Youth Development League

The UK Youth Development League (UKYDL) is a national inter-club league for young athletes between 11 and 20 years of age competing in Track and Field events.

There are two separate age-group competitions within the league: The Lower age-group for U13 and U15 athletes; and the Upper age-group for U17 and U20 athletes.

In both competitions, boys/girls and men/women compete as a joint team.

In both age-groups, MMKAC competes in the Midlands area Premier Division. The Lower age-group team reached the National Final in 2018 and 2019.

There are four matches for each age-group in each season, roughly monthly between April and July.

The league offers the full range of Track and Field events appropriate to the age-groups, sprints, endurance, throws, jumps and relays. With two athletes of each sex competing in each event in each age category, it takes a lot of athletes to make up a team – as many as 152 places to fill in a single Upper age-group match. Team managers will work with support from coaches to put out the best teams, but will also try to give the opportunity of competition to as many as possible.

The standard is very high, which offers a great environment to test the best, but also a great opportunity for development. Our athletes hold their own very well at all levels. And, importantly, each match is a great day out competing as a team and supporting team-mates.

Team managers for the 2024 season are:

Upper age-group:
  All – Richard Pownall

Lower age-group:
  Boys – Sue Hughes
  Girls – Charlene Shillingford and Fiona Flaherty