Interland Selections

[RJ]

The selections for Interland have been announced http://www.orienteeringengland.org.uk/?page_id=115. Congratulations to all those who have been selected, and good luck at Burnham Beeches in February.

However, the criteria for selection as published on the website.....

In keeping with the objectives of the England Selectors to use this competition to provide experience, it is unlikely that the Junior Selectors will consider members of the Great Britain Junior Performance Squad for selection.

.....makes for interesting comparison against the selections made. Was there any point in 'other' juniors 'in with a shout' going to any of the qualifiers, particularly when a huge amount of travel was involved. And then to find themselves excluded when they have got 'top' results!!!!!! Mmmmmmmm!!!

[Scott]

Ah, the joys of selective quoting...

In keeping with the objectives of the England Selectors to use this competition to provide experience, it is unlikely that the Junior Selectors will consider members of the Great Britain Junior Performance Squad for selection.

It is likely that the composition of the Junior team will be 3 M/W14, 3 M/W16 and 1 M/W18.

And, indeed, none of the 14s, 16s or (more to the point) 18s selected are part of the Junior Performance Squad.

The 20s, on the other hand, fall under the Senior Selection Policy, which has no such restriction on selecting squaddies.

[DM]

The selections for Interland have been announced

Was there any point in 'other' juniors 'in with a shout' going to any of the qualifiers, particularly when a huge amount of travel was involved. And then to find themselves excluded when they have got 'top' results!!!!!! Mmmmmmmm!!!

Posting was on 8th Jan ........no news item to draw attention to it though.....

[RJ]

It is likely that the composition of the Junior team will be 3 M/W14, 3 M/W16 and 1 M/W18.
And, indeed, none of the 14s, 16s or (more to the point) 18s selected are part of the Junior Performance Squad.

So what is this group of juniors then......
http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/downloads/documents/StartSquadSelections09.pdf

[Scott]

That's the Start Squad. Which is not the Performance Squad.

[LostAgain]

Who's in the performance squad?
Is it normal to find out that you are selected by reading the website posting or do they normally send out invitation letters?

[RJ]

Junior Performance Squad.

This is the Junior Squad.

In fact, the BOF wwebsite does not respond to the search criteria for 'junior performance squad'

The Junior squad is hardly likely to contain any M/W14, M/W16, and very rarely any M/W18. Hardly any point in using it to create exclusion.

No. The junior start squad is the group that should be used.

[Scott]

"Performance Squad" is a horribly muddled bit of terminology, which doesn't get used that often or very consistently. Depending on which BOF document you happen to be reading at the moment, the Performance Squad is - properly, I think - the Senior Squad, in which case the Junior Squad is the Potential Squad, but it is occasionally used to mean the Senior and Junior Squads combined, and it's also the name of the proposed new top-tier squad of "proven international performers" (as distinct from the Talent Squad). But it's never used to mean the Start Squad. My guess would be that whoever worded the selection document specifically put "Performance" in to specify that they didn't mean to exclude the Start Squad members. Whether that's the best approach to Interland selection is a different matter.

The Junior squad is hardly likely to contain any M/W14, M/W16, and very rarely any M/W18.

Unless I'm mistaken, there are currently four M/W18 in a Junior Squad of eleven, which isn't really "hardly ever".

[Oldman]

Depending on which BOF document you happen to be reading at the moment, the Performance Squad is - properly, I think - the Senior Squad, in which case the Junior Squad is the Potential Squad, but it is occasionally used to mean the Senior and Junior Squads combined, and it's also the name of the proposed new top-tier squad of "proven international performers" (as distinct from the Talent Squad). But it's never used to mean the Start Squad.

Thanks for the clarification!

But surely Interland is nothing to do with BOF??

[DM]

Who's in the performance squad?
Is it normal to find out that you are selected by reading the website posting or do they normally send out invitation letters?

I would say no, but well done anyway.

[Scott]

Thanks for the clarification!

No problem. I am always proud to take the lead as the Nopesport forums plumb new depths of tedious pedantry.

But surely Interland is nothing to do with BOF??

Only in that the EOC's Junior selectors decided to exclude members of (some subset of) the BOF-run British squads from their selections. BOF also like to put the (English) selection criteria for selection for Interland and the HIs on their website, but I'll leave that for somebody from north of the border to comment upon.

[Oldman]

BOF also like to put the (English) selection criteria for selection for Interland and the HIs on their website, but I'll leave that for somebody from north of the border to comment upon.

Perahps they do that because EOC ask them to? And I'm sure they'd do the same for SOA and the others, if they wanted that.

[MAPS]

RJ posted exactly what I was thinking.The selection criteria reads as though a 'B' squad is going to be selected.Even though my sons had a slim chance of getting selection, we went to every qualifying race. If we had known the top runners were going to get chosen, we would not have made the long trip to Broxbourne.For the next Interland it needs to be made clear whether it is the best runners to be selected, or not.

[mharky]

looks like a good team... it's no Scotland though

[HOCOLITE]

It is interesting to know how important this event is for the juniors but the seniors generally drop out enmass particularly the M/W21's. Maybe as it is in the UK it will be different this year. When my junior has his chance (pre Start selection) it was a great experience as he travelled as part of a GB team which ranged from him as as 13 year old up to the 60's. There was a lot of O experience in the team and it certainly was a high point in his O career.
Often Interland rewards the youngsters(and their parents) who are prepared to travel to the selection races. Generally the selections are not all the top juniors so some get that chance to don an England shirt and sweatshirt.
At the risk of offending the Welsh and Scots it is a little more sought after as it is not the same as being in a regional squad. I hasten to add that the fact that the regional squads are coincidental with the National squads in those countries is a quirk of the system. I'd be proud to be selected for any of the squads. Far too old now And not good enough anyway