UKathletics nobble CIAC development plans

THE long-term development of the Channel Islands' most promising young track and field stars is being threatened by a new ruling from UKathletics. There was uproar at the annual meeting of the Southern Women's League last weekend when it was announced that UKathletics were enforcing a ban on using first-year under-17s in senior track competitions.

Andrew Winnie, the Channel Islands AC coach and driving force, said the ruling was bad news for his and other small clubs.

The ban on first-year under-17s, except female hurdlers, and from 2003 all under-17s with the exception of the girl hurdlers, is bad news for the likes of outstanding talents such as Mark Mercier, Erica Bodman and Jersey's Stephen Prosser.

'What am I going to do with them?' was the response of Winnie who witnessed club delegates walk out of the AGM in disgust and who is considering calling an EGM.

'UKathletics are making rule changes and not consulting anyone.

'From a development aspect, it's an absolute disaster.

Currently, it is common for competing clubs to use under-17s in senior events as well as the two designated under-17 women's events, the 80 metres hurdles and 300m hurdles.

The likes of Guernsey's Emma Batiste and Nathan Stevens and Jersey's nationally-ranked thrower Lauren Therin gained valuable experience at senior level last summer when CIAC gained promotion in both their respective Southern Leagues.

In 2003 Winnie had high hopes for the first-year under-17s such as Mercier, the best CI middle-distance talent since Lee Merrien, high jumper Bodman, already the top jumper in the Channel Islands, the versatile Stephanie Ozanne and Jersey's big sprint hope, Prosser.

At just 15 the latter is arguably the quickest 100m runner in the sister isle and will be a member of their Island Games team.

But it is the long-term future that particularly concerns Winnie.

'It won't have a dramatic effect on us this year, but it will next when we will have about 10 first-year under-17s coming through.'

Only four of the 64 clubs represented at the AGM at the Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow club, were in favour of the UKathletics edict, and Winnie is confident there will be sufficient support for an EGM.

'There are a lot of clubs saying they can't survive without under-17s,' said a sympathetic Winnie, who believes UKathletics want to force clubs into the Young Athletes League.

The problem, however, is that most existing clubs simply do not the have the resources to compete in the Young Athletes League.

CIAC probably do have the numbers to compete in the Young Athletes competition, but Winnie is reluctant to go down that road.

To be successful Young Athletes League teams require between 40 and 50 competitors to cover the mixed under-13, 15 and 17 age groups.

But because matches start at 9am and last entire Sundays, Winnie said it would be a logistical nightmare for the Channel Islanders and might even mean youngsters missing school on a Monday.

Winnie reckons the new ruling will hit the men's league particularly hard.

'A lot of the clubs are made up of under-17s - they will disband.'

'Everything is going straight down the road of the giant clubs.'

Meanwhile, CIAC have learned of their opposition for the forthcoming league programme.

The men compete in Division Four (West) and the women in Division Two.