Monday 28th March 2022

The latest in this years Reffin’ Brilliant offering looks to grow the number of student referees supporting basketball competitions across the country.

Through a partnership with Basketball Scotland, SSS are pleased to deliver a Level 1 Refereeing course as part of SSS’ sportscotland-funded Reffin’ Brilliant programme.

The volunteer workforce is vital to the sustainability of student sport and this course will help to grow the number of students involved in this side of the game. A refereeing qualification will give students a different perspective of the game they love but can also provide additional income to support the student lifestyle. Progression through the pathway can open up opportunities to referee across Scotland and the world.

Level 1 Refereeing Course

The Level 1 Referee course is designed for candidates who have a basic understanding of playing or refereeing basketball. Candidates will learn more detailed rules of the game, signals, mechanics, communication and managing a game.

This course is made up of a 3-hour online workshop, followed by a 5 hour practical session. Students signing up for the course are committing to attending both sessions in order to complete the course. This course is open to current students and deployment in student sport is expected, and has a limited number of spaces.

The cost of the course is normally £45, but thanks to the Basketball Scotland student member rebate, and the sportscotland Developing People grant, this course is available to students for only £15.

Theory session (online)

  • Date: Monday 11th April
  • Time: 6-9pm

Practical session

Click HERE to sign up for the refereeing course.

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Thursday 24th February 2022

In the first event of its kind, the SSS Women’s Futsal Festival proved a big hit with participants and has built strong foundations to grow the sport. Emma Kern (SS Futsal Communications, Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer) explains more….

The first-ever Women’s Futsal Festival took place on Saturday 19th February and was hosted by University of Stirling. The event was delivered in partnership with the Scottish FA. Alongside a development workshop, three student teams took part in a tournament alongside Boroughmuir Thistle U19s, in what was an outstanding showcase of high quality futsal.

The Futsal Development Workshop took place with guest speakers educating and informing existing players, and some that were new to the sport. Steve Chatila, founder of Perth Youth Futsal and coach at University of Edinburgh, kicked off the workshop with a talk on tactics and coaching. Steve used his experience of coaching in the Champions League to inspire a new generation of female coaches in the game. Gordon McCabe, a SFA, UEFA and FIFA Futsal referee, gave an update on changes to the laws of the game, and explained the refereeing pathway while outlining the fantastic opportunities to travel the world for officials. The final presentation was from Beth McKay, former University of Stirling student and now football player for Heart of Midlothian. Beth also plays futsal for Northern Ireland and she spoke about her career and the positive impact of a dual pathway for futsal and football players.

The round robin tournament took place in the afternoon, with the student teams named “Amandinha”, “Peque” and “Ana Catarina” after some of the top female players in the world. Teams comprised student players from the University of Strathclyde, University of Stirling, University of Edinburgh, the University of the West of Scotland, University of St Andrews and City of Glasgow College. These teams were joined in the draw by a representative squad from Boroughmuir Thistle U19s, many of whom were participating in futsal for the first time.

Goals quickly began to flow with Amandinha and Peque drawing 2-2, before Boroughmuir then claimed their first victory with a 6-0 win over Ana Catarina. Amandinha also beat Ana Catarina (3-0), followed by a very close game that ended in a win for Boroughmuir against Peque (1-0). Peque got their first win against Ana Catarina (3-0) before the final group game  saw Amandinha beat Boroughmuir (3-1).

In between matches, the teams took part in a penalty shootout challenge, with players having 10 seconds to drive the ball from the halfway line and score. This gave players an opportunity to showcase their futsal skills but also showcased the high standard of goalkeeping on display. The first shootout saw Amandinha beat Ana Catarina (1-0), followed by a victory for Boroughmuir against Peque (1-0). After the playoffs, Ana Catarina managed to come in third place in the challenge after beating Peque (3-2), whilst Boroughmuir secured first place against Amandinha (2-0).

The group stage finished with Amandinha in 1st place followed by Boroughmuir, Peque and Ana Catarina. In the third-place playoff, Peque finally started to click despite not having any subs, and comfortably beat Ana Catarina (10-0). The final saw another comeback win for Amandinha against Boroughmuir (4-2), meaning that the leaders of the round robin cemented themselves as champions!

Overall, this tournament provided our student teams with the opportunity to play against different opponents and with different teammates. This also introduced youth football players to futsal in the hope to promote the sport nationally.

Watch the video below to hear more about the day…

Filming by YFS Media.

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Friday 11th February 2022

After a successful virtual conference in 2021, we are pleased to return to the first in-person conference since 2019. Find out more below and have your say in the design and delivery of this years event.

SSS are delighted to announce that the 2022 Conference will return to an in-person format and will be hosted by Fife College. The event will take place at the Carnegie Conference Centre on the Dunfermline Campus, on the 8th and 9th June 2022.

Hugh Hall, Principal of Fife College said ‘We are delighted to have been chosen as host of the Scottish Student Sport conference. Fife College and the FCSA are committed to transforming lives and creating positive futures for our students and we well understand the benefits of taking part in physical activity. The exciting sports facilities that will be a key part of our new Dunfermline campus, and working closely with SSS to deliver this event which shapes the future of student sport, demonstrate our shared commitment to our community’s well-being and making Fife College a recognised centre for excellence for physical activity and sport.’

The SSS Awards will take centre stage during the Conference, on the evening of 8th June. This will be an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the achievements of student sport over the 2021/22 academic year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kirsten Mullen, Sports and Events Coordinator at Fife College Students’ Association, said ‘We are really excited to host the 2022 Scottish Student Sport Conference and welcome the SSS network to Fife College. This is a great opportunity to encourage and inspire college participation in the student sports sector, and I look forward to working with SSS in the planning phase!’

SSS Conference will be an opportunity for the membership to come together and learn new ways of working, while catching up with old friends. Keynote speakers, panel discussions, breakouts and active sessions will all feature as the student sport community learn from the past to shape the future.

SSS wants to hear from YOU and understand what would make this years Conference the most impactful. Please take this short survey to have your say and influence the content and delivery of the 2022 event.

We are also pleased to announce that the 2023 event will take place at Queen Margaret University on 7th & 8th June 2023. Originally scheduled to host in 2020, QMU has active health and sustainability embedded in the design of the campus and will provide a fantastic location for next years event.

Edinburgh, Queen Margaret University - Master Studies Worldwide

If any of the SSS membership would be interested in hosting 2022 Festive Gathering, please contact Neil Rankin.

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Thursday 27th January 2022

In a great bit of transfer business during the January window, SSS’ latest signing is sure to make a big impact….

We are delighted to announce that after a brilliant bit of transfer window activity our new Centre Forward (Comms Coordinator) is preparing to make his SSS debut on February 2nd.

Cameron Wright came through strongly as our number one target and all in the team are eagerly looking forward to him ‘taking to the pitch’ next week.

Team captain Stew caught up with Cameron after his medical to get the lowdown on the latest addition to the SSS’ squad:

“Welcome Cameron! We are all excited to have you on board! What are you looking forward to most in working for SSS?

Hi all! I’m absolutely buzzing to get started and hopefully add something a little bit different to the SSS starting line-up. I’m most looking forward to meeting some of the SSS members and highlighting some of their exceptional achievements. I’m also really looking forward to jumping on the podcast.

Did you study in Scotland? Any particular allegiance to one of our member institutions that we ought to know about?

I did study in Scotland! I completed my undergraduate in Media and Communication at Glasgow Caledonian University, so it’ll certainly be a new experience spending more time in Edinburgh.

Do you have a favourite sport or activity? What else do you like to do in your spare time?

I love exercise and the outdoors, but I’m certainly a jack of all trades, master of none when it comes to sport. I’ve been a keen rock climber for years and spent time working as an instructor in the alps during my university summer breaks. I’m also really into road cycling, mountain biking, slacklining, and football (both ‘American’ and ‘soccer’). As you can see, I’ve got a lot of interests, I’ve got a life goal to pick up or try a new sport every year! Outside of sport I love painting, reading and photography when I can find the time.

What is your ideal holiday destination? (Assuming we let you have any time off 😉)

I’d have to say a climbing trip to Southern Spain is my favourite holiday so I’m hoping the gaffer will find some time in the offseason to let me get away.

This week’s HISA conference included an impassioned debate about the appropriateness of pineapple on pizza. Where do you stand on this important topic?

I’m all for pineapple on pizza but only on a thin crust with ham and mushrooms too.

What’s the most positive thing to come out of the Covid pandemic for you?

More quality time spent having conversations with my immediate family, particularly my grandparents who I’ve loved hanging out with (outside and socially distanced) a lot more!

What was the last gig you went to?

Lil Simmz at the O2 Academy in Glasgow. ‘Sometimes I might be introvert’ was my favourite album to come out last year so it was incredible to catch it performed live in a small venue.

What’s your favourite charity?

I think the work done by the Maggie’s Centres is invaluable and their caring, supportive environments provide a safe space for so many people affected by cancer.

People sometimes refer to the power of sport. What does that mean to you?

I think fundamentally sport brings people together, whether that’s in support of their local team, in working together to get a win or to achieve a personal or team goal, but for me the power of sport is in giving me the ability to look after my health and wellbeing, push myself as far out of my comfort zone as possible and spend quality time with my mates.

.. and finally….. You’ve kindly provided a photo for us. Care to give it a caption, or describe the day it was taken?

The photo I’ve provided is me climbing in Alicante, Spain, on Christmas Eve 2019. I’m dangling happily on the end of a rope after falling off a lovely sport climbing route. I did land on a rather spikey bush not long after and spent the rest of the day in A&E getting thorns removed but we won’t talk about that!

All members and partners are encouraged to give Cameron a warm welcome when he begins on Wednesday 2nd February. You can reach him via cameron@scottishstudentsport.com or at the end of our various social media channels.

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Wednesday 12th January 2022

In an announcement exclusively made during the first BiteSSSize Best Practice webinar of 2022, SSS committed to pursuing and advocating for the Active Travel agenda through the Way to Work Pledge.

The BiteSSSize Best Practice series began 2022 focussing on Active Travel, as a key component of SSS’ ambitious new approach to Active Health. Active Health is an important strand in SSS new strategy and education around active travel will feature more going forward.

Patrick Harvie MSP was joined by Robyn Warburton from Paths for All, alongside Kate Lesenger and Adam Kesby from Sustrans. A wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience was expertly guided through the conversation by SSS’ Megan Richardson who leads on our Active Health work.

The panel discussed existing projects in Scotland and other European cities; examples were shared of practical examples of small changes with big impacts; and there were discussions on how to influence behaviour change and advocate for greater investment in the area.

You can watch the full webinar HERE!

It was also announced that SSS has signed the Way to Work Pledge, committing to supporting active travel in our workplace and community. SSS joins organisations such as Queen Margaret University, South Lanarkshire College and multiple NHS trusts in placing active travel at the forefront of staff wellbeing and healthier communities.

SSS pledge to embed a culture and environment that encourages our staff, members, volunteers and partners to choose active and sustainable travel as their first choice where possible, and ensure sustainability remains at the forefront of our work. Make sure to look out for our pledge on the Way to Work Pledge Wall and we hope to see yours in the future.

 

 

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