With private sector 2012 funding £79 million below target,
UK Sport will decide tomorrow where cuts will be. UKA has wasted huge sums. Jim
Cowan highlights costly deficiencies in Government’s policies which have
blighted the development of athletics.
An expert’s report from the “coalface”.
What has ARC done for you?
Here is their report on the first 18 months of operation. And
impressive reading it makes.
As the economy plummets so too does the interest in school
athletics. Some disturbing recent surveys are reviewed here.
Read our comments.
England Athletics have announced
a major restructuring involving scrapping the 9 Regions. ABAC cautiously
welcomes this initiative.
Read the details and our comments.
Charles Gaines has provided us with his views on planning the
future for athletics based on historical evidence and analysis.
Read his views on our P10 analysis.
We now have the last three years of performance statistics
from UKA’s
Power of Ten initiative. Can these provide a clue to what we may expect from our
athletes in 2012?
Read our analysis on athlete retention.
The poor performance by GB athletes in Beijing should result in a root and
branch review of our sport. Jim Cowan, the well known sports consultant and ABAC
officer
gives his analysis of problems past and present.
When Mike Winch joined
the main ABAC committee he set in motion plans to give coaches more say in the
future development of their talents. These plans are now to be put into practice
through ABAC.
Read on.
How will the looming economic turndown affect sport? A recent
Daily Telegraph editorial gives the clue.
Read some extracts.
On the 8th July ABAC officers had a
constructive meeting with England Athletics managers led by new CEO Mike
Summers.
Here are the agreed minutes of that meeting.
In the last fortnight we have seen two articles dealing with the coaching of athletics. Somehow it is difficult to reconcile the two themes. On the one hand Tony Ward highlights the current problems while the England Athletics AGM report is bullish. We reproduce them here. Draw your own conclusions.Sport England has just published its new 4 year plan. The new
targets mean that England Athletics have the opportunity to change direction and
create new initiatives. We asked Charles Gains, a critic of England
Athletics, to
comment on their latest Progress Report.
A low turnout at the SEAA EGM confirms the growing apathy of clubs as
the new SEAA constitution is approved. Read on.
Some England Athletic’s regions plan to change Territorial allegiance. As
the Western Regions align with Midland Territory the SEAA announce new changes
following yesterdays EGM.
Read their Press release.
SEAA Ltd is calling an EGM to gain approval for major operating changes. We have
seen the draft proposals and conclude clubs will be emasculated.
Read on.
The AAA’s AGM takes place in Birmingham on the 16th March 2008. We
look at both theirs and England Athletics Annual Accounts for 2006/2007 and
report here.
With still one year of his appointment remaining UKA Vice President Mike Winch
has resigned. Mike is joining the Management
Committee of ABAC with immediate effect. An announcement will be made
soon on re-structuring of responsibilities within ABAC. In the meantime
read Mike’s reasons for resigning from UKA Ltd which are published in
this week’s Athletics Weekly.
At a recent, sparsely attended,
half yearly meeting of BAL, clubs voted 11 to 4 in favour of an extra Division.
Here is the BAL press release.
Competition from ARC has forced the Road Running Leadership Group (RRLG) to
modify its proposed charges on the sport. Even so Scottish Athletics appears to
have decided to withdraw support for RRLG.
Is this the start of the end for them?
Following initiatives which have
already had an effect on road running in the UK (ARC) ABAC officers have
conducted a number of studies on the possible development of athletic clubs as
well as looking at possible enhancements to track and field senior competition.
The first of a series of discussion papers starts here.
One of the criticisms of the
Buckner led Athletics Competition review was that clubs were not properly
consulted. So ABAC wrote to 250 clubs to get the facts.
Here is the report which ABAC sent to UKA last week.
While success in sport declines in the UK the
Government announces new initiatives to inspire sport overseas.
Good idea or just a politician’s dream? Read on.
Once again ABAC takes the lead in promoting
clubs. The Minister for
Sport has thanked ABAC for its October Petition and confirms Government’s future
commitment to clubs. Read Gerry
Sutcliffe’s letter.
ABAC has circulated a questionnaire to all those Track and Field clubs
involved with "Age Group" competition. A high percentage have replied and their
comments are being analysed. In the meantime read a detailed commentary from
Lincolnshire athletics.
More news from Sport England on their change of direction. Read
our views and
the letter sent by CEO to Sport England External Partners.
ABAC pressure begins to pay.
Following this week’s announcement of swinging staff cuts at UKA Ltd the
Chairman of Sport England is forced to resign.
Read more on Govt plans to re-direct Sport England.
Yesterday Neils de
Vos announced up to 40 job losses at the headquarters of UKA Ltd. We are now
able to put into the public domain the agreed minutes of the ABAC meeting with
NdV held on 7th November.
Read on.
As
the debate on competition heats up Dr Philip Thomas writes to NoEAA about
Regional involvement. Read his contribution.
Here is
the updated ABAC second year report as presented to the recent AGM
The London Olympics are becoming "a gravy train for pen
pushers".
More revelations from the Sunday Telegraph. Surprised? Read on.
From The Sunday Telegraph. Nov 4
2007 by Robert Watts and Ben Leach
Sports Administrators to move targets?
Another gem from David Bond in today’s Daily Telegraph (Oct 25 2007)
