National O Series 2013

[aiming off]

Its the time of year when I try to work with Junior Squad members to set goals and objectives for the 2012/13 season and develop a sensible periodised training plan that matches.

So what is the National O Series?

What events are included?

What relevance will it have to selection for international teams? JWOC/Interland/EYOC etc?

Can anyone shed any light on this: it really ought to have been better publicised by now?

[aiming off]

Silence

This is supposed to be central to next years fixtures structure, with a lot of work performed.

From Fixtures Group of 17th March

"There was a general discussion about the new National O Series and a report on the current situation with the draft 2013 schedule of events. It was felt that the new competition should be publicised well in advance so that competitors and officials knew about it and understood it before they started to enter events in 2013."

From the Minutes of 21st April Events Committee

"The name was agreed as the UK Orienteering League with the option to add UK Relay League.

A small group was formed to take this forward for the launch of the 2013 UK Orienteering league by the Event Officials conference on the 8th/9th September."

Anyone know whether it was launched?

[andy]

Silence

This is supposed to be central to next years fixtures structure, with a lot of work performed.

This is supposed to be an informal forum, so you are not guaranteed a response and any response you are given is not guaranteed to be accurate. Perhaps phoning the BO(F) office would be the most appropriate way forward?

[Pete_Bog]

Dave Peel had a list of the list of fixtures at the conference, but I was attending a mapping discussion while that topic was discussed and only caught the very end of the item. I cannot remember all of the many events included.

There are many Nopers who were at the conference who should be able to supply the information. I can't imagine that the fixtures aren't fixed at this stage of the season!

[Gross]

This is supposed to be an informal forum, so you are not guaranteed a response and any response you are given is not guaranteed to be accurate. Perhaps phoning the BO(F) office would be the most appropriate way forward?

Actually probably the most appropriate way forward is for BOF to publicize this new National Competition through as many channels as possible rather than individual BOF members being suggested to phone BOF for an answer.

[DJM]

The next Focus will provide all the answers, it seems.

[EddieH]

And why do BOF have a website

[mharky]

And why do BOF have a website

To let us know which clubs have achieved Clubmark status?

[andy]

Actually probably the most appropriate way forward is for BOF to publicize this new National Competition through as many channels as possible rather than individual BOF members being suggested to phone BOF for an answer.

I'm not suggesting anyone phones BOF for the answer to the original question, more for an answer as to when it will be made public, through whatever means.

[graeme]

It was noted that one of the proposed National O Series events in 2013 was scheduled against a British (sic) Relay League race. It was suggested that this would be to the detriment of participation in the Relay League.

... and then they were disbanded.

[AN-Orienteer]

Our club is keen to avoid scheduling events against NOS events that might take participation away. We asked our Association Fixtures Secretary what firm details they had about next year's series, but they had none. That's not good.

[SJC]

The next Focus will provide all the answers, it seems.

To re-iterate a previous point. If the information is going in to Focus, why not publish it on the web site now ?

[Kitch]

I dunno, maybe they are not active orienteers and it doesn't occur to them that it might be useful / interesting to members ?

[Paul Frost]

There are still a lot of people that think the web is a secondary communication method and that print is the prime one.
I'm constantly asking people why they didn't send stuff to the website after I see it in print, and mostly the answer is that it didn't even occur to them!

[aiming off]

The main series of events for Juniors is the Future Champions Cup

This used to be fantastic. Excellent series of events, fitting in to a sensible seasons training plan,culminating in a final in high quality terrain, with automatic qualification for major international events for the winners.

Witness Oban 2006 FCC Final in Craig Mhic. Everyone was inspired and made the effort to be there.

Since then the FCC has been progressively broken. In 2010 the FCC final was blurred with the British Champs. In 2011 the final was moved to October, became irrelevant, and only 4-6 entered each course. Two weeks before the closing date for this years irrelevant final we have one entry in each of W18, M18, and M20. (The winner of W20 is still up for grabs). I do hope I'm proved wrong and we get 56 entries in the next fortnight.

So I'm hoping that Focus will have something that can really inspire juniors in 2013: but not holding my breath.