Britain and Ireland's sporting prodigies

At five years old, Nathan Bradley already boasts three years of darting experience, having played his first game on a magnetic board when he was two. 'One day we caught him standing on the kitchen chair, throwing darts at the real dartboard,' says mum, Amber. So the real dartboard was brought down to sofa-height, and stayed there. Nathan now plays on it 'on and off all day, every day'. Casually able to hurl bullseyes, treble twenties and double tops, Nathan, who already has a sponsorship deal, learned his skills by copying the darters he’d seen on television. He has since had the chance to get some tips from Bobby George in person, when the pair played a match at the Lakeside in Essex. 'I got a bullseye,' says Nathan, pointing out that his older sister Georgina is a tougher competitor than 'The Dazzler': 'She cheats by getting too close to the dartboard.' Photograph: Gary Calton

Jonjo Shelvey’s worst trait during kickabouts at his Romford school, he says, was that he never let anybody have any fun. 'My dad was a football coach and didn’t like me mucking about in training. So I would always be there, having a go at my mates when we played at lunchtime. Play better, play better!' Already an England youth regular, Shelvey broke into the Charlton Athletic first XI last season, and his debut at 16 years and 59 days made him the club’s youngest ever senior player. A box-to-box player in the mould of Frank Lampard, Shelvey has begun to craft a noticeable understanding with veteran striker Deon Burton at Charlton, unhindered by the fact that Shelvey was a two-year-old when Burton made his professional debut in 1994. 'The older players look out for me. Matty Holland gave me lifts to training last season. I wasn’t old enough to drive...' Photograph: Levon Biss

When he was 10, Kyle Edmund was plucked off a court full of kids in Beverley, east Yorkshire, to attend an intensive training course in Barcelona. Now a 14-year-old with a big forehand, Edmund was runner-up in the European 14 and under Junior Championship in July and is preparing to play in the European Masters, for the best eight players in his age group. 'As you get older and stronger, being an aggressive player like me starts to pay off,' he says. He has relocated to Bisham Abbey, as a charge of the LTA, and has been back to Barcelona several times, a genuine player rather than a promising one Photograph: Suki Dhanda

The Maguire twins were only nine years old when Lisa broke a bone in her arm, and their father suggested they all try a round at the local golf course, to help aid her recovery. The sisters from County Cavan discovered a natural talent; before long they were winning competitions on the Irish circuit, wearing identical outfits (Mum’s choice) and notching a Maguire one-three in the Under-12 World Championships, with Lisa first and Leona third. Who is the better player? 'She hits it a wee bit further, I’m a wee bit better on the greens,' Lisa answers crisply. This August, they hoisted the Irish flag at the closing ceremony of the Solheim Cup. Ireland will host the competition in 2011, when the twins will be 16. There is a sense that the women’s tour is waiting for them. 'We’ll see what happens,' says Lisa. 'We’re enjoying ourselves for now.' Photograph: Murdo MacLeod

Hertfordshire-born Jodie Williams was the sensation of this summer’s under-17 World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy, winning gold in both 100m and 200m against competitors mostly one or two years older. 'Before the races I had tonsillitis,' says Williams, 'so I wasn’t expecting to do anything special. But I was so happy when I crossed the line first, especially in the 200m because it was such a close race.' Close is an understatement. Williams and her nearest rival, Allison Peter of the US Virgin Islands, both recorded a time of 23.08 and suffered a nervy few minutes waiting before the Briton was awarded the win. The genes are good: her English father and her mother, from St Vincent, were both sprinters at school, and her younger sister Hannah is starting to show promise on the track – 'I’m trying to convince her to aim for hurdles,' Williams smiles Photograph: Andy Hall

Dorset-born Amelia Maughan was the fastest 12-year-old swimmer in the world. Now 13, at the European Youth Olympics in Finland in July she won bronze in the 50m freestyle and 4x100m relay, and gold in the 100m freestyle. Maughan was the youngest member of the British team, and says she 'felt that I was looking up to them ... even if I wasn’t technically'. She is 5ft 11, half a head above most of her peers. 'I don’t like being the odd one out, but there are pros to being tall.' Such as her feet. 'I’ve got big size nines,' says Maughan. 'They’re like flippers.' Photograph: Karen Robinson