A few years ago, my daughter's school got to the final of the English Schools Cross Country Cup. The Year 7/8 Girls was won by a girl from Harrogate who plays for Leeds called Leah Galton who still plays for Leeds but no longer runs the XC that I can see.
There's another Lancs girl who won the County Schools Inter Girls XC last year who is a footballer.
But my experience is that the football coaches are delighted for them to train with us until around 13-14 for fitness, they are reluctant to let them compete and as they get beyond 14 they actually block them competing.
I have many experiences of football for boys and girls where the athlete is told that :-
1. If they miss the football training they will not be considered for selection.
2. If they are selected and don't go, even if on the bench, they will not get selected next time.
It's a real pressure - a pressure that we do not exert on our athletes.
To what end as well? The vast majority get thrown on the scrap heap and playing for a pub team.
Does athletics have to get more ruthless? I don't like the idea of it, but I also don't like being used.
Take the example of a young footballer, been with us for 2 - 3 years. They have yet to take part in any club race. Always the excuse is a match or training. Yet on a Saturday morning at 12:30pm just before Xmas (the same time as our league XC races) that same athlete was able to compete for the school in the Town Schools XC Champs.
Coincidence that the only 2 Saturdays between October and March for 2 seasons so far have been the town schools where football has not been an issue.
I bet they manage to run at the County Schools a week on Saturday as well.
It makes me feel like a mug sometimes.