Where have all the young uns gone

[Knee Deep Mud!]

A test match thing is a great idea! Probably the Oxford-Cambridge varsity match is the closest thing to this that we have in orienteering at the moment

SN/BKO/Finchcoasters Running Club have been having an annual head to head match each summer - "The Headless Chicken". Mass start 2.5km cross country followed by 2.5km of orienteering. The scoring system is adjusted before the start on the night based on who turns up to try and make it as competitve as possible. Any 'ringers' who turn up from other neighboring clubs are allocated to the weakest team to again even out the competition. All three clubs have won the event over the last few years, with the downside that the winners provide the catering for the post match social the following year!
A different format to usual, but it's good fun and reasonably well attended.

On the other ideas put forward:
Promotion / relegation - not in favour, as based on typical results, I probably don't run the course that a promotion / relegation scheme would require me to. Depending on how rigorously the scheme was implemented, that would mean the idea would quickly become meaningless, or I would be looking for a different sport.

I would prefer the dedicated long / middle / sprint idea. Much better to be a middle of the field finisher in a good competitive race against all comers at a specific distance than winning against a field of only a handful of runners.

Overall, some form of 'standard' events to provide some structure to the sport, with a variety of other event formats to keep the interest going.

Our club's regional events often have two or three times the number of competitors that some of our district events attract (even on the same areas). I think that probably says it all about what the average punter wants...

[awk]

Our club's regional events often have two or three times the number of competitors that some of our district events attract (even on the same areas). I think that probably says it all about what the average punter wants...

It may but.....
regional events attract a far greater degree of protection from competing events. I have strong suspicions that this has a far bigger effect on numbers than the status itself, and that the difference in numbers between regional and district events would be a lot less if the same rules applied.

[FatBoy]

I would agree AWK. Perhaps some proof of this is lower levels of attendance when events clash either side of a regional boundary - something that happens fairly often around here due to so many boundaries.

For instance the event that started this whole thread off - the WCH event clashed with a DVO district only about an hour's drive apart. Perhaps somebody from WCH would like to confirm but I think they were quite down on numbers perhaps indicating some couldn't be bothered to go that extra hour just for the difference between district and regional. I certainly didn't but then the difference was 5 minute drive vs 1hr...

[ifor]

Shrewsbury AC and some of Wrekin O had a combined O and cross-country challenge once. starting with a run to the O map The O in the middle and then a run back. I remember running through the worst brambles and fight I could find to loose the runners how were using the following tacktics. I don't think we did a repeat it took the runners some time to come back once I had lost them, even though it was there local bit of wood which they all knew once stuck with bleeding stinging legs in the middle of some fight they took some time to extricate themselves....

Ifor

[SeanC]

Before we move off the sub-topic I must comment that there seems to be something rare on nopesport. Agreement. That is agreement that simple, informal, sociable head to head matches between two or three clubs is a good thing. So club captains, why not email the captain of the club next door and challenge them to a head to head match? There's always some weekend with a non descript looking event asking to be brightened up. Maybe "test match" sounds a bit too serious, but you could always burn the membership secretary's 20 year old bramble bashers and put the ashes in a small urn as a prize worth competing for.

And just to try and moveback onto the original topic, heres why I think such matches are particularly good for beginners, small clubs, juniors and regional events.

When I was a member of a large club many years ago, going to a regional (we called them badge) event was a very sociable thing to do. Every 4th person was a member of that club and there was plenty of low key o gossip in the car park. Now I am a member of a small club, the chances of bumping into another club member at a more remote district or especially at a regional event are low, so consequently I find them unfriendly and I'd rather stick to local events. Low key matches between neighbouring clubs with an attached social would mean that orienteers will quickly get to know orienteers outside their clubs and this would be less of a problem.

This probably isnt that important to the o addicts who are likely to be reading this, who probably have got to know many in neighbouring clubs gradually over the years, but what about the newcomer moving from local to district and regional events? I would imagine the newcomer would find local events reasonably sociable so long as the club make them welcome. But many will want to move on to bigger events and better areas. When that happens many may well be put off going to an event where there is no-one they have met before and not much chance of an introduction.

And finally, to return to the thread subject, this must apply double to juniors. Juniors, I imagine, would prefer to socialise with other juniors.