Sarah aims to net Scotland honour... just like mum

Article courtesy of Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

SARAH Ramage hopes to keep it in the family by turning out for Scotland Under-17 netball team, following in the footsteps of mum Barbara.

The Braidhurst High pupil is delighted to have been selected for the national squad and hopes to make the cut at the end of this month.

Sarah (15), is on a long road between now and then, and although she made the first cut from 80 to 25, her big ambition is to be named in the final 20 at the end of November.

If she progresses, the final cut will be made during a training weekend at Inverclyde in February, with those selected representing Scotland at the Under-17 European Championships in Gibraltar from March 5-8.

Fourth-year pupil Sarah, who lives in Motherwell, said: “I’m very pleased to be in the squad, but it gets cut at the end of this month and I’m hoping to stay in.

“My parents were nearly crying when they heard I had been selected and are really excited for me, and Mr Hannan at Braidhurst High is really pleased for me.

“I’ve been playing netball since I was in Primary Six and got interested because my mum used to play and was picked for Scotland as well.

“It will be brilliant if I get selected because I’ll have the honour of being able to play for Scotland, represent my country and I’ll also be doing it for my mum.”

Sport runs in the Ramage family. As a youngster mum Barbara was selected for Scotland’s under-16 squad, while dad David represented his country at volleyball.

Barbara (43), a road safety education officer with North Lanarkshire Council, said: “I’m delighted for Sarah and it’s a great achievement. Competition is much stronger now than it was in my day and that’s good for the sport.

“Sarah is keeping her feet on the ground and it’s a lot of hard training and an intense programme they get put through, but Sarah’s used to that.

“She trains Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, sometimes plays on Thursdays and when national training is on, it’s usually on Saturday or Sunday.”

Braidhurst head teacher Derrick Hannan said: “Sarah is a very able pupil both academically and physically.

“She excels in everything she takes on as a challenge and has done very well at school and authority level.

“I’m delighted for Sarah and the school that she’s at this level of being capped by Scotland.”

Mr Hannan continued: “Sarah is a very competitive young person and the fact that she could be capped at under-17s at such a young age is testimony to that.”

Sarah is one of five talented Braidhurst High pupils to be selected for North Lanarkshire netball squads at under-15 and under-17 level, the others being Zoe Luke, Gemma Park, Cara Swann and Jane Biggart.

Sarah is in the Under-17 squad, which is coached by Karen Dunn, and Mr Hannan added: “Within the school Sarah and the others have been given tremendous coaching and support from Miss Joanne Lilly, and Sarah and the team reached the Scottish Schools’ semi-finals last year.

“I am delighted that the general standard of coaching has been built up and the girls are benefiting from that.”

Anyone who is interested in playing netball for North Lanarkshire should contact Karen by e-mailing: newmannetball@gmail.com