Match 1 in this years Greater Manchester Sportshall League took place at Sportscity on Sunday 20th October.
This years Trafford AC team is a good mixture of kids with loads of Sportshall experience backed up by some new faces.
The results are avialable below.
There were so many excellent performances - too many to list them all - well done to you all

Results and highlights

u11g - Finished 3rd, Lots of new faces in this team - Issi 2nd in the 1 Lap and 3rd in Standing Long Jump; Orli 2nd in Speed Bounce; Trezeguet, actually competing this year after many years on the sidelines watching her brothers - and with a broken thumb! - 3rd in 3 Lap. The 4x2 Lap relay team of Orli, Issi, Laura and Roselle finished 3rd.

u11b - Winners! A very close tie with Dash only 4 points behind. Jamall was 1st in 1 Lap and Standing Long Jump, 2nd in Speed bounce. Ayoola was 2nd in Vertical Jump. Relay team of Jacob, Ayoola, Sandy & Jamall fort hard after an early slip to finish 3rd - which was an excellent result in the circumstances.

u13g - Finished 3rd in what was another close match. Roselyn 3rd in 4 Lap; Jameelah 1st in 6 Lap. Relay team of Leila, Roselyn, Molly & Jameelah finished 2nd

u13b - Last year we were often a one man team at u13 boys. This year has started so different with a team of 5 lads who their match by a massive margin. George 1st in 6 Lap, 1st in Speed Bounce and 1st in Standing Long Jump. Josh 3rd in Standing Long Jump and 2nd in Vertical Jump. Relay team of George, Josh, Armando & Joe finished 1st.

u15g - Another close match - and another Win for Trafford! Imogene - 1st 4 Lap & 2nd in Standing Triple Jump. Lili 3rd in Standing Long Jump. Emily 2nd in 4 Lap. Allana 2nd in Speed Bounce, Zalika 1st in Standing Triple Jump and 3rd in Vertical Jump. Emily and Lili came 3rd in the Parlouf.

u15b - Only 3 lads in this team - won 5 of the seven events entered and finished 3rd overall. Rivi 1st in 2 Lap, Standing Long Jump and Vertical Jump. Josh 1st in 4 Lap and Standing Triple Jump. Joe 2nd in 6 lap. Rivi and Josh finished 2nd in their Parlouf.

So 3 team victories - u11b, u13b & u15g, 2nd for u13g and 3rd for u11g & u15b - a great start to the series. Two more matches to go. 
We need to keep up this excellent level of performance; and it has been the overall team performance, backing up the highlights above, that has given us such good results. The way that Sportshall is scored means that in most cases your performance in an event does impact the overall team score - so well done to you all! 

On Saturday 19 October the new season of the Manchester Cross country League started at Heaton Park. We welcome all young athletes (under 11 and upwards) to come forward and have a go.

The next race is Sunday 10th November at Woodbank Park Stockport - please speak to Sue, Neil or Anna if you wish to take part.

Well done to Siobhan, Marnie, Ellie, Beth, Danny, Richard & Robert who all took part in the Heaton Park fixture.

For the second year running, a Trafford AC coach has won the England Athletics North West Regional Award for Development Coach of the Year. 

Following on from last year`s winner, Tom Cullen, this year`s award went to Derek Fraser, who has had great success this year with his hurdlers. Derek was present to receive the award from Kevan Taylor, Finance Director of both UK Athletics and England Athletics. The awards took place at the David Lloyd Centre in Chorley.

On receiving his award, Derek said " I`ve been fortunate to learn from some great coaches and also appreciate the help given to me by Cath Hurst during the club sessions. Coaching upto 20 youngsters at hurdles is not easy! "

Derek began coaching a few years ago but it’s only this last year he has seen his efforts rewarded with several of his younger athletes experiencing success and progressing through to bigger competitions.

He has increased the number of athletes that he coaches; this is due to his popularity among the athletes but also is a credit to how much he has developed over the last few years. He show great enthusiasm in whatever he is doing and this enthusiasm is passed onto the group of athletes.

Derek coaches four times a week, and travels to every competition to support the athletes.  Derek has recently been selected onto the NCDP for Sprints & Hurdles which is a great credit to his hard work and dedication to the sport.  He is ambitions and would like to coach right through to senior athlete level.  This year he has coached Tameika Cuff 300m Hurdler to Northern U17 Champ, 4th England Champs, 6th English Schools'.

John is regularly to be seen acting as Field Referee at the Trafford Grand Prix as well as helping out at the Medal Meetings and League matches, including both YDL League competitions.

His officiating is not limited to the field as he also track judges, timekeeps and even acts as starter.

John couldn`t make the awards due to work commitments but a special presentation will be made at the club`s officials meal at the end of the month.

John commented "I'm extremely shocked to be nominated, but too win is an enormous honour, many thanks"

John  is the bedrock of the club’s meeting programme and has attended every Grand Prix (all 10) to set up all the official timing and make sure that everything on the track and in the Field is ready for the events.

He has been Chief Field Official at the Trafford Grand Prix including the operation of EDM, and officiates at any league meeting whether it be the UK League/British Athletics League or the Lower Youth Development League.  He is willing to do whatever is required i.e. timekeeping, track judging, any field event, even starting. 

He is very keen and willing to give up his time to support and mentor less qualified officials to help them develop and gain experience and confidence.
John does work shifts and will often grab an hour's sleep after a night shift before helping out!

We are also delighted to see friends of the club Elaine and Dave Crosdale awarded as runners-up for Services to Coaching. Elaine and Dave are a familiar sight to most of our athletes as they help officiate at our Medal Meeting, GP as well as helping us in the YDL when available. They also run the Greater Manchester Sportshall League which has brought so much enjoyment to so many - we don't know what we'd do without them!

Trafford AC's U17 Mens team travelled to Birmingham on Sunday to take part in the National Road Relays. 
This involves 3 athletes each running 3.8k around a hilly circuit in Sutton Park. 
After solid runs from Danny Lawton & Nikita Katende, Trafford were in 16th place out of the 51 competing teams.
However, Zak Miller's outstanding performance on the final leg brought the team through to 4th place, only 4 seconds away from the medals.
Zak was rewarded with the prize for the fastest lap in the whole competition.

ELLIE EDWARDS describes competing in the Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem this year as the best experience of her life.

The 16-year-old won the 200m and was third in the 100m in a multi-sport competition that features 9000 Jewish athletes from 72 countries.

“I enjoyed meeting Jewish athletes from all over the world,” the Trafford athlete says. “The opening ceremony was completely sold out with 40,000 people. It was incredibly emotional to walk out as a member of Team GB.”

As the only female athlete in the British team, Ellie was even more determined to perform to her best. She clocked a PB of 12.68 to take bronze in the 100m, before returning the following day to win the 200m in 26.19, just a fraction outside her PB set the month before.

Ellie later returned to win another bronze as part of a  mixed relay team.

Surprised by her success, she explains: “There are so many Jewish people in USA and Israel, they were expected to clean up the medals. I hadn’t expected to win any, especially as I was competing against 18-year-olds.”

Such was the standard across the events, Olympic finalist Steven Solomon from Australia did not even win the men’s 400m. The GB team only won two individual golds in total, one of which went to Ellie, and the teenager also claimed three of Britain’s 31 medals.

The event marked a special milestone in Ellie’s life and she was thrilled to be able to share it with the rest of her family. “I was so pleased that my mum and dad (Francine and Eddie) were there, together with my three sisters and two of my grandparents, as it really was an amazing experience,” says Ellie.

Ellie trains four times a week as part of a mixed sprint group guided by Tom Cullen and Iheani Ihediwa at Longford Park in Manchester.

“Everyone was so proud of my performances in Israel, which meant so much to me,” she says, “and I really want to repay them by staying injury-free and seeing my times plummet.”

Ellie started athletics in Year 3 after she realised she had a talent for running after winning her school’s cross country race and later taking top spot in the Manchester Cross Country Championships, a feat that no other pupil from her school had ever achieved.

Ellie had previously played football for several years, so she knew she had good speed. “Doing athletics gives me a sense of achievement and purpose in my life,” she says. “I enjoy the adrenaline rush and the tempo of sprinting. You need to be focused and strong all the way to the finishing line.

“Unlike distance running you cannot afford any mistakes. It can be incredibly cruel, but getting across that finishing line first or getting a PB makes everything worthwhile.”

Ellie is just starting A-Levels in biology, psychology, history and PE at Manchester High School for Girls, having recently attained eight A* and two A grades in her GCSEs. After she finishes school she hopes to study psychology or train to become a physio. However, Ellie’s biggest aim is to represent her country at a major senior athletics championship.

Having been lucky enough to be in the Olympic Stadium on Super Saturday last year, it is not surprising that Ellie names Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis as her favourite athletes, along with Usain Bolt.

“The Olympics really inspired me,” she says. “I want to get a senior GB vest in future.”

The dates for next summers Youth Development League matches are available. 
Please note, this is the main club competition for ALL athletes in the u13 to u20 age groups so put these dates in your dairies now!We are giving you plenty of notice to ensure you are available for these matches. This is what you train so hard for. 

Upper League (u20 & u17)
27th April 2014 @ Bebington
1st June 2014 @ Longford Park
29th June 2014 @ Blackburn
27th July 2014 @ Crewe

Lower League (u15 & u13)
3rd May 2014 @ Ellesmere Port
31st May 2014 @ Preston
22st June 2014 @ Longford Park * NB Sunday fixture
19th July 2014 @ Crewe
(note - Venues are subject to change at this stage)

The Trafford AC team for the Greater Manchester Sportshall League 2013 is as follows
u11b    Ayoola Dania, Frankie Kennedy, Jacob Dwan, Jamall Walters, James Totterdell, Kelvin Samuel, Kingsley Nunes, Marcus Blake, Sandy McGuinness, Zac Gardner

u11g     Elliarna Gransemper, Isobel Miller, Issi Boyle, Issy Boon, Laura Johnson, Lily Wray, Lizzie Larkin, Orli Edwards, Roselle Sigsbert, Trezeguet Taylor

u13b     Armando Assis, George Hurst, James Petrykowski, Joe Kennedy, Joshua Grant, Tyreece Hilton

u13g     Amy Tavner, Aylin Ozkayali, Jameelah Ologundudu, Jasmin Abel, Kelechi Dunn, Layla Wiseman, Leila Gardner, Molly Larkin, Ngozi Dunn, Roselyn Sigsbert, Stephanie Austin

u15b     Joseph Tang, Josh Pemberton, Rivaldo Brown

u15g     Allana Edwards, Emily Nash, Georgia Beaumont, Imojene Blackburn-Stennett, Lili Boyle, Stephanie Arkaah, Zalika Williams, Zara Norton

Fixtures are Sunday 20th October 2013; Sunday 17h November 2013; Sunday 8th December 2013 - all at Sportscity Indoor Arena

Please ensure that all are there for 11:30am at the latest as the event starts promptly

In what was the last event of the summer calendar, 7 young athletes from Trafford took part at the M60 Quadkids competition at Cleavely Track in Eccles on 29 September. Even though the team had athletes competing for the first time as well as some regular participants in T&F events, plenty of medals were picked by the Trafford team. 
Jamall Walters and Sandy McGuiness were 1st and 3rd overall for the U11s boys while Orlie Edwards  was 3rd overall for the U11s girls and Neve Davenport was 2nd overall for the U9 girls.
Well done to all of them  

Congratulations to Derek Fraser, who has been accepted on the prestigious England Athletics National Coach Development Program for Sprints and Hurdles.

Commenting on his appointment, Club Secretary Mike Harris said ;

" Derek is a fantastic coach with bundles of enthusiasm who thoroughly deserves his place on the NCDP. His successes this year have included coaching three hurdlers at the English Schools. He is extremely popular with all the athletes and this achievement could mean he can go onto coach a senior level. "

Derek will be working closely with the highly-respected Tony Hadley, the National Coach Mentor.