Kelly Boyle chose netball over football while at high school, and is delighted that she did, after being selected for Scotland at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.
The 26-year-old from Coatbridge is in Tamsin Greenway’s 12-strong squad for the Games in Birmingham, alongside several of her Strathclyde Sirens teammates.
The Thistles are in Group A alongside Australia, Jamaica, South Africa, Wales and Barbados, with the first game against the Aussies on Saturday, July 30.
Boyle says she has come a long way in her career to get to that point, but it was a situation in first year at St Andrew’s High that pushed her in this direction.
“I started off in first year at high school,” she explained.
“My first sport was badminton, before I picked netball. I know some of the girls had started earlier, and I could have been classed as being a later starter.
“I played badminton just at school level, that way where you get fired into different clubs, and that was one I was good at, at the time.
“I loved sports, and any opportunity to get out of class I was taking it!
“I can remember back then it was netball, football and badminton.
“I had an away game, and netball and football had clashed, so from that moment I picked netball and I have stuck with it since.
“I knew I had to make the decision, and would it be one of those other sports or netball.
“I’ve not done badly from it, and in hindsight I definitely made the right decision!”
Boyle qualified for the 2019 World Cup with Thistles, but this is her first Commonwealth Games, and she’s excited about playing at another huge tournament.
She said: “It has been a while to be in the Thistles dress, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“This is my first time experiencing the Commonwealth Games, although I have previously been at a World Cup.
“Now that it’s less than 50 days to go, it’s a countdown and you’re just ticking off the days.
“It’s going to be an experience to remember.
“I suppose the target is just to embrace it, because I know sometimes it’s relishing the moment, but it will go by in the blink of an eye, so it’s just making sure I actually soak up the full experience with the girls and be proud of it.”
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