School’s netball: UNDER-17 SQUAD, Cooper takes the long way round to national honours

NETBALL: At 14, Jaimie Cooper is the youngest member of the Scottish squad for this weekend’s Under-17 Netball Europe at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. The third-year Kirkwall Grammar School pupil is also the most travelled.

At 14, Jaimie Cooper is the youngest member of the Scottish squad for this weekend’s Under-17 Netball Europe at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. The third-year Kirkwall Grammar School pupil is also the most travelled.

Since being selected for the team in January, Jaimie has headed from Orkney to East Kilbride almost every weekend for the national training sessions.

Along with mum Rachel Peace, the Friday after-school schedule is a 90-minute ferry crossing from Stromness to Scrabster, followed by a six-and-a-half-hour car journey. Sunday evening is the same in reverse.

“It is definitely worth it,” said Jaimie. “When I heard I had been picked for the Scottish team it was such a great moment. I started playing when I was eight at Stromness Primary school and have been part of the North Pathways scheme for the past two years.

“My coach is Catherine Johnson, who works with the Active School Programme in Orkney, and she is great. Another Orkney girl – Sarah McPhail – is in the Scottish Development Squad. There is a really good set-up at home. We have leagues from under-13 right up to senior level.”

Jaimie is one of seven new caps in the Scottish team that will face England on Friday, Northern Ireland on Saturday and Wales on Sunday.

“Jaimie has shown a massive commitment to travel down for our training sessions,” commented Scottish coach, Lesley MacDonald. “Overall, the team has worked extremely hard to ensure they will represent their country with pride at the championships. The Friday game is already a sell out.” The other newcomers in the team are Caoimhe Rooney (Holy Cross High School), Katie Gallagher (Dancanrig Secondary), Rachael Eynon (Perth Academy), Rebecca Munn (Notre Dame High School), Bethany Sutherland (Golspie High School) and Sara Bastekin (Hyndland Secondary School).

The championships are a crucial part of Scotland’s preparations for the World Youth Championships, which are to be staged at the new National Indoor Arena in Glasgow in August next year. Jo Pettit (Peebles High School), Nicola McLeery (Calderglen High School) and Amy Craig (Our Lady’s High School, Cumbernauld) are in both the under-17 team and the provisional squad for the under-20s.

Ashley Baillie, Caoimhe Rooney (both Holy Cross High School), Catriona Thomson (Hillhead High School), Katie Gallagher (Duncanrig Secondary School), Rachael Enynon (Perth Academy), Rebecca Munn (Notre Dame High School), Bethany Sutherland (Golspie High School), Jaimie Cooper (Kirkwall Grammar School), Nicola McCleary (Calderglen High School), Jo Pettit (Peebles High School), Amy Craig Our lady’s High School, Cumbernauld), Sara Bastekin (Hyndland Secondary School).