The provisional date for the 2008 Star:track week is Monday 11th August to Friday 15th August. The maximum number of young athletes, members and non members of Tamworth AC, that can sign up for the week will be set at 70.

No more details are available at present.

Sign up now for the UKA Level 2 core coaching course to be held at Tamworth AC's home track at the town Stadium on 23/24 February.

The cost is £140 for Level 2 and is open to those who already have their level 1 qualification and who are 18 and have some experience of assisting with coaching of athletics

Anyone wishing to apply should download an application form from the UKA website and send the completed form to Zena Weeks, England Athletics, Regional West Midlands Office,Alexander Stadium, Walsall Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham, B42 2LR.

Some funding is available for the UKA Level 2 through the club for club members who wish to commit to coaching at TAC. External funding is also available for Level 3 & 4 courses for club members who are already committed club coaches at Tamworth AC. Please contact Andy Day, Coaching Coordinator, Amy Frith Coach Education Coordinator or Chris, Club Secretary at tamworthac@aol.com or on 01827 287177.

Tamworth Ac star Meghan Beesley claimed a gold medal at the England Athletics Combined Events Open Indoor Championships at EIS Sheffield.

Beesley (pictured right) won the Junior Women's title, setting a Championship best of 3908 points which moves her up to fourth in the UK all-time list.

She ran the 60m hurdles in 8.71secs, cleared 1.59m in the high jump, threw the shot 9.96m, leapt 5.96m in the long jump and ran the 800m in 2:17.88mins.

However, she only secured the gold medal after a great tussle with Amy Hill from Sheffield AC.

Hill led by ten points going into the 800m.

In the end, Hill's total of 3814 points placed her ninth on the all-time list.

Club Road and XC Championship Fixtures 2008/09

Sunday April 20^th – Rosliston Forestry Run 5.35 miles

Sunday April 27^th – Uttoxeter ½ Marathon

Sunday May 4^th – Tamworth 10k

Sunday May 25^th – Burton 10 mile

Tuesday 24^th June – Midsummer’s 10k

Sunday June 27^th – Gate gallop 7 mile

Either 1^st or 8^th July Worthington 5 mile (date TBC)

Friday July 18^th – Washlands Relays 3 mile legs

Sunday August 31^st - Belvedere 10k

Oct/Nov – Senneleys Park Birmingham XC (date TBC)

Dec – Second Birmingham XC (Date & Venue TBC)

Jan – Third Birmingham XC (Date & Venue TBC)

Feb – Fourth Birmingham XC (Date & Venue TBC)

Here is advance information for the following league. Contact Tom Orton , team manager, at sharon.tom@tamworthac.co.uk

Burton Road League Fixtures 2008

Sunday April 20^th – Rosliston Forestry Run 5.35 miles

Sunday April 27^th – Uttoxeter ½ Marathon

Sunday May 25^th – Burton 10 mile

Tuesday 24^th June – Midsummer’s 10k

Either 1^st or 8^th July Worthington 5 mile (date TBC)

Friday July 18^th – Washlands Relays 3 mile legs

Sunday August 31^st - Belvedere 10k

There will be no Induction for new athletes on Thursday
7th February but Peter Flemming will be back on Tuesday 12th February at 7pm in the clubhouse.

These are exciting times for Cross Country at TAC. This is the first time for many years that the club has the opportunity to finish in a high, very possibly medal position in the Under 13 and Under 15 Boys category.

It's important for individuals, the teams and the club that all athletes who are fit should make every effort to take part in this special 2008 competition.

The WMYACCL meeting at Weddington, Nuneaton has been cancelled due to flooding of the course and car park after the river burst its bank. More rain is forecast.

SPONSORSHIP

Tamworth AC’s middle distance runner John Jenkins is switching to a new sport in aid of the Tamworth AC Indoor Facility Project when he will be taking part in a bungy-jump from the Middlesbrough Transport Bridge in the spring of this year.

John who has already raised nearly £200, mainly from his work colleagues, is looking for sponsors from the club and maybe someone who might be willing to match his £200! Sponsorship forms will be available from registration. More details coming soon.

Tamworth Athletic Club

Headquarters & Track    -    The Sports Stadium, Marlborough Way, Tamworth, B77 2HA

 Telephone 01827 260897        Email tamworthac@aol.com       Website tamworthac.co.uk

SPORT ENGLAND CLUBMARK ACCREDITED            CASC No: 00986           VAT No: 584-9758-67

CALLING ALL ATHLETES

Injury Prevention Screening

Would you like to reduce your risk of being injured?

If yes, then read on!!!

Recent research by Mobilis Performance has highlighted a number of common bio-mechanical factors that relate to incidents of injury. Mobilis Performance have translated this research into courses aimed at giving coaches the ability to test athletes for these common problems and prescribe simple exercises to deal with them.

Two of our UKA qualified coaches, Matthew Hargreaves and Fiona Meldrum, have recently undertaken this training and the Club is pleased to be able to offer athletes aged 15 the opportunity to be tested.

The tests cover the following:

• Pelvic function
• Neural function
• Muscle spasm
• Spinal flexibility/function

Testing takes approximately half an hour, after which each athlete will be taught a tailored programme of exercises to deal with their particular needs. They will also receive a booklet detailing the exercises they have been taught.

As the testing is done on an individual basis, tests will be undertaken on an appointment basis, with a maximum of 14 appointments being available. Details of how to book a test are given below.

TAMWORTH ATHLETIC CLUB   PARENTAL PERMISSION FORM  

INJURY PREVENTION SCREENING

NAME…………………………………………………………….. 

D O B ………………………………………………………………..

CONTACT NUMBER………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

EMAIL ADDRESS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I give permission for my son/daughter ………………………………. to take part in the injury prevention screening programme at Tamworth AC on Saturday 26^th January 2008.

I will/ will not be attending. (Please circle)

Signed ………………………………………………………………………………….

Tamworth AC’s young fell running star Kristian Edwards is making the headlines once again as he claimed yet another title to add to his collection in his favourite sport of athletics.

Following an excellent season Edwards took the overall championship title for the Under 12 age group in the English Fell Running Association Championships beating off his main rival James Knox from Helm Hill, Kendal.

This was a surprise result for the other competitors as winners traditionally hail from the north of England which is generally associated with hillier and more challenging courses with many clubs dedicated solely to fell running.

To win the competition overall with an aggregate score Edwards won The Wrekin Hill, Shropshire, the Pendle Hill, Lancashire and races in Sedbergh, Yorkshire and Hayfield, Derbyshire. Not content with his success in Hayfield on the Saturday, Edwards was in action again on the following day at the traditional opener to the cross country season at Uttoxeter where he convincingly won the Under 13 race.

Fell running is a discipline that requires high concentration, dedication and determination in order to overcome the difficult terrain. The right training environment is also essential and Edwards, who is coached by Roger Edwards and John Graves, manages to combine a mixture of speed work on the track and hills at the Marlborough Way stadium with hill work in Hopwas Woods. Though a good general training area, Hopwas Woods does not entirely emulate the steepness and height of the hills ‘up north’, the steep climbs and descents, the scree surfaces, the streams to cross or the stiles to scramble over! It is a measure of Edwards’ talent that enables him to put all his training to good use against fell runners used to ideal fell running training conditions all year round.

 A trip to Ilkley Moor was next on the agenda for Edwards as he pursued his dream of winning the English Junior Uphill Championships. Despite bad weather warnings for the area the weather held good throughout the race and the spectators enjoyed some brilliant competitive racing not least from the Tamworth runners Edwards, who took the title with first place in the Under 12’s and Richard Mahoney with 7^th place in the Under 14’s.

As part of his successful season, the competitive Edwards took the West Midlands cross country championship title in the Under 13’s age group.

For information on fell and  cross country running for junior and senior athletes please contact Chris on 01827 287177/ 260897, email tamworthac@aol.com or visit the club website at tamworthac.co.uk

Volunteers Party

which is on Friday 15 February 2008

in the TAC Clubhouse from 7.30pm

BOOK THIS DATE IN YOUR DIARY NOW AND

WE’LL SEE YOU THERE

Food, Bar & Live Entertainment

You should have received your invitation by now, but if not contact the email address below.

Please reply asap with the number attending 

so food etc can be booked

Contact Chris or Linda at tamworthac@aol.com

Nine Tamworth AC athletes have been placed in the top 30 of their events in the Power of 10 United Kingdom rankings, from under 13 to under 20 age groups, for 2007.

Tamworth’s Meghan Beesley who after another outstanding season in the under 20 age category is ranked nationally in no less than 10 events.

The talented athlete, who has been a member of Tamworth AC since June 2000 is ranked nationally in second position for the 400m hurdles, following her decisive win at the U20 England Athletics Championships in Bedford with a time of 57.33 and in the challenging Heptathlon ,the 7 events being the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot putt, 200m, long jump. javelin and 800m, with a score of 5271.

Beesley next appears as 3^rd in the national rankings for the 400m in 54.79, 4^th in both the 100m hurdles ,13.95 set in Grangemouth and the 60m hurdles in 8.83 in the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield.

The athletic all rounder recorded two 5th^, two 7th and one 10th place in the UK rankings. First 5^th place was when she won the 100m sprint in 11.64, set at her home track at the annual Tamworth Open Meeting in August and the second for the Pentathlon event covering the 100m, long jump, shot, high jump and 400m set in Sheffield where she scored 3604 points.

Beesley is ranked in seventh place for the 200m, 24.11 and in the long jump, 5.87, and finally in 10^th place against athletes from all over the UK in the 60m indoors in a time of 7.64.

In the Under 20 men’s category another Tamworth AC super talent is Nathan Woodward who inspite of a season interrupted by injury , is ranked nationally as 2^nd in his favoured event of the 400m hurdles with his best time of  51.50 set at Loughborough.

Woodward who competed in the UK Championships and World Trials,  the European Championships as well as competitions in Holland and Greece during 2007 is also ranked 8^th in the 400m with a time of 48.10 achieved at the Bedford International Stadium and 26^th in the 110m hurdles.

The Power of 10 scheme launched in July 2006, is aimed at raising athletics standards in the UK all the way from clubs to the Olympic Games.

It is a statistical step-ladder devised to inspire athletes – seniors, Under 20’s, Under 17’s,Under 15’s and Under 13’s – to move through club, regional and national levels to international standards.

Under 15’s High jumper Jordan Roach is keeping his eye on the Power of 10 rankings as he has already achieved and surpassed the UK Target for high jump of 1.81 for his age group , with his record of 1.85 set at a competition at the Marlborough Way Stadium in July. Roach, who is ranked 4^th nationally, is currently working on a new run up ready for the next season.

However it isn’t just the younger athletes who appear on the national rankings. Tamworth AC’s senior ranks and the Under 20’s offer up some more athletic gems as well.

Race walking star Mark Williams set records for the 10K where he was ranked 2^nd overall with a time of 44:12 and for the 20K, 1:36:17, where he ranked 5^th five places up on his record for 2006. The Power of 10 records results for all his 29 performances in 3K,5k, 10K, 20K and 30K competitions during 2007 where remarkably Williams won 18 of the 29 competitions and was never less than 4^th in  competitions held all over the UK and one in Switzerland.

Under 20’s Field eventers Brett Byrd and Alex Berrow once again showed their throwing abilities. Byrd recorded a UK 3^rd place in the javelin with a throw of 63.21 in Merksem, Belguim his previous pb for 2006 being 58.24. Berrow meanwhile set his hammer record of 55.47 at the All England Schools competition in Birmingham putting him into 17^th place in the UK rankings for this event, one position up on 2006.

Loughborough University student Tom Burton appears twice in the Under 20's UK Rankings for 2007 with his 12th placing in the 400mH in a time of 54.33 which was secured at the National Finals of the National Junior League in Derby and with 25th place for the indoor 60mhurdles with a time of 8.59.

Cross country and middle distance runner Stephen Parkes is ranked nationally for the first time in the Under 15’s 1500m event at 12^th place following his performance at the All England Schools Championships in Birmingham in July 2007. His time was 4:16.38 and his UK Target is 4:14.0. Parkes' training partner, Luke Roughley, also appears in the Under 15's rankings for the first time. His 800m result, 2:06.0, at Tamworth Stadium in July puts him in 29th place for his best event.

The ninth Tamworth AC athlete in the Power of 10 UK Rankings for 2007 is Lichfield based Tom Adams. Adams, who is maintaining his training whilst away at university, is ranked in 22^nd place for the Under 20’s 2K steeplechase in a time of 6:13.2,  a placing which could have been even higher but for an unfortunate sporting accident that brought his season to an unwelcome halt.

The Power of 10 regional rankings for the West Midlands which include even more Tamworth AC athletes will be available soon.

For information on training and competition at Tamworth AC please contact Chris on 01827 287177 / 260897, email tamworthac@aol.com or visit the website for further details at tamworthac.co.uk