In just over 150 days, the sporting world will gather in Glasgow as Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games. Although the Games will predominantly be at venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh, other venues will be used too, for example, the Barry Buddon Shooting Centre near Carnoustie will host all the shooting competitions. It is therefore not surprising that excitement is mounting across the country, especially for those people lucky enough to have tickets.

As a result, the Scottish Parliament recently debated the forthcoming Games - specifically what potential legacy we can expect the games to offer in a social, economic and cultural context as well as a sporting one. “Legacy” is not an easy word to define, and therefore it is not easily measured. We might be able, in the years ahead, to measure the increase in those participating in sport, a reduction in obesity or the additional value to tourism, but some of the other benefits will be less tangible.

One aspect which I have been pressing with both the Games Organising Committee and Scottish Minister is the need to give more Scottish pupils the opportunities for competitive sport, not fewer.

The opportunity to participate in competitive sport ought to be available to all pupils in all schools. For far too long, Scotland has had to put up with a view in some educational quarters that competitive sport is harmful because it breeds division between pupils. For example, there have been some schools which banned sports days because of the fear that some pupils would be put off sport for life because they end up on the losing side. I cannot think of anything that is more detrimental to the development of young people and their outlook on life.

Learning how to cope with winning and losing is an essential part of growing up and I am certain this will be a view which is unanimously shared by all our athletes who will be competing at Glasgow 2014. It is also a view shared by SportScotland who, at the recent meeting of the cross-party group on sport in Holyrood, made very clear just how important competitive sport must be in the context of a lasting legacy for Glasgow 2014.

Top class international performance, to which Scotland rightly aspires, depends largely on what happens in our schools since they are the main institutions which will be responsible for developing the right ethos in our young people. As a former teacher and someone who has coached young people both in cricket and other sports, the competitive opportunities – particularly fixtures against other schools and clubs – are an essential part of that process and they should be available to all young people whatever their background.

We all want to see the Commonwealth Games demonstrate the best of what Scotland has to offer. From our many talented sports men and women, to the potential which the games has to showcase and our world class hospitality and scenery. However, once the medals have been awarded and the games have ended, it is vital that many benefits accrue for all communities across Scotland. Restoring competitive sport to all Scottish schools will be an important legacy of the Commonwealth Games.

As an MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife I am always available to help local constituents with any problems and can be contacted on the following: Elizabeth Smith MSP, The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP Tel: 0131 348 5000 Email:elizabeth.smith.msp@scottish.parliament.uk