Is Orienteering a sport?

[andypat]

Electrocuted - thats depressing!

Can you post a link to the classic picture of "180 minute man" competing in the kids relay mass start a few years back - that'll cheer me up again!

[Mrs H]

It's tragic - is this something that our marketing manager could be addressing It should not be too difficult to get a list of local papers registered with the Newspaper Society (That will not include free sheets but proper local papers which have to conform to certain rules) and to furnish them with some stock photos of British orienteers for free usage - with words to the effect "you are going to need these some time soon" - then give a kick to all club press officers to send something out within the following 2-3 week period.

Not that i'm trying to do her job for her or anything

[seabird]

The more we use the word "Race(s)" and the less we use the word "Event", the more likely the world will view what we do as a sport.

A growing number of us who take part in Parkruns are getting our orienteering club rather than our running club listed. Yet another way of publicing that orienteering is a running sport to other athletes.

[Gnitworp]

It does not matter how young, old or fit you are,
as you can run, walk or jog the course and progress at your own pace.

The above is an extract from the BO website home page.

Is BO itself misrepresenting itself?

Orienteering by definition is a running sport, not a walking sport. The idea is to get round a course as quickly as possible, by running, because it's quicker than walking. How many people do you see walking up the run in at BOC or WMOC?

You can walk if you want to, but that's not the idea, just as it's not the idea in, say, a 10km road race.

[SeanC]

Yes, I used that line from the BO website as I thought it was rather good. Now I am not so sure.

The nub of the problem is that in our promotion we could advertise orienteering as a hard running adventure sport.. but this might deter those who have dropped out of sport and are now longer healthy enough to run (97% of the UK population?). Were then left competing against other sports for the already sporty. Personally I think we need to attract both groups to generate serious growth. Somehow we need to sell the sport as uniquely tough and rewarding, but accessible to almost everybody (who can then loose 4 stone and get fit again).

Anyway I got a reply from Mr Sports reporter, will post when I have a mo.

[SeanC]

My response to Mr Reporter

thanks for getting back to me and for forwarding the press release to your newsdesk, this is greatly apprieciated.

I'm interested in your perceptions of Orienteering. We do find that people often turn up to our events expecting some kind of easy going ramble with a bit of mapreading. I'm not sure where this image comes from. They are then really surprized to find that Orienteering has local, national and international championships, and that there are elite orienteers who train twice a day and are funded by government sports bodies. The top orienteers need tremendous strength, fitness and speed. There's no stopping to read the map - it's all done whilst running. Have a look at this YouTube video of the 2006 World Championships to see what I mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyojsEAX ... re=related

You don't need to be an international Orienteer to compete in the local Kent leagues. However the standard at the top end is still pretty good. I train 3 times a week and have 20 years orienteering experience, but still can't make the top 10 in the Kent Night Orienteering league. It is a sport that can be done by families in a group, but normally we find the children start taking the racing seriously after a few events, and start competing on their own - then the adults start doing likewise.

Why not come to an event and see for yourself? Or one of your colleagues. I can give you a quick introduction, or you can put your running shoes on and follow me round one event to see what the sport is like. Otherwise please do consider reporting the local Orienteering leagues in the paper or on your website. I can provide regular copy.

(the bit about my training is a bit of an exaggeration )

His response

"Hi Sean,
My perceptions are it is a hobby and not a sport. I did ask several people in the office here if they agreed with me and they all did so that is good enough for me. The fact it is done while running by some people taking part in the hobby is commendable from a health and fitness point of view but it still doesn't make it a sport.

There is no need to send any reports through to sport as they will not be appearing on our website.

Best wishes"

[Kitch]

You may now respond thus

"Thank you for you recent response, which fully confirms my initial perception that you are not only ingnorant but also small-minded. I have shared my thoughts with several orienteers and they all agree, so that is good enough for me. The fact that you work for a newspaper is commendable, but it doesn't make you a journalist."

[andy]

wow

[Ernie_Wise]

You may now respond thus

"Thank you for you recent response, which fully confirms my initial perception that you are not only ingnorant but also small-minded. I have shared my thoughts with several orienteers and they all agree, so that is good enough for me. The fact that you work for a newspaper is commendable, but it doesn't make you a journalist."

Do it, the second response has actually just made my head explode.

[redkite]

Brilliant response

Just shows what a massive job there is to do to change the PERCEPTION of the sport.

( thoroughly enjoyed watching TG RUN whilst eatingmy lunch)

[Gnitworp]

Yes, do it, Sean.

[DM]

Sean,

If it the Kent Messenger you might like to quote this back at them, a piece that appeared in their paper.

"MORE than 1,000 children will compete in Kent’s biggest youth sporting event at the University of Kent, Canterbury, on Saturday.

The Kent Youth Games, for 11 to 16 year olds, will be contested by representatives from all of the county’s 13 districts.

Shelley Eaton, of the Kent Active Sports Partnership, stressed there would be a record number of people involved this year. She said: “There will be more youngsters taking part and we have added more sports, with cycling and orienteering, which takes the total to 10,” she said."

Full article on http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/newsarchive.aspx?articleid=10233


Also I believe it is listed as a sport in the statistics that schools collate and which I recall have been used by BOF to highlight the growth of the sport and which were discussed on here... somewhere. You could do worse than firing some statistics back at him to show that his and his colleagues perception is completely wrong. Highlighting Sport England funding might help, repeating the sport part again and again.


My experience of papers sports sections is that if it's not football, football or football they are not interested.


Good luck and keep us informed of progress.

[greywolf]

My experience of papers sports sections is that if it's not football, football or football they are not interested.

Not in Kent... it'll be all about the Folkestone Gypsy-baiting Champs and the Medway Dogging League

[EddieH]

WOW

Seriously I'd write a letter to the paper's letter section complaining about the sports' editors ignorance. pointing out that the Sports Council fund the sport, that it is an Olympic recognised sport (even though no country has ever included it) etc etc.

I'd want to shame the sports editor to his higher editors.

Your e-mail Sean was really excellent so I guess you could easily write such a letter with a winning tone.

Our local press not only prints an article almost every week, but occasionally has a multi page spread full of photos that we provide. No-one (including your editor ) could be in any doubt it's a sport after one of these.

And it all goes to show if you want to find out about something ask all yourfrinds that know nothing about it

[rocky]

sport - Any athletic activity that uses physical skills, often competitive.
hobby - An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.