When Kenny McLean hit that shot from the halfway line in the 98th minute at Hampden to confirm Scotland’s place at the men’s World Cup for the first time in 28 years, the impact was so great that the British Geological Survey recorded seismic activity equivalent to a small earthquake in the Hampden area.
It was the ultimate example of how sport can do so much to energise a nation.
It’s going to be a special Summer of Sport in Scotland this year, with the World Cup taking place on the other side of the Atlantic and the Commonwealth Games returning to Glasgow.
We know these events will inspire so many across the length and breadth of the country and it is a great opportunity for us to capitalise on the excitement.
The benefits of sport are undisputed – taking part helps keep people active, enhances wellbeing, develops knowledge and skills and strengthens communities.
Most importantly of all, sport can help change lives. The Scottish Health Survey shows 62% of adults meet the recommended physical activity levels, with 59% of children doing so (excluding school activity) – still lots of room for improvement.
We are also only too aware that the Scottish Health Survey also shows around one in four people in Scotland experience poor mental health in any given year.
Countless studies have shown that being active plays a major role in helping to prevent disease and reducing the risk of poor mental health, as well as treating it. Playing sports also helps develop confidence in both the young and old, provides opportunities for people to connect with others, can combat loneliness and help build community cohesion.
That is why we very much welcomed the additional £40 million announced in the Scottish Government’s Budget on Tuesday, which will provide some much-needed investment into the Scottish sporting system.
The investment around the Summer of Sport will help us work with local authorities, leisure trusts and others to put on free events designed to provide as wide access as possible to different activities and capitalise on the motivation sparked by the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
There is a financial commitment to help every child in Scotland learn basic swimming skills at school, allowing us to remove the lottery of who receives this benefit and move us towards universal provision. And also, a commitment to help clubs, communities and their volunteers who make such a huge contribution to our society.
No-one is pretending that the picture is perfect. We are acutely aware, for example, that our local partners, particularly those in local government, continue to face significant financial challenges in the months and years ahead. Collaboration is central to our success and it is crucial we continue to work closely with all our partners to achieve the results we all want to see.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt this is a particularly exciting time to be involved in sport in Scotland. We may all be dreaming of curler Bruce Mouat winning Milan Cortina Winter Olympics gold next month or Eilish McColgan leading the way down the home straight at Scotstoun Stadium this summer – but the biggest success of all will be that we manage to create a healthier nation on the back of it.
