YVETTE BAKER FINAL

[EddieH]

I reckon gymnastics is physical

[awk]

Oh for goodness' sake, this hoary old chestnut.

The orange course is the adult beginner's course. Why shouldn't a novice M18 take part on that course? In the past this has happened fairly regularly, and a decent M12/M14 has been able to beat them. Yes, if they are of equal technical ability, then the competition isn't fair, but the whole point is that they are not, and it easy to underestimate what a decent M12/14 can do.

I remember, some years ago, a club running a couple of M16s on the Yellow (in the days when that was legit). Howls of complaints. They were all beaten by a couple of decent M10s. After all, the sum total of their experience had been a couple of yellow courses and a trip to a permanent course.

The YBT is as much about supporting development, and it is easy to forget how good some of our younger runners are, and how not so good an older teenage beginner can be.

Having said that, I do agree the rules need reviewing, not least to ensure that if an M16/18 is taking part on a shorter course, then they are genuinely novice (if that can be legislated for).

[Jess]

woop, i hear OD have taken the win, with WCOC in 2nd

[NFKleanne]

Well done OD, it was a good day!

[Tatty]

OD first, WCOC 2nd, SO 3rd, DEE 4th, WAOC 5th, DVO 6th, HOC 7th, SOC 8th, CLOK 9th, AIRE 10th
A cold but sunny day. Well done to all the competitors, especially those who slipped at the final control which became very slippery as the day warmed up

[RJ]

What other sport would allow such a disparity in a 'physical' activity?

At a competition based on ability rather than age, many that don't have any physical contact. The more the sport relies on technique rather than physical ability the more often this happens.

So that would be a running sport then!

[RJ]

.......it easy to underestimate what a decent M12/14 can do......

I hope you aren't just thinking about the winner.... whether a good M12 can beat an M18. You must consider the rest of the M/W12s further down the results who have been beaten by the M18. They are the ones who have been 'disenfranchised'.

Development of the sport at all levels demands that the sport is seen to be fair. An M12 will decide that perhaps he doesn't want to run against an M18 in future..... great.... you lose your M12 but you gain an M18..... until he meets the much better M21.... and then we have neither!

The M18 will be a quick learner.... particularly the first year Uni ones! All clubs taking part have perfectly capable development schemes to bring this M18 to Light Green standard in a couple of months.

I have campaigned for three years now for this anomaly to be altered..... and DM, I shall keep doing so!

[awk]

So that would be a running sport then!

Yes, where there's not much point being able to run fast, if you can't run in the right direction.

I have campaigned for three years now for this anomaly to be altered

It's not an anomaly. It's pitching like against like. You don't lose the M/W12s (at least we didn't lose any!), not least because the weaker ones are running a different course, but also because, apparently unlike the adults, they understand what's going on.

The M18 will be a quick learner.... particularly the first year Uni ones! All clubs taking part have perfectly capable development schemes to bring this M18 to Light Green standard in a couple of months.

(a) no they don't, and (b) there's a world of a difference between being able to 'get around' a LG course, and being able to race on it competitively. It's a rare M18 who can do the latter in a couple of months, especially on the sorts of programmes most clubs have available, and even if they can, it's what they can do at the time of the final that matters.

Having said that, as I've said before, I do think the YBT is overdue a review of the courses/classes, and the eligibility rules, which were only intended as a temporary staging post to a more reliable method of allocating people to appropriate courses.

[RJ]

'nough said..... we will leave it in the hands of a review panel..... who might they be BTW. Perhaps it would be good to know where to send one's thoughts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drawing a line under that!

Many thanks to NOR for the event. The competition and the area were good.

[DM]

RJ

I'm a bit lost with two of your comments that don't seem to fit together;

"I've been campaigning for 3 years........."

"we will leave it in the hands of a review panel..... who might they be BTW. Perhaps it would be good to know where to send one's thoughts."

Maybe I'm being dim this morning but if you don't know where to send your thoughts how have you been campaigning?

[Mrs H]

Ah well - here's something to make everyone smile
Harlequins excel on the publicity front yet again

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/sto ... 3A22%3A300

thanks Porky for the link
ps - thoroughly enjoyed it - and i think most of our kids did too - but that may have owed a lot to the full social programme laid on by Hocolite and others

[RJ]

Rhetorical....... DM.

There could be others who would like to know how to make their thoughts known. It certainly ain't easy, which is why a Nope thread can be so effective.

[Scott]

There could be others who would like to know how to make their thoughts known. It certainly ain't easy, which is why a Nope thread can be so effective.

I'd have though the obvious thing to do in the first instance would be to contact JCG - either your regional rep or the Chair, Sue Marsden. They meet in January, so now would be a good time to go about getting something on the agenda.

[NFKleanne]

The photos of YBT are now available online at the following web address.


http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/orienteer ... 1545964642