Focus and new staff

[distracted]

This may, indeed, be a good reason to be "glad" that orienteering is/was not mentioned in the "publicity" for these events. The very idea that "Joe Public" exposed to Xplorer or RunChallenge would see those travesties as typical of "real" orienteering fills me with dread and foreboding. At least when someone says they tried either then we, in the know, can say that you haven't tried real orienteering with real orienteering maps (be it the Urban, park or forest versions, or even the street versions using OOM -- like the one I've planned for tomorrow)

Although we'd love it not to be the case, I'd wager that the majority of the population don't know what 'real' orienteering is... The fact that people are running around with maps is a far closer experience than the classic hiking & rucksacks stereotype that gets bandied around. Now that is the real travesty.

For some, using 'orienteering' in the marketing may have been offputting to them trying in the first place. One bad/unrepresentative "experience" of the "sport" can lose someone for life. That's the hurdle you have to overcome.

[SeanC]

Did anyone visit the Xplorer event at the JK? What did you think?

[Toni]

Following on from this post we attended 2 Xplorer events (April 16th Blaby - my dad and kids) and JK (Andy and kids). The latter was better than the former but issues with each. The Blaby event was incredibly busy as it was combined with a free easter egg hunt (which is great but as a result the map was black and white which wasn't great - a second course used an odd representation of the ground which was awful). I couldn't work out why the controls were mapped with squares rather than circles other than to be different but at the JK they did have 2 courses, one with squares and one with circles. Control placement was not perfect at the JK and I heard reports from another orienteer that they went to another Xplorer event with shocking control placement. The multiple choice questions at both events were the same and neither my dad or Andy could answer them (focused on plants) so my 3 or 6 year old didn't have a chance. I personally didn't like the colours on the map but I think that is because I am so familiar with the yellow for grass - I also think this was confusing for the kids as I had taught them that yellow was grass and now had to teach them that green was grass - so the transfer of learning is problematic from that point of view. That said Andy felt that it was more intuitive for children.
So mixed view on this from me I guess - the fact that they got so many children out on a free easter egg hunt probably looks good for numbers but translation is likely to be poor.

[awk]

So mixed view on this from me I guess - the fact that they got so many children out on a free easter egg hunt probably looks good for numbers but translation is likely to be poor.

A case of never mind the quality feel the width perhaps?
I do worry about this 'numbers' game. Number of people participating does not necessarily equal success - the quality of participation is to my mind so much more important, and Xplorer strikes me as pretty dead end.

Referring back to previous references: as a primary school we use Quicksticks and other introductory schemes to get children experiencing different sports, but every one of them has a logical and pretty seamless route into the more 'traditional' sport. Thus, although we use Quicksticks, the top end is now playing minihockey and moving into full scale hockey. The skills are directly transferable. Having looked at Xplorer, there are simply too many differences for my taste, and there is no obvious link (Quicksticks is all about introducing 'hockey'). The concept is a good one, but I'm not convinced by the detail of the execution. I hope to be proved wrong, but 'wrong' for me isn't about raw numbers, but about the quality, i.e. those who keep coming back and those who move into the sport (can't see Xplorer appealing much as t he child grows older).

[Kitch]

British Orienteering has brought Xplorer to the JK to demonstrate what it is all about. In 2013 over 10,000 people in the North West, North East and East Midland areas of Britain took part in Xplorer. In 2014 our aim is to deliver Xplorer to over 30,000 individuals across Britain.

Work long enough in a big company and you learn to recognise what is driving behaviour.

"In 2014 our aim is to deliver Xplorer to over 30,000 individuals "
and that will be precisely what they do.
doesn't need to be any good

[PhilJ]

Was MH at the JK? Just wonder if anyone spoke to him to see what he thought of it? I was a bit busy on the starts for day 1 so did not manage to have a good wander round, but the Univ looked great from all the photos taken.

[NeilC]

Was MH at the JK? Just wonder if anyone spoke to him to see what he thought of it? I was a bit busy on the starts for day 1 so did not manage to have a good wander round, but the Univ looked great from all the photos taken.

From his e-News

"I was around on Friday and Saturday and managed to catch up with a few people which was great. Friday looked a real spectacle and, with around 2,000 entries to the sprint, was the largest sprint yet at the JK. Sally our Major Events Manager attended her first JK and it will be interesting to talk with her about the feedback and review. Sally will be collecting feedback from participants about the event; watch the news on the website for more information about how she will collect the feedback."

[PhilJ]

sounds promising, but what is MH's e-News?

[Tatty]

Never seen it or heard any mention of it. Is it supposed to be for orienteers to read?

[DJM]

I had a lengthy chat with Mike on Friday afternoon. He was definitely there!

[sloaner]

It is a fortnightly email that Mike had recently sent out to club secretaries. Ask yours to forward it as it is nothing secret and a valuable initiative.

[Big Jon]

I had a lengthy chat with Mike on Friday afternoon. He was definitely there!

Ahh yes David - but you are one of the great and good, therefore worthy of talking to.

[PhilJ]

might be better for MH to put a blog - "MH muse" on the BO website as getting info out of club secretaries is not a goer...depends very much on if the secretary wants/can be bothered to share the info with all the club membership seeing as there is nothing secret and it is a valuable inititative.

Re feedback - I am already compiling mine from the day 1 start...incoming !!!!!!

[Spookster]

It is a fortnightly email that Mike had recently sent out to club secretaries. Ask yours to forward it as it is nothing secret and a valuable initiative.

Not just club secretaries.

There were several queries regarding whether it could be copied on to club members and asking who it had been sent to. The original eNews of 4 April 2014 was sent to all club and association chairs, secretaries and where we have contacts for them, publicity officers. Please feel free to recirculate if that is your wish.

[Gross]

I had a lengthy chat with Mike on Friday afternoon. He was definitely there!

Ahh yes David - but you are one of the great and good, therefore worthy of talking to.

But Musgrave.... you know you are greater and gooder