Junior Women – International Challenge

Having worked with Simon Loftus for the last three years the temporary step to Head Coach was in part simplified as I know all of the girls in the programme and has seen little change for the girls too in relation to expectations which are always high.

Team Manager, Linda Anderson, and myself have been joined by Jillian Galloway from Glasgow Mets as Assistant Coach, we worked together at the UKSG a couple of years ago which was a great team effort and we have established this again for the YS programme, which I am extremely pleased about.

After four highly competitive selection days which have run since early October the final group of players to compete with England in December has been finalised. The players have all worked hard both individually and as a group over this period and my task to pick 12 was extremely tough, as these things always are, however the 12 players are;-

Setters Emma Clarkson Su Ragazzi
Lorna McLean South Ayrshire
Middle Kay Wheatley South Ayrshire
Hannah Grant Troon
Stephanie McCall     Troon
Outside Hitters    Sarah Robertson Troon
Caitlin McEwan North Lanarkshire        
Alex Dickenson Su Ragazzi
Kirsty McLean South Ayrshire
Bethany Parker South Ayrshire
Claire Ramage South Ayrshire
Libero Jenny Jones South Ayrshire

December 18 and 19 at Kelvin Hall is just round the corner and I wish my team well, they deserve a great result as theirs, and all who fought for places in the teams, efforts and determination to compete at high level has been outstanding. To win is not just for themselves but for the others who did not make it through

The continuing programme of player development within the YS programme will begin again in early 2010, for which dates will be announced soon.

Iain Parker,  Head Coach