Junior fixture congestion

[Mrs H.]

I'm a bit concerned about the following weekend in the autumn fixture list

October
8th EM DVO British Schools Score Championships. Shipley Country Park, Heanor. GR/455430.
9th WOA SWOC Regional Event & Welsh Championships. Mynydd Llangynidr, Trefil, Tredegar. SO/110151.

Now the Welsh event is a junior selection race for Interland and it has also been suggested to me by someone who may be in the know that it would also be used as "Any other known form" for selection to next year's world schools.

Given that it is going to be very hard on everyone to attend both. which will the World Schools selectors favour - loyalty to the BSOA or a good run at the Welsh - which has the added advantage of being an Interland qualifier.
I know HP is a keen reader - any guidance would be gratefully received!

[John]

The Junior Interland selection info said 4 races because 2 up north, presumably to reduce the amount of travelling juniors have to do to be considered. Looks like this won't reduce travelling - there could be a bit of a convoy from Derbyshire to South Wales.

[awk]

The World Schools have never used anything other than National Events and JIRC for 'all known form' (which has only very rarely actually been used). As I'm outgoing chair of the selectors, that may change this year, but can't see a Regional Event in Wales being nominated as such a race, when it's only English pupils who are automatically eligible (special permission has to be agreed for Welsh students, and Scots now have their own).

[HOCOLITE]

Being the BSOA rep on fixtures I should have a comment on this. However the races chosen for Interland selection are not identified early enough for someone like me to make a protest. Perhaps the interland selectors could have considered this clash when making their decision, but they may not have had any option.

[Mrs H.]

There's always an option. There are badge events going on every weekend all over the country - If they really were trying to cut down travelling for us hard pressed families - why not choose another badge event - and surely as Interland is for an English team - holding a selection race in Wales is slightly odd anyway! The BSOSC has been on the calendar a very long time. But i suspect - if what AWK says is true and BSOA don't take anything else into account -= it will be the Score that will suffer. I will ask my children what they want to do.

[Klebe]

Could anyone care to clarify.

Just what is the criteria for the world schools. My understanding was that it was the schools events. Score, then the schools champs along with the selection day event held the day before. Is this not the case or are there other selection races we need to get the kids to for the world schools.

[Mrs H.]

Score, then the schools champs along with the selection day event held the day before.

Does the Score really count for anything? - as I asked before, do the World School's selectors really take BSOA loyalty into account beyond favouring those with whole school teams? Because if the Score doesn't count i can see it will suffer this year with an interland selection race miles away the next day - you're right Klebe we need some clarification Perhaps AWK can shed some light on it.

[John]

My understanding is that the World Schools "Select" team is based almost exclusively on the Saturday event on the weekend of the British Schools, and the school team selection is based exclusively on the British School Champs. So if you make a mistake on the Saturday but get a good result on the Sunday and your school team does not get selected - tough. I don't think the Score is considered at all - at any rate the winner of the last 2 years Scores was not selected.

[Guest]

Contact Pauline Olivant if you want to clarify the situation. The info has gone to press and will be on your doorsteps soon I believe.

[Mrs H.]

John - I believe it is more complex than than. First of all you have the whole school team then you have the select team of 5 individuals - preference being given to individuals who have whole school teams behind them - only 2 of the 5 places go to out and out indivduals with or without school teams - hence you might get people going in the select team who actually finished well down the results in the selection race.

I'm not getting at BSOA - I think they've drawn the short straw over this - and if the Score doesn't really county for anything - people will give it a miss and save themselves for the selection race the next day. I know it's been hard to find organisers for the Score in recent years - a poor attendance this year won't help and that's a shame as it can be a very enjoyable event

[Klebe]

a poor attendance this year won't help and that's a shame as it can be a very enjoyable event

Quite agree, the Schools score always seems a happier more relaxed event than the Champs with loads of banter, story swopping and discussion about route choices. Kids back with 20 minutes to spare, others encouraged to go back into the forest, some 35 minutes late trying to 'hit' that one elusive control. Great fun.

[Guest]

Selectors usually try to spread selection races geographically and in time i.e. trying not to have races all in one part of the country and not on consecutive weekends (sometimes this is unavoidable). Both autumn national events are in the north and one of them is very far north and the week before BSOC. The veteran team selectors thought it would be a good idea to try to have the same selection races. There are other dates to avoid e.g. Lakeside weekend, Yvette Baker Final, Compass Sport Cup Final etc etc - you all have a look at the fixture list and see what you would have chosen!

Why shouldn't the english selectors choose an event in Wales? It is an accessible location on the Heads of the Valleys road.

Each junior and their drivers can choose which events they go to and still get a couple of results against their peers - no-one said you have to go to them all.
The World Schools team selections are very complicated and there will be an article on this in RC#5 so why not wait and see what that says before speculating?!(:
HP

[Guest]

you all have a look at the fixture list and see what you would have chosen!

See what you mean Hilary - Kyloe is a long way even from here (edge of North Yorkshire)! November Classic to balance Kilnsey?? I'm sure the selectors will have considered all the issues and will let us know!

Why shouldn't the english selectors choose an event in Wales? It is an accessible location on the Heads of the Valleys road.

in retrospect, you're right given paucity of other events - a lot more accessible than relying on autumn national events this year given bad spread of the latter. But big reason not to choose for World Schools (as opposed to Interland etc.) it is surely the clash with BSSOC.

The World Schools team selections are very complicate

So nothing's changed there then!

Will look forward to all that exciting reading in RC5!!

[Mrs H.]

I do agree with what you're saying - the Welsh fixture is OK for us - we'll do the yorkshire national and the november Classic too (not Kyloe tho' )
but if the Score doesn't carry any weight with the World School's selectors - then on this occasion I suspect it is the one that will get the chop by some people - and that is a shame for the organisers, they will do the same amount of work no matter how many turn up - but could end up out of pocket - I can't imagine the BSOA are very pleased about it.

[Guest]

Selection rules now published on http://www.bsoa.org