Orkney Netball Scottish Schools Cup Victory: A Kirkwall Grammar Triumph
9th November 2023
The Road to the Scottish Schools Cup
Last year’s Scottish Schools Cup netball final was unforgettable, especially for the team from Kirkwall Grammar in Orkney. Their win was a thrilling moment for everyone who loves netball, showing that dedication and teamwork really do pay off.
Logistical Hurdles in Orkney
The team’s journey to the cup was a big part of their story. Their coach, Katrina Garson, tells us about the effort behind the scenes. “It’s been pretty mental to be honest, we’ve travelled for every game, so it’s been madness getting all of these trips planned, getting courts sorted, umpires sorted, every trip is a journey for us.”
Fundraising Efforts
Traveling from a remote location meant the team had to get creative with fundraising. “Everything costs so much for us, especially travel,” Garson noted. The team’s efforts to raise funds were as impressive as their performance on the court.
“The players have done so much fundraising, we’ve had to raise a lot of money, but they have worked so hard.
Netball Orkney is in a really good place, the coaches there do so much work. We are just one big family.”
Halftime Motivation
During the final, the team faced a tough start. They were behind and needed to catch up. That’s when Garson’s encouraging words during halftime made a difference. “We knew we could do better than this,” she inspired her team, igniting a powerful comeback.
“I think we were all a bit rattled and really nervous but going into the last quarter we knew we could do this and we could take this home.” And they listened.
Key Moments
Jess Ewing, one of the team captains, talks about how they kept going, even when it was tough.
“When it was neck and neck in that last quarter and it was just goal for goal, it was so tense but it’s definitely a highlight.”
“We all seemed to pull ourselves together” she remembers. That’s when she made a big play that helped them win. “We hustled in the circle and all the training we’ve been doing really paid off.” she said, recalling her game-changing interception.
Team Spirit
Kayleigh Scott, another captain, explained how she kept her energy high throughout the match while playing at Centre,
“I think it’s the adrenaline of getting a few in a row it like raises you up and I get bouncy on my feet. If you get one up, you just want more and more so it drives you to keep going.”
A Close Finish
Kirkwall had to dig deep to claw back a 10-goal deficit. When asked how they found the resilience to fight on, Scott talks about the team spirit. ” I feel like as a team we all just pull together really well it’s across the court everybody cheers everybody on.” she says, showing how everyone helped each other.
This win by Kirkwall Grammar is a great example for other teams. It shows that with the right attitude, you can overcome any challenge, no matter where you’re from.
Scottish Schools Cup matches are underway with some incredible results coming in so far. Make sure you are following our socials for more updates coming soon.
