JWOC/EYOC selections

[andy]

Interesting take on MH view from his latest e-news (as read on SOC website!)

"JWOC 2014 Selections

I’ll quickly make two further comments, firstly the decision by our selection panel to only select 3 women may not have been liked by some members but it was a brave decision and there were rational reasons for the decisions that led to that situation. As much as I would like the selection panel to make public that rationale we cannot as it would infringe privacy laws. Secondly I have been disappointed at the response from some members – not those I hasten to add who have legitimately sought to understand the rationale but from a number of members who have either made unnecessary personal comments about some staff/volunteers or who have just sought to condemn the decision without any attempt to understand the rationale. I’m a firm believer that everyone makes good decisions. It’s usually that the information they had was poor or people have the benefit of hindsight!"

If the ladies selection was initially a "good decision" then why was a completely separate problem used as an excuse to re-make it?

[Mrs H]

Um - I'm afraid you cannot play this one two ways. I can't help thinking if the decision was good then the programme is bad.

[graeme]

I'm afraid you cannot play this one two ways.

Course you can. Did you never get overruled by your boss?
The selector's original decision may have be the right one for the athlete's long term development. It could then be overturned at a higher level to keep other people in the sport happy.

I've no idea if that is what happened. But if it did, then one might expect any self respecting Talent Manager to resign.

[Mrs H]

Other people in the sport like who?
(Overruled by my boss - are you crazy?)

[Spookster]

BOF have still to announce selections for the Junior European Cup (JEC), which are to be based on the same races as JWOC/EYOC. JEC is being staged in Belgium at the beginning of October.

An update on the JEC selections process/criteria has been published here.

[Glucosamine]

"Professional attitude (for example as evidenced by commitment to, and co-operation in,
planned talent & performance programme sessions)"

Seems like an interesting (and generally encouraging) variation on previous wording. But how long is it now since we were all amateur athletes and had to run under a pseudonym in professional hill races to avoid being banned from AAA / FRA events?

Good luck to all selected.

[PhilJ]

Good strap line for Canada's High Performance Programme:

Talent + Dedication + Support → Performance + Growth

[mharky]

I'd add "opportunity" into that equation

[DavidJ]

I'd add "opportunity" into that equation

As the catalyst?

[SJC]

This subject generated eighteen pages of discussion last year and I think it is about to generate some more. The newly announced BOF selection policy for 2015 includes the statement that they do not intend to take M16 and W16 teams to EYOC this year.

With a Junior team being taken to JEC at the end of 2014 it looked as though the whole issue of junior teams being entered for international competitions had been resolved. However this is clearly not the case. Furthermore, in a cynical piece of manoeuvering this selection policy has been published the week after the closing date for proposals to be submitted to the AGM, thus removing any possibility of the decision being over-ruled by the membership. Is this any way for a governing body to behave?

[Broken Ground]

All selections will be discretionary and based on the judgement of the British Orienteering Performance Manager and Selector, Jackie Newton or the delegated Selector... The Selector will take full account of the criteria that is defined for each competition and published in the competition selection criteria.

6 weeks out from the JK, an absence of a published selection criteria for JWOC/EYOC is a similarly interesting decision.

Still, I suppose announcing that there won't be M/W16 teams is better than everyone just assuming there will be, and then none get selected. Just brings the Nopesport firestorm forward a few months and results in fewer disappointed M/W16s on selection day.

[Snail]

in a cynical piece of manoeuvering this selection policy has been published the week after the closing date for proposals to be submitted to the AGM

The statement about not taking M/W16s to EYOC is in the "... Selection 2015" document dated 12 December. Has this only just ben issued, despite the December date? Or are you suggesting it has been amended since original publication?

[frostbite]

The document I think we are referring to

http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/i ... 202015.pdf

is dated 12th December in the text, but the document properties say it was created on the 20th February. I know I looked for this information in December and it wasn't available then.

[graeme]

EYOC 16 age class: The decision not to enter a GBR 16 age class team has not been taken lightly and more appropriate alternative training/competition will be established. Resources are limited and entering the 16 age class is not considered to be resource and cost effective. Staff and athletes do not have sufficient time to become acquainted prior to the EYOC and this places undue pressure on both athletes and staff. It is also considered that putting athletes at this early stage in GBR kit before they have been a part of the talent programme sets expectations and aspirations that are inappropriate and misleading to athletes and their families. Exceptional athletes in age class 16 may be selected for age class 18 and may be advised to enter the 18 age class at the JK.

Personally, I'm OK with this. There were too many races dragging the 16s hither and yon last year, it's not an age where the kids really have the self-confidence to refuse to resist social pressure to do things.

[buzz]

Personally, I'm OK with this. There were too many races dragging the 16s hither and yon last year, it's not an age where the kids really have the self-confidence to refuse to resist social pressure to do things.

Sorry Graeme you usually talk sense, but where were the 16s being dragged to last year, and what are you talking about in your second sentencec