Women’s Under-14 National Training Camp celebrates 10th anniversary

Players from all over the country attended last weekend’s Women’s Under-14 National Training Camp at Tulliallan in Fife.

The training camp, now into it’s tenth year, brought together the most talented young players from the Scottish FA’s six regions, and over the last decade has provided a pathway for some of Scotland’s top players. Bayern Munich’s Lisa Evans, Caroline Weir of Liverpool and Hibernian’s Kirsty Smith have all taken part in the training camps throughout the years, to name but three.

The latest generation had the opportunity to meet Scotland Women’s National Team Coach Anna Signeul along with Scotland Women’s Under-17s coach Pauline Hamill.

Six of the Scottish FA’s Club Development Officers, led by Shirley Martin and Corrie Campbell of the South-West and West Regions respectively, were in attendance, along with Scotland national team captain Gemma Fay and internationalist Leanne Ross.

Over the course of the weekend the players got to play against other regions in short 30 minute games, learned about what is required to play at an Elite Level and to represent Scotland as well as lectures on their nutrition, player pathway and injury prevention.

Speaking to the Scottish FA website, Signeul said:“We’re lucky to have national team players in attendance at the camp over the weekend. They acted as role models during the Saturday sessions at the camp, especially as many of them have been players at the camps themselves over the years.

“On top of that, all our national coaches were tutors during the weekend, including Ann-Helen Grahm, Gareth Evans, Pauline Hamill and Paul Brownlie of the Scottish FA’s National Performance Academy.

“It was undoubtedly a fantastic event and a great weekend for girls and women’s football.”

Scotland Women’s Under-17 coach Pauline Hamill echoed the sentiment of Signeul’s comments, adding: “Tulliallan has been pivotal in providing a pathway for Scotland’s youngest athletes and showing them the road to success.

“During the weekend the players competed against the best of the other regions. It gives the girls a chance to see where they stand and gives them an opportunity to see the level they should aspire to be at.

“As well as educating the players on the field, we try our best to educate them off the field, with lessons in nutrition, the elite pathway and injury prevention.

“Many of the A-squad players have been at the camp themselves as players over the past ten years, so that itself shows you the impact and success that it has.”