Sport In Profile UK Issue 08 | Page 9

glenurquhart shinty club They get involved in different ways, some by sponsoring match days others by taking an advertising board around the park. Of course we are lucky that the club plays shinty right on the world famous banks of Lochness, overlooked by Urquhart castle and that helps out with a wider audience!” Challenges “The sport of shinty has gone through a few changes these last few years with the introduction of a new league structure possibly not suiting all its participants. It’s a fine line to keep the sport at as high a level as possible whilst remembering that it’s also an amateur sport. Keeping not only the players but the supporters actively involved in the sport is a key part of making sure shinty not only survives but continues to thrive. With such great events as the Olympics, the Commonwealth and this year the Rugby World Cup, sport has never been more prominent than it is now. Some of our best players in Glenurquhart are ‘multi’ sport athletes whether this is with football, tennis , or rugby it shows that you can enjoy a multitude of activities and still compete at Shintys highest level. To keep the young guys interested in shinty we have to continue to work at grass roots level to make sure that they don’t lose interest and become more used to playing computer games than playing on the sports field. Ambitions “Every club should strive to play at the highest level that it is able to, for us this is playing In the Premier League and maintaining our second team in the current North Division 1. I would be lying if I said that we had anything else on our mind other than winning a major cup like the Cammanachd , MacTavish or Sutherland - I am sure we will get our chance.” www.glenurquhartshintyclub.com- Twitter : @Glenshinty www.sportip.biz 9