Is Orienteering a sport?

[AlanB]

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"

That is just ignorance beyond belief. He has doubts as to whether orienteering is a sport and how does he resolve those doubts? Do a bit of research? Perhaps look at the Sport England website or, for even more authority, the ones for the International Olympic Committee or SportAccord (formerly known as General Association of International Sports Federations - GAISF)? No, he asks some people in the office.

And, surely even a local sports editor should have the intellectual capacity to understand that the sport you compete in can also be your hobby. I personally know people who compete in football (assocation, rugby league and union, GAA), athletics, swimming, hockey (field and ice), equestrianism, boxing, tennis, squash, badminton, golf and shinty. For every single person their competitive sport is their (often main) hobby.

As I said previously, there has been much anguish (and campaigning) about the future of traditional journalism in Britain, especially at local and regional level. IMHO the main threat does not come from the internet but because of the low quality of the 'journalists' themselves.

[Mrs H]

You are very right Alan - in my day only two establishments in the country offered a graduate level training for journalists - competition was intense and my contemporaries now people some very august organs Most young reporters were school leavers who had a very strict on the job training - even after being at college for 3 years - we had to do a two year apprenticeship.

Now every higher education establishment in the country offers media studies and training is not s regulated as it was - free sheets have no regulation to speak of. It is also cheaper to keep taking on juniors rather than retain experienced seniors - God knows where they end up - watching the Commonwealth Games in the afternoon But as I said to Ravinous the other day when he asked me if I deliberately put in a double space after a full stop, yes that is what I taught to do - along with a host of other things.

[mappingmum]

. . . . he asked me if I deliberately put in a double space after a full stop, yes . . . . .

Me too Mrs H but I'm sure a certain journalist in Kent has never heard of the concept, let alone implement it in written prose.

[Becks]

On re-reading that segment, I'm surprised anyone understands a word of his pieces anyway. Dreadful writing, dreadful man, clearly.

Sean, I am dying to know which paper he writes for. I'm thinking a large number of letters to the Editor here...

[awk]

Hi Sean

Whatever happens, this does need following up, but blasting the man would be counterproductive. I'd agree with Mrs H - this is something that should be addressed to the general editor of the paper, basically a (polite) complaint about the ignorance of sport of the man who is meant to be the paper's expert in the field. I would also utilise BO - this is something that they must help with. I would also utilise Sport England - you need them to contact the paper too - you should still have a regional office that should provide support. I'm sure there are others too, but basically, you need to bring in as many bigger guns as you can.

Frankly, I'm appalled at the man's ignorance - but then a lot of sports editors know nothing about sport. The very fact that he could only ask his (presumably less knowledgeable) colleagues says a lot about his lack of knowledge.

Incidentally, if that fails, then I'd try and investigate the ridicule route - I don't know whether you have any opportunities for other publicity outlets, but the line of a sports editor not even knowing what a sport is might have some mileage.

[Marco Polo]

not very polished, but then again i'm not that bored.

____________________________________________

BBC in shock 'hobby' allegations


Not since 'Big Daddy gate' has the reputation of 1970's saturday afternoon sport taken such a battering. Following allegations in the social media, BBC officials tried to brush off the profligate use of licence payers money to fund an hour of the sports flagship 'Grandstand' covering the 1976 World orienteering championships as a 'simple mistake'. Howver, according to 'perceptions' orienteering is in fact not a sport at all, but a hobby. In his allegations Mr. G. O. Cacher also said that the man behind the program London Marathon founder' and 4 minute mile pace setter, C Brasher clearly had no idea what a sport was "He only had to do a bit of research, he could even have asked around the office. Instead he compounded his 'simple mistake' by repeating it at christmas the same year.'

Swedish television sports is also facing probes about its extensive coverage of the hobbyists convention known as 'O-ringen'

[DeerTick]

I've done endurance running seriously (track, road. cross-country), football, rugby, tennis, table tennis, bowls, badminton, golf, etc, ...

Orienteering wipes the floor with them all, except marathon running.

[You may quote me]

AP.

[Roger]

To play Devil's advocate: this journalist is in the business of selling newspapers (or perhaps providing some words to fit round the adverts). The truth may not matter as much as the beliefs of his readership -- if they would scoff at 'that compass-and-pacing, bridge-building and boots-and-rucksacks and hobby' of orienteering sullying the pages where they expected to read about 'real' sports, then isn't he right to pander to their misconceptions? It's not his job to sell our sport. Or even to be polite to people seeking free advertising.

Some bright people write for the 'down-market' newspapers. They're paid to give the readers what they want to read, whatever the journalists may think of the story, not what the journalists believe or even (necessarily) what's right.

Having said that, 'new' is a powerful word. So a 'new' sport, which is clearly a sport because of those dynamic / attractive images that have been supplied, ought to attract interest from anyone except the most blinkered reader. Maybe someone senior on the paper will realise that.

[Mrs H]

It's important at this point to differentiate between national papers and local papers and what they are for. You are right there are some very good writers working for down market tabloids (which as you all already know I'm a big fan of as they are so entertaining) but local papers - proper newspapers which are regulated by the Newspaper Society - should reflect the community they purport to represent and what tends to sell local papers is people's desire to read about people and places they know (photos of groups of children are a classic example as everyone in the family buys an extra copy - The Gazette has just started publishing pictures of all the local primary schools new reception classes at the start of Autumn term- ha ha). They buy papers because they want to know what's going on in their town and keep an eye on the housing and job market.

If orienteering is going on in their town then they should know about it. whether that appears in the sports pages or not would very much depend on the individual story. If it is a piece about a competitive performance then yes , if it's a piece about some orienteering initiative then possibly general news would be better. There was quite a long running story about the gymnastics club getting their own premises which went in the news section as I recall. Similarly the loss of some facilities would attract similar coverage.

I'm still not sure if this is a proper newspaper - if it is then this bloke should have qualified under the ministration of the National Council for the Training of Journalists under whom he will have served a three year post A level or a two year PG apprenticeship which ends up with a pretty comprehensive work assessment and a rather gruelling exam at the end - after which he becomes a fully qualified senior reporter. His behaviour is so unprofessional that either ha hasn't done any of that or he has and he's just very bad at his job - after all one thing you learn in local papers is you keep coming into contact with the same people over and over again and in many different contexts (the sort of people who actually get off their back sides and do things tend to do lots of different things) so you'd be a mug to put someone's nose out of joint for no reason

[andypat]

To play Devil's advocate: this journalist is in the business of selling newspapers (or perhaps providing some words to fit round the adverts). The truth may not matter as much as the beliefs of his readership -- if they would scoff at 'that compass-and-pacing, bridge-building and boots-and-rucksacks and hobby' of orienteering sullying the pages where they expected to read about 'real' sports, then isn't he right to pander to their misconceptions? It's not his job to sell our sport. Or even to be polite to people seeking free advertising.

Yes but if that was the case the right thing to do would have been a polite response saying that the paper didnt have room for additional sports copy of that nature at present. Not the rude and illinformed repsonse that this person sent.

[mharky]

Not running the story because you don't think the sport is big enough is completely different to not running the story because you don't think it's a sport...

[geomorph]

I've enjoyed your taking up of the gauntlet; shame the challenger called in sick.

Thought it would be of interest to compare us with a sport that the challenger's paper does report. the characteristics are somewhat abstract in order to make them comparable. it just the manner in which each is carried out that is different

At the end I've listed two key differences - there are many more I know you can add. This also then allows orienteering to be identified if you haven't done so already.
What is the other sport - and given this list is it a sport?
edit: I've cocked up on formatting this. 3 cols per row: char, sport 1, sport 2, cells for sport 1/2 either Y or N
Sport Sport
Characteristic 1 2
Competition Y Y
Recreation Y Y
Individual Y Y
Team Y Y
Leagues Y Y
Rankings Y Y
Uses course for conduct Y Y
Uses Control points Y Y
Requires Navigation assessment Y Y
Requires Navigation execution Y Y
Employs multiple navigation Y Y
techniques
Allows route choice Y Y
Has optimal attack points Y Y
Comprises one or more leg/course Y Y
Different leg lengths Y Y
Different challenges per leg Y Y
Multi-day competition Y Y
Terrain features part of challenge Y Y
Has minimum score winner format Y Y
Has maximum score winner format Y Y
Every control point must be visited Y Y
Cannot legally proceed to next Y Y
control point until registered at
current
One format requires each leg must Y Y
be taken in the prescribed order
Accuracy across the terrain is critical Y Y
Requires physical conditioning Y Y
Requires technique training Y Y
Clear rules of competition Y Y
Requires specialised tool to do it Y Y
Local, regional, national
International levels Y Y
Clubs Y Y
Governing bodies Y Y


Constant and sustained physical
effort N Y
Constant and sustained mental effort N Y

[Ant W]

I take it "sport" 1 had quite an important event for its most proficient hobbyists at the weekend....

[graeme]

But as I said to Ravinous the other day when he asked me if I deliberately put in a double space after a full stop, yes that is what I taught to do - along with a host of other things.

Like starting sentences with "But", confusing dashes and hyphens and interchangable use of the verbs to learn and to teach?

If only I knew what that thing you use at the start of proper nouns was...

graeme

[EddieH]

How about: (Not knowing the paper I've used our local rag as an example)

Dear Sports Editor,

I am writing to protest at you almost total failure to report on sports at all. If your paper wishes to bore us with people's hobbies then at least you could have the honesty to keep thewm off the sports pages.

Of your 4 pages under the heading of sport what do we get?

About two thirds of page 20 is actually taken up with sport, two rather dull but important articles on administrative matters on two of our local football clubs. This leaves just one proper sports story with a very interesting review of the career of one of our longest standing footballers.

Sharing this page we have a picture of some gy participating in his hobby on Turning to page 19 we have nearly a whole page given to a lot of old men spending their Sunday going for a walk with a ball and a few clubs and a little bit about some rich folk ramling round on horseback.

Page 18 has more people with more money than sense ruining the peace of the countryside on their motorbikes. Not much better you think we want to know about a whole load of pedal cyclists pursuing their weekend hobby. Also we have half the page talking about a tiny minority of people that like to his a ball with a bit of willow and indulge in large teas (I couldn't be bothered to read the article to see if the latter was described in any detail).

Finaly page 17 is totally devoted to a lot of local people imitating the real sport of football. As there is nothing to play for it is abundantly clear that this is their weekend hobby and therefore has no place whatever on a sports page.

Oh, and I notice you have another half page devoted to people running round the streets, and even less interestingly swimming lengths of our local pool.

May I respectfully suggest that if you cannot find enough sports to report on that you limit your coverage to one page.

Yours .....