The Sussex under-13 league final is always one of the most enjoyable and well-supported matches held during the season and this year's event at Withdean Stadium was no exception.

The youngsters gave their all but it was a little unfortunate that our national obsession with football meant several, who spend their winter months playing in junior soccer leagues, had to choose between letting their football team down or their club.

This is the one event of the season where at the end of the events the competitors march past in their teams before the final presentations and this part is particularly enjoyed by doting parents and grandparents.

Form tends to change almost weekly at this age and of the 20 individual county titles that were decided in June just six reigning champions got the better of the encounters at Withdean Stadium.

Brighton and Hove sprinter Laura Hitchman repeated her sprint victories from June while Crawley's Darren Tremble in the 600m, Vicki Burling in the 70m hurdles and Oliver Crawshaw in the 75m hurdles all won their events.

Worthing's Vicki Perkins repeated her victory in the shot putt but was squeezed into third place in the high jump despite improving her June performance.

At this age, however, the problem is as much to make sure that they do not do too much too soon and that they try as many different disciplines as possible.

The competition plan is still not finalised by Athletics UK. Indeed, they are still not at the consultation stages although a paper was presented more than 12 months ago.

The plan covers all ages and all competitions on the track so it will be all encompassing when it eventually arrives.

There is, however, a desperate need to sort out the under-13 age group, particularly the girls who can be involved in a competition programme that sees them competing most weekends throughout the summer and sometimes on Saturdays and Sundays over the same weekend.

It is quite possible for some to compete more than 20 times for teams during their 16-week season.

County administrator Keith May said: "Unfortunately we had to hold our county championships too early in the season this year, before many under-13s even realised they had an aptitude for competitive athletics, and this would probably be why so few county champions won their events at the league final.

"Ideally, we should hold these championships in late July after the first two league matches and I am certain then we would have better support and be able to arrange a much more sensible programme for this age group as by then they would have finished all the school competitions.

"Next season does not look promising for fixtures because the under-13s cannot operate in complete isolation to the rest of the age groups and there will be a knock on affect if UK Athletics and the AAA of England arrange their own trials first for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Manchester in late July and the European championships which are being held a couple of weeks later.

"This will bite into the available weekends at national level which will in turn limit the number of weekends available for the various arena championships, league and inter-county events, so we are not likely to see much change next year."

Roger Wardale, one of the county's senior coaches and a team manager to both Sussex and Brighton and Hove teams, has a vast experience of these younger athletes.

For many years, he was secretary and team manager for the Sussex Schools' Athletic Association. Wardale said:

"We do have to be so careful with this age group. We act to a certain extent in "local parentis" and although it is desirable to encourage them to try all sorts of disciplines it is beholding upon us to avoid at all costs the pressures that could see them competing for their schools during the week and then maybe doing a Southern Women's League match on a Saturday, as under-13s are permitted to compete as under-15s in this league, and then turn out again on Sunday in Junior Women's League matches.

"Unfortunately, because they are the youngest groups, the team management is frequently left to deal with enthusiastic parents, who are not always well versed or experienced in athletics and unable to take a balanced athletic view."

Sussex has pioneered a programme for under-13 and has deliberately used on standard track events to prevent quick comparison with the under-15 group.

Although many counties have adopted these non standard events not all have and indeed we still see Open meetings, even here in Sussex, where the under-13 athletes race over the standard distances.

ARENA80's Caroline Hoyte had a brilliant run in the national 10km road running championship at Cheltenham last weekend.

A few years ago, before giving birth to a son, Hoyte looked to be heading for an international career in cross country events.

Now gradually getting back to her old form, success still beckons her and at Cheltenham she finished 12th in 35min. 23sec.

Lynn Williams finished in 31st place in 37min. 23sec while veteran Chris Naylor completed the scoring trio in 58th place in 39min. 29sec.

There was an inter-county match incorporated into the championships but because the notice of this did not arrive until Sussex administrator Keith May had left for the world championships, Sussex did not enter a team.

These three Arena 80 athletes, along with other leading Sussex runners will be in action tomorrow in the Hove Promenade 5-mile road race, which is organised by the Arena 80 Club.

The race starts from the King Alfred at 11am.