Our Community Youth Teams are an integral part of our community. Hundreds of volunteer players, coaches & family members give up their weeknights and weekends to come along and support our youth teams.

We spoke with Craig Cruickshanks, one of the coaches at our under 19s team who compete in the Scottish Premier AFA 19s League.

Tell us about yourself…

My name is Craig and I coach the under 19s at Stenhousemuir. I’ve been at the club since the early part of 2014, meaning in a few months I’ll have been here for a decade!

I started coaching the 1998s for half a season before joining up with the 1999 year group, where we had multiple successes. I enjoyed learning from the experienced coaches, such as Craig Wilson and Billy Brotton to name just a couple.

After spending 3 seasons with the 1999s it was decided I should lead my own team which is what I’ve done ever since with the 2005s. I’ve coached them since 2017 and thoroughly enjoyed trying to help progress the team, individually and collectively.

How is that going for you?

Last year saw us win our first trophy as a team, which had been a long time coming. I’ve won a few trophies whilst being at the club, but that one felt the best due to the amount of work and time we’ve put in over the years!

I have fond memories of all the teams I’ve coached over the years, but this group will always mean something special as I’ve helped develop them from a young age and been with them for so long.

Why do you enjoy coaching?

The reason I enjoy coaching so much is that I enjoy the challenge of ensuring our players develop first and foremost but also to play football in the right way. I enjoy coaching my teams to be attacking on the front foot as best we can. I think players enjoy playing that way and benefit from expressing themselves on the pitch.

Another big factor in why I enjoy coaching is seeing players develop and progress to a higher level. We’ve had some players train with the first team over the years, recently with our player Ryan Shearer who has spent a few weeks with the first team and played in a friendly match. I’d like to think I’ve helped him get to the level he is at and have aided his development in a positive way since joining the team.

The season is a success so far, as the team currently sit 6^th, out of 18 teams, in the league, and are fresh off of a 9-1 win last weekend. They were scheduled to visit Third Lanark AFC tomorrow; however, this match has fallen foul to the cold weather.

You can keep up to date with the teams’ progress by following their social media accounts. The team are also currently on the look-out for players to join their squad. If this is of interest to you, then contact any of their social media accounts.

Twitter | here

Facebook | here

Ochilview Park account | here