Scottish Sporting Triumph - SPACE Success!

The first phrase may be one we don’t see too often, but the second is one we are all accustomed to seeing, hearing, and even passing onto friends. 

In Luxembourg last month, both of these came true in the form of the Scottish Mens Scottish Volleyball Team triumphing in the Novotel Cup. 

This blog essentially has SPACE Physio Kenny Watt reflecting on a short but successful campaign. You may also read about it on the Scottish Volleyball Association website here:

Scottish Volleyball Association report or in the Edinburgh Evening News here: Evening News article.

"The Cup is a 4 team invitational competition established for women in 1987 and men in 2005. The Scottish men first competed in 2005 (3^rd), then as GB in 2008 and 2009 finishing 4^th and 3^rd respectively. In 2010 and 2011 competing as an “independent” Scotland again we finished 4^th and 3^rd with 2011 being my first attendance with the team. In there were some good performances but what shows is a slightly disappointing history of results. Being a small nation (with a football obsession and a history of chronic underfunding of more minority sports) volleyball is not played by a large number of people unlike on mainland Europe where it is has some of the highest participation numbers of any team sport. Taking this into consideration we still produce a number of very good players, a few of who now play professionally abroad, as well some individuals in the GB programme pushing towards London this summer. Our international calendar on top of the Novotel Cup consists of a qualifying competition for the European Small Nations championships then hopefully, all going well, the Championships themselves later in the year. I have been involved with the team as physio for two years, and in that time, as always when working with teams, there are highs and lows but unquestionably winning the Novotel Cup last week has to be the one of the National team’s highest highs.

 Armed with a huge hotel room, the physio clinic was setup, with the equipment beautifully laid out along the windowsill, the plinth raised in the middle of the room and the laptop gracing the players and I with what many of you will know from being in SPACE when my ipod is plugged in, fabulous music. At times the clinic consisted of one player on the plinth being treated, two lying on the bed with Dry needles protruding from them and another using the foam roller in preparation for his treatment next. Here I have to say that without the learning experience I have had at SPACE over the last 6 months under the tutelage of Stephen, these different combinations of treatments dragged from an ever expanding “toolbox” of skills, would not have been possible, so any success has to be largely attributed to them.

The competition this year consisted of Luxembourg, England, Denmark and ourselves in a round robin competition. We began with a resounding 3-0 win over Denmark, then narrowly lost 3-2 to the hosts before beating the auld enemy 3-2 in our final game. This left us needing Denmark to beat Luxembourg in the penultimate game; any other result would give the hosts the trophy.  Sure enough the Danes brought home the bacon and the stands were deathly silent expect for our section filled with the boys, the Scotland Women’s team and the coaches going absolutely nuts. 

The awards ceremony was a little of a blur except for the moment when you all stand arm in arm singing the national anthem towards a spot lit Saltire, trophy in hand. And the trophy was to go in hand as in the post celebration team huddle I was awarded the trophy and told that if it hadn’t been for my work half the team would not have been able to stay fit throughout the three days. To say it was one of my proudest physio moments would be an understatement. 

So the first ever Novotel Cup won by a Scottish team now sits proudly in my flat, but will soon find its way to SPACE where it probably belongs: a symbol of Scottish and SPACE success."