Ross and Cromarty hoping team building efforts will show when 2024 Highlands and Islands League season kicks off
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Ross and Cromarty are banking on a strong team ethic off the pitch leading to performances in 2024.
The North Kessock-based club are preparing for the start of the new Highlands and Islands League season, with a trip north to face Caithness first on the agenda.
A year after entering the division, Ross and Cromarty have a full season of experience under their belts this time around – although they will be taking a number of new faces into the 2024 campaign.
That is not something Lauren Fraser is particularly concerned about, though, as she feels the club's greatest strength is how they integrate players into the squad and set themselves up for success on the pitch.
"Everyone is getting really excited about the new season and we can't wait to get stuck in to this year," she explained.
"We've got a lot of new players that have come in over the winter, but we try to get out with all of our players and make sure that we get to know each other quickly through team outings and team building.
"Whether that's going to football games and watching, or just going to the pub together, we do a lot of activities to bring everyone together and get everyone knowing each other a bit better outside of football.
"It has really helped with our communication on the pitch – that has gotten a lot better. We're starting to understand one another's styles of play too, which is also really good.
"We had a friendly against Buckie recently, and it was amazing to see the communication on our team. Everyone got stuck in and gave it their all, and we came away with a better result than we were expecting."
Fraser did not set a specific goal for the 2024 season, but the division will be even more competitive after a new county rival joined the league in the form of Ross County.
While the Staggies will provide an unknown threat, every other team should be a familiar foe this year.
One thing that certainly will not change, though, will be Ross and Cromarty's approach to matches.
"I think the best way to go in is just to wait and see what happens," Fraser added.
"We're always excited to play new teams – it doesn't matter whether they're a rival or not to us. We're just excited to play whoever we come up against.
"There are always new players coming in and different coaches who change things, we just go into every game with a positive attitude to see what we can do."
Watch players from every Highlands and Islands League club say why football fans should support the division in 2024 below
