i know i'm posting 2 years after the last post on this, but as you've pointed out there isn't much else to reply to on the track and field section
I've just rejoined after a 4 or 5 year absence from the club and the track, but before that competed for around 7 years for Macc
I think the main problem isn't with younger kids but the older ones.
1. main fact with T&F, once kids hit 16 and leave school, numbers drop off - they don't have that push from school anymore
2. Of those that do stay. some go to college and then uni - they might stay in part of the country or find a new club where they go to uni and compete for them
3.. this is a middle ish club, those that have stayed with us after 16 and school leaving (and not gone to college then uni) are more hardcore - but problem is we don't have the pulling power of top national coaches and super competition standard to keep the highest points pullers with us. We lose chunks of our best to higher level clubs down the road like Trafford and Sale.
Solution?
tough one - vicious circle really, get into higher leagues so the better athletes have better compeition, but how to get into high leagues when better athletes are leaving