Bermuda's economy will not be the only victim of the American Base closures.

Hundreds of children have been given the boot from the US Naval Annex as the US Navy prepares for the looming September withdrawal.

The popular youth leisure group, Bermuda Youth Sports Programme (BYSP), has been left without a place to practice and compete as a result.

Also rendered "homeless'' as a result of the Annex closure are the Bermuda Karting Association, which has both youth and adult members, local Tornado sailors, who had used it since 1975, and model airplane enthusiasts.

The four groups were ordered off the Annex at the end December and to take all their equipment with them.

The US Navy said it could not allow them to use the Annex in the months leading up to the official return of the Base lands for security reasons.

Government, meanwhile, says its hands are tied on the matter until the land is officially handed over.

But it could offer no guarantees the two groups will be able to return to the Annex once the US Navy has gone.

"Here we are talking about a golf course when it's the Bermudian youth we need to be concerned about,'' disheartened BYSP basketball head coach Mr.

Harley Hayward said yesterday.

He added 300 youngsters had signed up for the afterschool programme since it was started as a charity three years ago by a group of athletic-minded Bermudian fathers.

Money-making and job-boosting ideas such as a tennis academy, lavish golf course and winter sailing school reportedly have been proposed for the Annex.

Management Minister the Hon. Grant Gibbons, who is managing the takeover of the Annex, the larger US Naval Air Station at the opposite end of the Island, and the Canadian Base at Daniel's Head, said the matter was out of Government's hands until September.

He said he was sympathetic to the groups and had met with them and made recommendations for alternative sites.

US Navy commanding officer Capt. Tim Bryan was off the Island but his executive officer Cmdr. Kit McCalley said the reason the groups could not use the Annex until September was simply a lack of personnel.

"As we downsize and get closer to the Bases closure our personnel assets have dropped to the point where we can't provide security and access at the Annex,'' he said.

"The groups mainly need access on the weekends and that would require sending down our people just for that period in order to give access and provide security.'' Cmdr. McCalley said the US Navy "would certainly'' entertain any requests for events at the NAS -- and from Government to take over the provision of security at the Annex until September.

Mr. Hayward said BYSP had used Annex facilities every day of the week to teach afterschool baseball, basketball and soccer.

Membership had swelled to more than 300 children and teenagers from both public and private schools and many parents were involved as well, he noted.

President of the Karting Club, Mr. Ronald Wallington, said it had used the Annex' old tarmac runways for "safe speeding'' for the last 14 years.

The Tornado sailors, who include Olympic competitors Glenn Astwood and Eddie Bardgett, had operated out of the Annex marina since 1975. It has all but folded since being asked to leave, Mr. Bardgett said.

BYSP had invested $1,000s in levelling a playing field into a proper baseball diamond, Mr. Hayward noted.

And although it has found off-Base fields at local schools for basketball and soccer, they were outdoors, thus games had to be cancelled in rain.

He added that the two Annex fields and indoor court were needed on top of the school fields because of the number of players involved in the programme -- six teams in four divisions.

"With all the drugs and other problems the children have right now they need all the help they can get,'' Mr. Hayward said.

"Furthermore, all the coaches are male figures which a lot of kids don't have right now. A lot come from single-parent homes. And they are a mix of a wide cross-section of schools. Kids from private schools like MSA get to meet kids from public ones like Sandys.

"I understand we have to get capital into the Country and a golf clinic is a way but we have to set something aside for the youth.'' He said equestrian groups and motorcross riders were also looking for new, larger homes.

Mr. Hayward said the Annex would be ideal for a multi-sports facility -- not an amusement park -- for the Island's youth.

Karting organiser Mr. Wallington said: "The kids are quite uptight about it.

They feel they have been let down in many respects.'' Youth groups given the boot from US Annex Representatives from the groups have met with Youth and Sports Ministry officials a number of times to plead their cases but to no avail.

Dr. Gibbons said he well understood the need for recreational space.

And EDAW, the overseas company hired to make a plan for the best uses of the Base lands, would be holding three public meetings to be announced soon to get feedback from residents Island-wide on what they wanted on the lands once they are returned.

He said the US Navy was probably concerned about liability in the event of an accident and activities in preparation for the pullout could also pose a danger to the public.

"I can't give you a rationale much beyond that,'' he said, referring to the US Navy's refusal to allow the groups to stay until September.

"But right now the Bermuda Government has no control over who the Navy allows to use the property. They've been quite flexible in terms of allowing the different local groups to use it.'' Dr. Gibbons said it was "premature'' to say whether the youth sports groups would be able to return.

But, "The planning exercise will take into account the economic and social issues. We've had quite a few proposals, not only from sports groups, but religious groups wanting to take over the churches, groups wanting the bowling alley and proposals for a golf course.'' Mr. Mansfield (Jim) Brock, who recently chaired the Premier's Commission on Competitiveness, said it had recommended to Dr. Gibbons that 160 acres at the Annex be set aside for the golf course and other facilities.

Mr. Hayward said BYSP was currently negotiating with Wedco for possible use of the facilities at HMS Malabar once the Royal Navy withdraws this spring. But until then it had no place to practice for the upcoming baseball season.

"It's up in the air. We have nowhere to go,'' he said.

Mr. Wallington said he had been looking ever since last June for another location.

But long enough nicely paved non-public roads were not easy to find.

"Everybody complains there's nowhere for children to go and let steam off.

And here (at the Annex) we have the perfect environment where children can safely speed in a safe environment. But's it's been taken away and all our equipment is sitting idle. Talking to the officials is like talking to a book with no pages. You can't get a straight answer.'' He added that when he took over as president of the association two years ago he had big plans for the club. He had lined up sponsors to fly in exhibition karters for members, who included teens, those in their 20s, even a 60-year-old.

Tornado sailor Mr. Eddie Bardgett said they were given until December 31 to leave the Annex. Their boats, which used to be kept in sheds near the Great Sound dock on the Annex, were now scattered around the Island. It would be a major feat to trailer or sail them up to the Great Sound for a contest.

Some had even sold their vessels.

"We are basically waiting around to see what happens. But the season, which begins late February, is pretty well lost.'' He said Dockyard was being looked at as an alternative site.

LOOKING FOR A BASEBALL DIAMOND -- These two youngsters, Cleon Gaiton (batting at left) and Jeffrey Staynor (pitching at right) are just two of the hundreds of young baseball players in Bermuda who have been kicked off their playing field at the US Naval Annex.