On the ball
Castlehead pupils are stars
Football stars have been passing on some of their silky skills to Paisley secondary school pupils at a special coaching session.
Sporty pupils at Castlehead High School worked with Scotland internationa l Leanne Crichton, St Mirren centre back Anton Ferdinand, Buddies’ midfielder Jordan Kirkpatrick and former Celtic and Motherwell player Scott McDonald.
Their training was part of a new initiative led by sportscotland, which is the national agency for sport, and BBC Scotland.
The four footballers were welcomed at the school on Thursday for a coaching experience that highlighted the importance of sport within the curriculum.
Around 40 boys and girls attended the training session and, as well as getting some valuable hints and tips, they heard tales from the professionals’ experiences over the years.
The aim of the project is to encourage the younger generation to take up the sport.
Leanne said: “I loved coaching at Castlehead High. We’ve seen over 40 pupils really making the most of this chance to have a new coaching experience and their love of football is obvious.
“They’re determined to improve their footballing skills and their enthusiasm on the pitch was brilliant to see.
“Bringing BBC Sportsound to schools makes it easier for young people to get involved and it is a really positive experience for us to be involved with.”
The pupils were also given an insight into the important role of sport in the media as the leading BBC Scotland radio programme, Sportsound, broadcasted their evening programme from the school.
The panel was hosted by BBC Scotland’s David Currie. The guests were Crichton, Ferdinand and McDonald along with and former Rangers, St Mirren and Scotland striker Steven Thompson.
Pupils, parents, and staff were given the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the sporting personalities live on-air, asking about their career highlights as well as discussing Scotland’s sporting landscape.
Castlehead High also holds the sportscotland Gold School Sport Award, a prestigious national award that recognises innovation and achievement in delivering physical education and extra-curricular sport.
Chris Neill, principal teacher of PE, said: “Hosting the radio show here in the school and being able to offer a coaching session like this has given us a chance to create a memorable experience for our pupils.
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with sportscotland and BBC Scotland to give our pupils this exciting opportunity to celebrate sport.
“It gives us a chance to bring people together through sport in an innovative way and the pupils are really excited to get involved in an event like this. This is an excellent example of partnership working to improve the learning experience for our pupils.”
sportscotland is building a world-class sporting system and is working in partnership with BBC Scotland to raise the profile of sport across the country.
As part of this initiative, the BBC will be taking Sportsound on the road with the help of sportscotland to give young people a memorable experience whilst engaging in sport.
Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, added: “At sportscotland, putting young people at the centre of our efforts is a crucial part of what we do.
“It’s fantastic that the pupils at Castlehead High had the chance to train with players who have performed at the very highest level.”