BOF becomes English Again

[awk]

Lets be honest the soul of the sport lies is in the forest, fighting it out in tough physical technical terrain. Thats where I've got my best memories anyway.

Hey Dids - you're sounding more and more like on of those old fogeys reminiscing about 'them were the good old days'.

I agree, there's nothing like racing in high quality terrain, but sprint/urban racing is an important new channel that my club for one is certainly finding invaluable for retaining/recruiting younger adult orienteers. Terrain might be the soul of the sport for you (it is for me too, but then I'm an even older fogey!), but we've got members whose introduction and early development in the sport has been almost all sprint/urban based. Times, they are-a-changing!

[PhilJ]

So who can attend these Talent Identification days? Current orienteering juniors who are trying/already broken through in their age classes (M/W 14/18) or non orienteers only?

It is odd that there is no 'O' experience needed yet one of the tests is a 'O' specific test.

Is this only an English thing or can juniors over the various borders/waters attend, for example it's not that far from Bristol for some welsh juniors to attend.

It's just odd (again) that this is on the front page of BO website if the approach is NOT to attract current BO juniors, why post it if they are not eligible.

Sounds a good idea but the bulletin is lacking in the eligibility criteria and all being held in school hours when most juniors will be in school, though some schools may be on half term break (but not all I would guess).

[IanD]

Going back to the title of this thread, I see the English Orienteering AGM has been announced on the BOF home page.

I trust the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish AGM's will also be announced in due course?

[SeanC]

It's just odd (again) that this is on the front page of BO website if the approach is NOT to attract current BO juniors, why post it if they are not eligible.

Sounds a good idea but the bulletin is lacking in the eligibility criteria and all being held in school hours when most juniors will be in school, though some schools may be on half term break (but not all I would guess).

I would imagine the majority of schools will be on holiday that week as (even in Scotland) as that week starts with a bank holiday.

The publicity is a little vague on who they are looking for (perhaps deliberately?) but I think it's worth passing on the information to juniors who we know have potential but have only been to a few events because they do other sports, or because they or the parents are happy sticking to occasional local events or schools events. Maybe the idea is also that we pass on the information to our local keen orienteering schools and youth groups that we know about?

I think for the 14-18 age group this is a good opportunity to sell the sport and get them keen. Compared to other sports there are some really good selling points - these juniors are more likely to win something than in the more popular sports or make regional and national teams, and there's the excuse to travel which should really appeal. These things might not be obvious to a junior who has just done 2 or 3 schools events. The days will presumably present a more athletic and youthful image than a standard CATI or a local event, and might enthuse some who would otherwise drift away from the sport.

[Oldman]

Going back to the title of this thread, I see the English Orienteering AGM has been announced on the BOF home page.

I trust the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish AGM's will also be announced in due course?

I would imagine they would if they choose to ask for this.

[JK]

I was puzzled at the ages mentioned. In Lithuania last week I mentioned I had started orienteering at 15 and this was deemed to be already too late (although so so long ago that you'd think I'd have learned how to do it by now).

I noticed recently the Talent ID link on the British Biathlon Union website which looked for potential athletes who could:
1. Run 3000m in under 10:00 mins (Men), 11:30 mins (Women)
2. Multi Stage Bleep Test: Level 14 (Men), Level 12 (Women)
3. Run 400m in under: 1:00 min (Men), 1:05 mins (Women)
4. Run 800m in under: 2:30 mins (Men), 2:40 (Women)
5. Military Personnel, PFT: 9:00 mins (Men), 9:30 mins (Women)
6. Do a 'Biathlon Strength Test' check the link to see what is involved

Hmm ... no shooting nor skiing mentioned there ...

JK

[Gross]

I'm a great fan of setting athletic targets for athletes. Doing so in the Talent ID procedure would mean potential orienteers have the physical assets

[binman]

I would imagine the majority of schools will be on holiday that week as (even in Scotland) as that week starts with a bank holiday.

Sorry SeanC but you imagine wrong. The late-May or Spring Bank Holiday has never been a BH in Scotland as far as I know and the schools in the north east will be operating as normal on that day.

[SeanC]

I got it from here http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/bank-holidays

have I been mislead by the internet?

[smf]

I got it from here http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/bank-holidays

have I been mislead by the internet?

No, binman has confused his bank holidays with his public holidays. The bank holidays (as in banks only) have the same holidays as England/Wales for business reasons. Schools take local public holidays which are different and these dates are not the same in all areas of Scotland.

Edit: There is a brief description of the differences in the FAQ section http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/bank-holidays/FAQs.

[SeanC]

Well, you learn something new every day.

[LostAgain]

So who can attend these Talent Identification days? Current orienteering juniors who are trying/already broken through in their age classes (M/W 14/18) or non orienteers only?

I find it interesting that BO are doing this. It is only 2 years since BO dismattled the old identification programme i.e.

Lagganlia Tour 2nd Year 14's
Badaguish 1st Year 16's
Upsala 2nd Year 16's
Halden 1st Year 18's

Superimposed over this was the British Start Squad for the identified atheletes.

The Regional Coaches off their own backs have managed to resurrect the Lagganlia Tour financed by the athletes. It would appear that they have managed to secure with Nicks support a Swedish Tour for this year.

[awk]

The Regional Coaches off their own backs have managed to resurrect the Lagganlia Tour financed by the athletes. It would appear that they have managed to secure with Nicks support a Swedish Tour for this year.

And the autumn regional squads weekend?

[EddieH]

As an aside on local Scottish holidays, every town, and village around here has its own local holidays, some tiny places even have about 10 a year. Really wierd when UK dealing businesses close down on apparently random days

[SJC]

I find it interesting that BO are doing this. It is only 2 years since BO dismantled the old identification programme.

That system was very good at developing juniors who were already capable of competing at a reasonably high level in the sport. What this initiative seems to be looking for is high quality athletes / runners who have had little or no exposure to orienteering so wouldn't have been considered for the above. However with some intensive high level coaching and training they could make it to the top.

This still leaves the question though of where this coaching and training is going to come from and who is going to pay for it.