Athletics Weekly

This is a very worrying development but not at all surprising I'm afraid. The steep rise in area and national entry fees over the last few years suggested that this was the way things were going. I, like Hank, am especially worried about the young athletes. A £10 hike for next year is massive and wi...

Probables Idowu - gold Womens 4X4 - silver Sotherton - bronze Possibles Rooney Okoro Baddeley Sayers Rutherford Mens 4X1 Mason/Bernard Sanders Douglas Radcliffe (if fit) I reckon 2 of the 11 above possibles will come up (no idea which!!) so a total of 5. Probably a max of just one gold though.

Benny I am not a UKA 'flag waver'. Far from it. I'm just pointing out that Montell Douglas has performed to a similar standard in her last two races. Since a lot of people said 'lets see what she does at Crystal Palace' and then 'told you so' after her seemingly poor performance, I felt it needed ch...

The difference in Montell's last 2 performances is actually not that great. 11.05 with the perfect +2 wind is worth about 11.20. At Crystal Palace she ran 11.27 into a minor headwind and is therefore worth about 11.24. 4 hundredths is not a major difference and can be explained by the very different...

I have voted no to Dwain being allowed to go to the Olympics. A significant part of me is attracted to the fact that he will probably make the final and would enhance our relay team but at the end of the day it just ain't right. Some argue that he has served his time, has apologised and should be al...

The English Schools returns to Sheffield next year and Birmingham the year after. The venue does not make much difference as far as the treatment of the discus and hammer throwers I'm afraid. They will almost certainly be held outside the main arena at both venues. Hopefully it won't be as cold, win...

Thornhill. Being top or bottom of an age group is not particularly important to me as a coach but very important to young athletes. They are the key people in this debate so yes being top or bottom is very important. Losing out on the top year of an age group will have a huge impact on the enjoyment...

Thornhill - You focus on the one minor benefit. To achieve this minor benefit that affects the elite end of young athlete competition only, the following would have to happen - 1) 2 year groups would be sacrificed to spending consecutive years as first years in their age groups. eg first year U15s w...

Lsabre. Please stick to the results threads. Your child like enthusiasm works quite well on there and I like many others appreciate your work. However, please butt out of threads like these. People are trying to have a high level discussion on extremely complex issues and your silly name calling jus...

I've known Harry AA since he was 12 years old. He has always had an hugely impressive physique. The girls in the Surrey Schools squad were always wanting him to flex! Some of the boys too!! He is also a remarkably nice, genuine young man, so lets leave him out of this debate. As for Dwain Chambers m...

It shows it is safe for experienced hurdlers at U18 level to do, although they would probably rather not have to. Younger athletes are a different matter. Geoff's point is an interesting one. I remember Serita Soloman (massively talented hurdler who has been really unlucky with serious injury) decid...

Sorry I meant exception point 1, not 2! In a rush to leave work!

All your examples are from my exception point 2 and were undertaken as preparation for, or competition in championships at U18 level (I think?!) So the statement about all age groups is totally incorrect. A more pertinent point is would they rather have not had to change? I strongly suspect that the...

Fangio - You will not be able to find any young athlete (U17 or younger) who had to regularly adjust to different heights and/or spacings during the same season because - 1) They are rarely allowed to run out of age group. 2) There has, up till now, been no age group confusion of the kind I've ident...

You have found a small number at the older end of the age groups. The changes will require ALL young athletes, most nowhere near the class of your examples, to deal with it. Could be carnage!

I've heard the ladies prefer the greying coach these days!

Fangio - a final, final riposte! Just to clarify my hurdles point. I know Jackson, Jarrett etc hurdled through the age groups. What they did not have to deal with though was different specifications in the same season. The potential problem of the age group change is that young hurdlers may be force...

Fangio, a final riposte! I thought I clearly explained why I came to the conclusion that the majority were against the age group changes. If you check my previous post I said "I will, as briefly as possible out line why I have come to the conclusion that the majority are against age group chang...

Fangio. Your post to me of 8.30 today made some interesting points. However, I was a little disappointed by the tone. Did you really need to refer to my attitude as "disgusting" and "shocking"? Did you really need to make snide comments such as "do your hurdlers run with the...

Fangio You make some interesting points but your pro change view is not supported by the vast majority of the athletes, coaches and team managers who deal with young athletes on a regular basis. A dual system for young athletes would be confusing for all, detrimental to technique for throwers and bl...

Biggut. I don't know how old you are but education has fundamentally changed in the last 10 years. The days when you could do very little and then cram it all at the end and get away with it have long gone. More's the pity because it was certainly my preferred technique!! The argument about exam yea...

Lsabre. By 2 year groups I mean lower year U15s and lower year U17s. Two lots of athletes. I accept that the organisational problem will only last for one season, although the impact on the thousands of young athletes who lose out to address the problem may be much longer term. Jobo. I would be inte...

Fangio. That would avoid the unfortunate discrimination against the lower year U15s and U17s. Biggut suggested something similar earlier on. The problem will of course be getting everybody on board! It will also mean adding two extra sets of competitions(boys and girls) at the county, regional and n...

OK, so it seems a few people are in favour of the age group changes! Still to be convinced though that the benefits will be so dramatic that 2 years worth of young athletes can be discriminated against. Just doesn't seem right. Still if age group change is to happen surely it must be uniform. It wou...

MarkC. My initial post on this age groups topic stated that I had no major problems with much of the competition review. However, I was concerned that Zara Hyde Peters was of the opinion that nearly everybody was in favour of the age group changes. I had just attended the London Regional awards cere...

Biggut, I do agree that the age group changes would on balance be better in terms of school. However, the benefit is nowhere near as great as it seems. Top year U18s will be doing their AS exams AND still be in school until late July. (Government requires them to return and begin their A2s before th...

No mention in the disadvantages section of the impact on the 2 years that lose out by being at the bottem of the age group for 2 consecutive years. Perhaps they did not realise?! I also take issue with advantages 1 and 3. On point 1, is U14 and U16 easier to understand than U15 and U17? On point 3, ...

Lsabre, the key is that, as you rightly stated, any change will adversely affect thousands of young athletes short term in two year groups. So is the change worth it? I think not. The Young Athletes League continues to thrive, the English Schools is a beacon for our sport amongst all the negative he...

Lsabre, I accept the point regarding the different physical ages of young athletes. A good big un does generally have the edge over a good little un! However, that does not change the fundamental issue that changing the age groups will discriminate unreasonably against a large number of 13 and 15 ye...

Scrutiny of the National Young Athletes League website suggests that whilst they are considering some fundamental structural changes in line with the competition review, they have no intention of changing the age groups. It does not seem to be on the agenda at all! Surely if the 'bread and butter' c...

That might be a decent compromise if the various organisations would go for it. Have the ESAA indicated whether they will adhere to the proposed structure? And if so when? Can't see it happening for 2008!