Kinlochbervie Camanachd Coaches Receive Awards

Duncan Clark who coaches the senior pupils at Kinlochbervie High School has been awarded Sport Scotland Highland and Islands Participation Coach of the Year 2011. He was presented with his trophy by a representative from Sport Scotland on Wednesday 25^th April in front of his delighted young players. He was nominated by John Wood (Active Sports Co-coordinator for the Kinlochbervie cluster) who said in his nomination “due to the extensive provision of coaching through KinlochbervieCamanachd, Duncan has successfully established the opportunity for local people to learn, play and enjoy participating in the sport of Shinty in the North West tip of our Country”. The inaugural Shinty Session in June 2007 had 5 pupils: now in 2012 there are almost 40 youngsters from P1 to S6 participating and the annual Far North Shinty Sixes attracts the players who have left school and sometimes the area, back to play and take part again. Duncan’s daughter Sophie Clark, a S6 pupil, has been given a Young Quality Scot Award, also for Shinty. As well as training and playing with the High School team, Sophie regularly gave up her own time to assist in the coaching of the junior pupils in two sessions per week. This was recognised by the High School’s Head Teacher who nominated Sophie who then attended the ceremony in Dunfermline in March with other young people from Highland and was presented with her award by Jim Leishman. Both these awards are real credit to Kinlochbervie Camanachd and are recognition of the level of commitment to the sport by all the coaches and players involved.