved with the Ladies team this year which was another boost. Other income comes from a variety of sources including; gate receipts, programme sales, vendors’ fees, general advertising and pitch-side advertising. In recent years, we have also had players’ sponsorship and that his been a popular source of revenue. All players from the seniors, U21s, and ladies find their own individual sponsor who is offered a package for their support and the money raised goes towards the cost of the event. All this money is all raised on the back of playing home and away against Ireland. If we didn’t play this fixture then this money wouldn’t exist so it couldn’t be used else-where.

AB – What are the benefits to shinty of Scotland and Ireland meeting twice a year?

DS – I know that our Head Coach Drew McNeil has spoken to you about the benefits for the players and for the game and I agree with these. Every player and coach that I have spoken to says that they get more out of the two games than they would out of one game. I would add that it gives any youngsters who start playing shinty the pathway to progress from a beginner right up to representing the national team when they are older. My involvement is off the field and if we only played Ireland once each year, I believe that we would raise less than half the current funding because one match is not as attractive to sponsors or television as the two match series.

AB – How do Ireland view the series?

A – They are fully committed to the home and away format. They find it easier to promote the game on a home and away basis each year. Both GAA President Liam O’Neill and Pat Daly, who is the main figure at Croke Park, are heavily involved. They have agreed to share their Development strategy and their vision for 2020 and have invited our Coaches to join them at their annual Coaching Convention in January 2013 so that the Camanachd Association can benefit from the additional exposure and relationship building. That’s how serious they are about it.

AB – How do the sponsors view the event?

DS – They think it is great. The spectacle, the television coverage and they are pleased with the feedback they get. They are much more interested in the two game event and, by all accounts, BBC2 Scotland and BBC Alba are pleased with the viewing figures for the games. It is the same for Ireland. One of their concerns in 2009 was that their main sponsor had dropped out and they wanted to make the game attractive to a new partner. TG4 have come in and filled that void. This is the Camanachd Association’s second biggest event of the year after the Camanachd Cup Final. There is also the added bonus that we link the home event into the Marine Harvest Annual Awards Ceremony. This takes place on the Friday prior to the international and if people are travelling a distance to Inverness for the ceremony, they can stay overnight and attend the international the following day. Marine Harvest do not just under-pin the international series but they are a main sponsor who support shinty throughout the year and they see this additional test and media coverage as a good return on their investment.

AB – What progress do you feel the event has made?

DS – We are always looking at how we can improve things on and off the park. For example, this year we spoke with journalist Kenneth Stephen and photographer Neil G Paterson about how we could package the game better for the media. They now provide a range of match previews, match reports and photographs for the various media outlets. This helped greatly improve the coverage of this year’s games. I think it is important that the internationals take place after the shinty season is decided as clubs seem to buy into it more that way. Therefore there was more of an emphasis on applying the Byelaws, with the cooperation of the clubs, when pitches were unplayable earlier in the season and that seems to have worked. We also increased the points scored for a goal this year from three points to five points.

AB – Why make the switch to five points for a goal?

DS – At the end of the 2011 series, the Camanachd Association and the GAA spoke about how things had gone and about any improvements we could make. It is no secret that Ireland want to get more of an emphasis on ground hurling. They see benefits for player development in doing so as it is easier for their youngest age-groups to play hurling that way. We both felt there was too much emphasis on playing the Shinty / Hurling game in the air. I also looked at it from the point of view that in a shinty match, we want to see our team score more goals than the opposition so it was a natural thing to encourage goals. I think encouraging goal-scoring is a good thing and don’t forget, there were 17 goals scored over the two games this year – more than ever before. However we gave it a go and we’ll review the position with the Irish as we do after every international and if our feeling is that we should move back to three points for a goal, I don’t think Ireland would have a problem with that.

AB – What happens next?

DS – First of all, we’ll sit down and review how things went this year. We’ll begin planning for the 2013 series early next year. There is talk of building up to an event in New York in 2014 which would certainly be something to capture the imagination. The Camanachd Association and the GAA have agreed to look at joint sponsors for next year who do business in both countries and grant funding from Europe. It is also worth noting that this meeting between Scotland and Ireland is a cultural exchange. This series is now not only about the sport but about a very important cultural exchange which has grown rapidly over the last few years with Cholmcille sponsoring young musicians from both countries to visit and play in venues otherwise beyond their reach; to quote Sally from Feis in Ennis ‘I didn’t come here to play Scottish tunes but to learn Irish tunes’; the young Feis musicians were able to play with Finbar Furie, Kate Purcell and our own Manran. The home and away format creates twice the opportunity and twice the benefit, both in sporting and cultural terms. A lot will depend on what comes out of the review but I believe that we have something special here.

End of interview

Proposals for the new competitions structure will come before the 2013 Camanachd Association Annual General Meeting.

However the Shinty / Hurling debate may yet have some more mileage and it certainly deserves a full discussion, taking all factors into account, before coming to a final decision.

With this being the most important meeting of the year, the current committee would like to see as many people there as possible.  Each women’s club in the Marine Harvest National Division 1, North Division 2 and South Division 2 should send representatives to the meeting.  The WCA would also like to extend an invitation to all those involved or interested in the future and development of women’s shinty and anyone who feels that they can contribute to both the meeting and the 2013 season.

It should be noted that  due to a change in work commitments, both the President and Secretary positions on the Committee are available for re-election.  Nominations are open to all interested parties and Election of Office Bearers is point 6 on the Agenda below.  Anyone who would like to request more information or a job description on either posts should email womens.shinty@googlemail.com

As also noted in the Agenda the WCA committee would like to put forward the following proposals:

- That a development sub-committee should be established, to  oversee the development camp, improve links between school, university and league shinty, and to increase participation in women’s shinty.

- That Skye Camanachd Ladies Shinty Club should play all league home games on Saturdays (for the 2013 season as a trial period).

- That the number of ‘free weekends’ which clubs are allowed, should be reduced to one (in line with the Camanachd Association)

The WCA look forward to seeing everyone at the Nevis Centre on Sunday 25th November and continuing work towards the future development of women’s shinty.

AGENDA

1. Apologies
2. Minutes of previous Meeting
3. Presidents Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Fixtures Secretary’s Report
6. Election of Office Bearers: President & Secretary
7. Player of the Year
8. Proposals
9. AOCB including Survey Results & the future for WCA