YOUNG SPORTING PRODIGIES FEATURE IN ‘A SPORTING CHANCE’ ON BBC ALBA
BBC ALBA Monday 8 March, 9pm
Representing your country can merely be a dream for many young sports people. However, for the young prodigies with that extra talent, their determination pays off and their sporting goals achieved as highlighted in a new documentary on BBC ALBA.
‘Cothrom Spòrs: A Sporting Chance’, the new programme in the Trusadh documentary series profiles three young Scottish sports stars as they compete at the top in their very different chosen fields; cricket, women’s rugby and wheelchair tennis and discovers what sets them apart from the pack.
Calum MacLeod, from Stepps, Glasgow, is a professional cricketer for Warwickshire, he has played for Scotland and last summer was 12th man for England when they won the Ashes. The 21-year-old, from a sports-daft family, says he never lost his focus, despite many cold winter nights of training and outlines the sacrifices he had to make with his schoolwork.
Professional cricketer Calum MacLeod, from Stepps, Glasgow featuring in ‘A Sporting Chance’ documentary on BBC ALBA. Photograph copyright to Donald MacLeod.
Calum said: “You need a bit of ability but the majority of it is hard work. The top players train harder than most and that’s what gets them to the top.”
Proud parents Donald and Morag supported Calum tirelessly driving him to matches around the UK, and Calum attributes much of his success to this.
Morag says it was all worth it when he got his first professional contract in 2006 for English county side Warwickshire: “I was so chuffed for him because he worked so hard. He gave up a lot of things that normal teenagers do when he was training three nights a week. We put time into it too and didn’t go on holidays in the summer, but to feel that he’d got what he wanted was fantastic.”
Parental support has also been vital for Gordon Reid, 18, from Helensburgh, who was named by the Daily Telegraph as one of its ‘Ten to Watch for 2012’. The budding tennis player suffered a serious spinal condition at the age of 12 which left him unable to run. Despite this, the plucky teenager adapted his racket skills and learned to play tennis from a wheelchair.
Gordon Reid from Helensburgh, wheelchair tennis star and junior World number one who represented Britain in the Beijing Paralympics.
Just six years later Gordon was junior World number one and had represented Britain in the Beijing Paralympics. Regardless of Gordon’s current success he won’t rest there and throughout the programme talks about his ambitions for the future.
Gordon says: “In 2012 I want to be winning the gold medal. For the next three years I’ll be giving everything and committing 100 per cent.”
The final young prodigy featured in the programme is rugby player Alison MacDonald, from Carnach, North Uist. Alison plays for Royal High Corstophine Cougars in Edinburgh and has been capped twice for Scotland.
Alison MacDonald, from Carnach, North Uist. Alison plays for Royal High Corstophine Cougars in Edinburgh and has been capped twice for Scotland.
The 26-year-old has a tough schedule juggling her changing shifts as a Lothian and Borders police officer with her training commitments.
With the sixth Women’s Rugby World Cup approaching, Alison knows there’s much work to be done. Alison said: “It would be excellent to be joining the team for that, so that’s my goal.”
‘Cothrom Spòrs: A Sporting Chance’ offers a rare insight into young sport starts and how they cope with the strenuous training regimes and the determination required to take them to the top.
Produced by MacTV for BBC ALBA ‘Cothrom Spòrs: A Sporting Chance’ will be broadcast on Monday 8 March at 9pm.