16-06-2010, 12:14 PM
Dear Mr Halstead,
I am replying to the E mail the way forwarded to me in my capacity as the unpaid volunteer who organised the English Schools Track and Field Championships.
The ESAA T&F championships are organised for the 44 counties in England who enter teams. There is no system of qualifying standards for entry to the ESAA T&F as there are so many performance variables in terms of weather and facility standards. ESAA would not be able to cater for more than a certain number of participants because we cater for 97 different athletic event over the three age group [Junior/Intermediate and Senior - Boys and Girls]
Because of the different school population sizes the 44 counties are split into three broad groups which we label A, B & C.and depending on their size, depends on the number of entries that county can enter into the T&F. For example A Counties [13] can enter 60 athletes, B counties [16] can enter 35 and C counties [15] can enter 25. This therefore restricts to overall total to 1715 entries. The county numbers were reduced some time ago as the logistics were becoming unmanageable.
ESAA has NO input into the selection by each county. Although ESAA publish a list of National Standards [usually for the top 6-8 performances in an event] and Entry Standards these are only advisory. I would stress that they are not Qualifying standards. Each county will select their team on the basis of what they consider to be the athletes who will achieve the best performances for them relative to the other entrants from their county and the other 43 counties. This in itself is no easy task, especially when in track events qualification criteria to subsequent rounds can be severe.
The logistical problem I have is that a county could enter three athletes on any one event, but each athlete can enter only one event. Therefore there could be a possible entry of [3 x 44] i.e.132 in any one event. Of course this does not happen but the entry numbers vary between low 'teens' and upper '40's' The maximum number I have had to deal with is 84 entries in one track event. The actual timetable cannot be constructed until the actual entry numbers are known and then some field events will have to be time tabled in Pools and a Final and track events into a combination of heats, 2nd rounds, semi final and final.
You mentioned that in your E mail that 60 athletes had achieved the 'qualifying' standard. This is incorrect as there are no 'qualifying' standards. It is probably that 60 Entry Standard performances were achieved.
Berkshire are a 'B' county and can therefore only enter 35 athletes for the ESAA T&F. The Berkshire selection committee would therefore have to balance each athletes performance within the national perspective and select what they consider to be their strongest team on that basis. There are obviously more popular events in terms of the number of participants and therefore athletes who only just achieve an entry standard may be discounted within the overall national picture.
I can fully understand the concerns of individual athletes who feel that there performances justify selection and I am fully aware as an ex County Secretary what problems this can bring. I once had the situation [albeit some time ago] where 81 athletes achieved National Standard performances at my county championships and we could only select 70 athletes. Eleven of the athletes were totally dismayed at not being selected for the championships when they knew that if they had been competing in one of the neighbouring counties they would have been certain of selection.
In conclusion ESAA has no input or influence with any county selection but just provides the opportunity for 1715 to compete in a national championships.
Yours in athletics,
Laurie Alcock
ESAA Track and Field Secretary.
I am replying to the E mail the way forwarded to me in my capacity as the unpaid volunteer who organised the English Schools Track and Field Championships.
The ESAA T&F championships are organised for the 44 counties in England who enter teams. There is no system of qualifying standards for entry to the ESAA T&F as there are so many performance variables in terms of weather and facility standards. ESAA would not be able to cater for more than a certain number of participants because we cater for 97 different athletic event over the three age group [Junior/Intermediate and Senior - Boys and Girls]
Because of the different school population sizes the 44 counties are split into three broad groups which we label A, B & C.and depending on their size, depends on the number of entries that county can enter into the T&F. For example A Counties [13] can enter 60 athletes, B counties [16] can enter 35 and C counties [15] can enter 25. This therefore restricts to overall total to 1715 entries. The county numbers were reduced some time ago as the logistics were becoming unmanageable.
ESAA has NO input into the selection by each county. Although ESAA publish a list of National Standards [usually for the top 6-8 performances in an event] and Entry Standards these are only advisory. I would stress that they are not Qualifying standards. Each county will select their team on the basis of what they consider to be the athletes who will achieve the best performances for them relative to the other entrants from their county and the other 43 counties. This in itself is no easy task, especially when in track events qualification criteria to subsequent rounds can be severe.
The logistical problem I have is that a county could enter three athletes on any one event, but each athlete can enter only one event. Therefore there could be a possible entry of [3 x 44] i.e.132 in any one event. Of course this does not happen but the entry numbers vary between low 'teens' and upper '40's' The maximum number I have had to deal with is 84 entries in one track event. The actual timetable cannot be constructed until the actual entry numbers are known and then some field events will have to be time tabled in Pools and a Final and track events into a combination of heats, 2nd rounds, semi final and final.
You mentioned that in your E mail that 60 athletes had achieved the 'qualifying' standard. This is incorrect as there are no 'qualifying' standards. It is probably that 60 Entry Standard performances were achieved.
Berkshire are a 'B' county and can therefore only enter 35 athletes for the ESAA T&F. The Berkshire selection committee would therefore have to balance each athletes performance within the national perspective and select what they consider to be their strongest team on that basis. There are obviously more popular events in terms of the number of participants and therefore athletes who only just achieve an entry standard may be discounted within the overall national picture.
I can fully understand the concerns of individual athletes who feel that there performances justify selection and I am fully aware as an ex County Secretary what problems this can bring. I once had the situation [albeit some time ago] where 81 athletes achieved National Standard performances at my county championships and we could only select 70 athletes. Eleven of the athletes were totally dismayed at not being selected for the championships when they knew that if they had been competing in one of the neighbouring counties they would have been certain of selection.
In conclusion ESAA has no input or influence with any county selection but just provides the opportunity for 1715 to compete in a national championships.
Yours in athletics,
Laurie Alcock
ESAA Track and Field Secretary.