ENGLISH SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

We received this email today concerning English Schools National Championships.....
To all running clubs,
As Secretary of DCSAA I am contacting you to update the clubs on the current position of Athletics in schools.
The Covid restrictions have had a major impact on sport within the Secondary Schools Curriculum and many schools are struggling to identify talented students..
The restrictions will have a knock on effect with all nine schools Areas within Durham and I cannot see that there will be many Area Athletics Championships, if any, this year. This will obviously mean that the normal County Championships and Northern Inter County Event will not go ahead in June.
The ESAA have made the decision that a modified National Championships at Manchester will go ahead in July.
Senior Events will take place on the Friday, Intermediate Events on the Saturday and Junior Events on the Sunday. The ESAA are not providing any accommodation so transport and accommodation issues will have to be addressed. All events will be restricted to the best 16, possibly 12 for field Events, competitors. The selection of the competitors will be made from the entries made by the County Associations, with only those with the best Times /Heights//Distances, ratified by the Power of 10, going to the Championships
This raises the question of how the County selects any athlete for consideration as there will be no local schools competitions. Durham and Northumberland are hoping to hold an open meeting at Gateshead on the Inter County date to give athletes an opportunity to achieve the necessary entry standard. These standards can be found on the County website. There will probably be a minimum requirement for any athlete who wants to take part of having achieved the Area Standard in their event and athletes will probably be restricted to one event only. If Athletes have achieved a standard in a recognised event, officiated by qualified judges, then they can send the information by the following route.
If you have any athletes who would like to be considered for selection to the Durham Team please ask them to initially contact their PE teachers so that they can forward information to Area Secretaries and then on to me . As a last resort they can contact me directly .My details are on the website.
The County Schools Committee will update all information on the website as soon as we can so that our athletes can make the most of the opportunities that they can.
Please inform your Schools Athletes
Best wishes and stay safe
Mike Howard
Hon. Sec.
Durham County Schools Athletics Association"

So, if we have any athletes who would like to be considered for selection to the Durham team, they must initially contact their PE teachers so that they can forward information to Area Secretaries and then on to Mike Howard. As a last resort they can contact him directly (his details are on the DCSAA website).

NECAA had given the date for County Schools Championships as 12th June, Intercounties as the 19th June, and the national Championships as 9th/10th/11th July.

English Schools Championships.