Hometown: Falkirk
Education: Larbert High School, 6th year
Sport: Basketball and golf
Coaching and volunteering: Head Coach of Falkirk Fury’s cadet men 2nd team; volunteer at TCSC holiday camps, Larbert High School and TCSC generation project
Club: Falkirk Fury, Falkirk Tryst Golf Club and Tryst Community Sports Club
Hobbies: Gaming, watching sports, in normal circumstances socialising with my friends and family.
Proudest achievement: Active Schools Falkirk 2019 pupil volunteer of the year; appointed one of the vice captains for my school this year
Future aspirations: I hope to go to university to study law with ambitions to be a practising solicitor
Interesting fact: I’ve abseiled off Table Mountain in South Africa
Q&A with Cameron
What sport(s) are you involved in and what do you love about it?
I enjoy so much about sport - taking part, coaching and leadership! My main sport is basketball and I have played at club level for about 7 years. I also enjoy playing a bit of football and golf with my friends. I got into coaching and leadership in sport a good few years ago and since then I have been a regular volunteer for both the Falkirk Community Trust and the Tryst Community Sport Club and led sessions ranging from basketball to multi-sport to ASN and senior citizen sessions. And for the last 2 years I have also been involved in the coaching set up for my local club, Falkirk Fury.
What motivated you to be part of the Young People’s Sport Panel?
Having been involved in the leading sporting session I saw first-hand the impact that sport can have on a young person's life and how important it can be to their development. I also thought that I could use my experience in coaching to help shape the future of sport for young people in Scotland. I think that regardless of anyone's ability or level they play at, everyone should easily find their place in sport and enjoy the social experience you get from sport.
What do you think of the sport panel so far and what work are you involved in?
To be honest, when I found out the panel existed a few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the faith that sportscotland puts in young people and that feeling has not disappeared at all. I think it's such an amazing compliment to every young person that our voices can be heard loud and clear. Even though the panel has had a different start due to Covid restrictions that has stopped us from meeting in person, I already feel like we will go on to do amazing work as a group. We are in the early stages of outlining the work we hope to do, so my work has mainly been to start to grow my network and learn the ins and outs of how sport in Scotland works. However, other members have already got off the mark and have done takeovers of sportscotland's social media platforms for events like the monthly #SportHour and International Women's Day.
What do you think are (some of) the big challenges facing young people in Scotland today?
The biggest challenge that young people face in my opinion is making up for the social interaction that we missed out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully in the near future the return to sport will progress and people won't be scared to get back out there and play the sport they love again. Maybe even try new sports that they fancy having a go at! I think that the social side of sport is really good for our mental health as young people and it also helps us develop as people and learn key skills that we can carry for the rest of our lives.
How do you think sport can help support young people in Scotland?
I think the great thing about sport in Scotland is that there are so many avenues that a young person can go down. If you don't want to participate all the time you can lead sessions, if you don't want to lead sessions forever you can learn about the nitty gritty bits of sport and if you don't want to do that either you can enjoy the great outdoors we are lucky enough to have on our doorsteps or even watch sport. Now, the watching of Scottish sport used to be more difficult than playing it, but thankfully that's improved in recent years. And all those ways to be involved in sport means that there is a place for everyone in sport and that is the thing that helps support young people to better themselves and feel included.
If you could change one thing about sport in Scotland, what would it be?
If I could change one thing it would be the amount of sports we are exposed to and play regularly. I believe that as sports leaders and coaches we are missing opportunities to bring people together. I feel as though the sport we play should not be a barrier to who we communicate and mingle with. Especially at a young age I think networks for coaches and players of different sports should be able to communicate and try their respective sport. In Scotland in particular, where the main focus is football, kids shut themselves off from other sports far too early. I think creating these opportunities would make way for a more diverse sporting culture nationwide.
Is there a role model who inspires you? What is it about them that you admire?
My role model in sport is definitely Greg Nicol, Greg is the leader of the Tryst Community sport club which is one of the sport organisations I volunteer with. Greg is a top class guy and has had a real impact on my journey through sport and I don't think I would be where I am without him! He really motivated me to explore the non- playing side of sport. I think the thing that I most admire about Greg is his approachability, I think that is the main reason why he has such an impact on the local community because he finds a way to get everyone involved and start initiatives that really matter. He has inspired me to push myself as a person and develop my liabilities to become my strengths and I hope that I can have the same impact on my community when I am older and leave a legacy the way Greg will in Larbert and Stenhousemuir.