Scottish Schools

Not so long ago, there were so many club runners taking part in the Scottish Schools Championships that it was difficult to keep track of them - especially as they were in vests that we did not usually see. There was no such problem this year - you didn't need all the fingers on one hand to number them. Not the fault of the children. More and more schools are choosing not to affiliate to the SSAA. Among the local schools not affiliated are Clydebank High School, Dumbarton Academy, Our Lady and St Pats, Vale of Leven and the latest local school not to be part of the scheme is Boclair Academy. They all used to send a bus to the event, Boclair on one famous occasion sent two buses! Now - not a one from any of them. St Peter's had four or five entered and there handfuls from Douglas Academy and Bearsden Academy.
We can do a job here - a bit of initiative from the Committee and we could assist the schools to send pupils to the meeting. The Inverclyde Initiative sent a bus with pupils from four schools all together and provided supervision for the teams thus freeing the school PE Department from the responsibility of finding a member of staff to go. When the Primary Schools Championships started up, we organised a bus, paid for it and took pupils from local primary schools through, free of charge, and they were accompanied by the Gibson family and some other club coaches. If we don't want to go that far, how about year round cultivation of the schools? It is over a year since there was a blog suggesting that the club hold a race for the Juniors on the day of the Dunky Wright or Polaroid and nothinh as happened. I would ask the Committee to have another look at the idea. The young runners and their parents want a race - any race! - to be held in Clydebank. We can put on races on request from the Vets Association - 5k's, half marathons - why can't we do one for our own young athletes? Now that we have access to a proper track, why not put on a come-and-try night for local schools? Not hard to organise - it just requitres the will.
Why amd I banging on about it? Well, if the schools are too hard up in terms of money or personnel to help develop the sport, then it is up to those who love the sport, namely us, to promote it in any and every way we can.
Shame about the Scottish Schools though - used to be the biggest meeting in the country and although it might still hold the title, it is not a patch of what it once was.