Lord Fred wrote:when (have faith andy) orienteering explodes into the mainstream we will have these people to thank
BSOA - a lot has been said that schools are the best place for orienteering to start. School in sport is in a decline so if one teacher makes an effort to take kids to an event then maybe future champions can emerge.
Junior Squad Co-ordinators - after school the junior squads take over. a squad with a varied program(tours to scandi, domestic training,transport to major events) will produce the best athletes.
Chepls, Mhairi and Scotia - these three are all something else. predictions are a waste of time because who knows what may happen but they really stand out as good quality athletes.
Speakey - there is nothing like this guy anywhere.
McCarthy - (well apart from this guy)
Jamie, Dan, JD and Heather - every sport needs there idols to look up to. Reasonable effort has been made with Jamie Stevenson trophy,JD and Heather autograhing at the JK etc but how about interviews and articles in newspapers magazines. Surely a british world champion doesn't deserve to have his recognition met by a few lines in the results service in the back of the Times.
Sophie Furness - Marketing at BOF. as the boss always tells me marketing is key if you want to sell anything. i think a lot has been done to get companies involved in terms of sponsership for major events. more money in the sport results in a greater profile
pyrat - the creators of nopesport surely the finest orienteering website around. the world is being more internet driven. forums, news etc brings everyone closer together and people become more interested (also noted are the founding fathers of the UK O revolution M.Strain and D. Peel)
Hyman and Godders (and for anyone else who stands there training orienteers week in week out) its a physical sport the fastest person wins and these people are going to get you there.
the old boys (Big Jon, Gross etc) - the stories that filter through to the juniors are amazing e.g. big jon living in his car around scandi for a summer - classic .so much so that hitching on the forth road bridge to go training was know as doing it musgrave style. true legends the lot of them.
anyway there we go i will probably add some more when i think about it.
feel free to argue away and add you own and no mark you can't vote for yourself
the most influential people in British O at the moment
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Re: the most influential people in British O at the moment
- Steler
- white
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Sophie Furness - Marketing at BOF. as the boss always tells me marketing is key if you want to sell anything. i think a lot has been done to get companies involved in terms of sponsership for major events. more money in the sport results in a greater profile
While I quite like the work that sophie has done, it will take more than a Hagloff top (whatever that might be) and a pair of socks to put her in my list - but perhaps it's early days yet?
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Mrs H. - nope godmother
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Sophie Furness
Don't want to sound a creep, but as far a I can see, Sophie has and is doing a huge amount for the sport starting from a very low position!
The Outdoor Show must surely be an excellent way to meet many of the right potential people.
I just hope that whatever budget she is paid out of continues and doesn't get cut like so many others!
Must agree that instant national recognition of our sport is a bit of a pipe dream - local exposure is easier and is much more likely to attract people. After all, how many newcomers to the sport want to immediately compete at national events etc? The VAST majority will start with a taster and then become more committed as long as they are suitably welcomed by their local club - taking part initially in local events only.
It isn't all about attracting new people though - what about retaining the existing ones?
The Outdoor Show must surely be an excellent way to meet many of the right potential people.
I just hope that whatever budget she is paid out of continues and doesn't get cut like so many others!
Must agree that instant national recognition of our sport is a bit of a pipe dream - local exposure is easier and is much more likely to attract people. After all, how many newcomers to the sport want to immediately compete at national events etc? The VAST majority will start with a taster and then become more committed as long as they are suitably welcomed by their local club - taking part initially in local events only.
It isn't all about attracting new people though - what about retaining the existing ones?
- D,J,J&Ms Dad
- off string
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I'm not knocking Sophie, which you'll see if you read my posting carefully, as I say I think she is doing a good job - but that's the point isn't it, it's her job, it's exactly what we pay her to do - whether through our subs, our taxes or our lottery tickets. It's a world away from the armies of nameless volunteers who make the sport actually happen. As for keeping the existing members BOf could certainly help by cutting down the paper work. the one word answer is "simplification"
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Mrs H. - nope godmother
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i reckon clare evans (the woman behind UVHS) has done a pretty good job with juniors, because she has actually brought them up to the level where they are able to be in the nwjs and go on tours, which is quite rare in schools orienteering. UVHS juniors seem to make up a good proportion of the nwjs!
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helen - junior moderator
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Out of curiosity, Helen, do you know Claire at all??
I have first hand experience of her plus the UVHS lot. The reason so many people are good from UVHS is that orienteering is pretty much compulsary at school, when you are looking at the numbers she puts through, about a 1000-1200 since I met her, you are going to get the few good orienteers. I think you are confusing someone who gets good orienteers, and someone who made the sport accessible to all.As for their results at British Schools - the sheer number of orienteers they put out - they are going to have some good results, and dilute the whole of the fields.
How many UVHS people orienteer into university.....????
I know of very few. In fact in the five minutes I have stopped and thought I know of 3. That is the same number of people who orienteer on a regular basis still, who came from my school. Forcing kids into doing orienteering like that does the sport no favors, as it does not retain people in the sport, lowering the reputation overall.
However, I think you are missing some of the great coaches that are around, who don't get mentioned on a regular enough basis.
I think the people who don' t get the credit are the teachers from schools with weaker orienteering backgrounds, who encourage the kids to orienteer rather than as a forced thing.
I have first hand experience of her plus the UVHS lot. The reason so many people are good from UVHS is that orienteering is pretty much compulsary at school, when you are looking at the numbers she puts through, about a 1000-1200 since I met her, you are going to get the few good orienteers. I think you are confusing someone who gets good orienteers, and someone who made the sport accessible to all.As for their results at British Schools - the sheer number of orienteers they put out - they are going to have some good results, and dilute the whole of the fields.
How many UVHS people orienteer into university.....????
I know of very few. In fact in the five minutes I have stopped and thought I know of 3. That is the same number of people who orienteer on a regular basis still, who came from my school. Forcing kids into doing orienteering like that does the sport no favors, as it does not retain people in the sport, lowering the reputation overall.
However, I think you are missing some of the great coaches that are around, who don't get mentioned on a regular enough basis.
I think the people who don' t get the credit are the teachers from schools with weaker orienteering backgrounds, who encourage the kids to orienteer rather than as a forced thing.
- Guest
On the other hand, what's better;
everyone exposed to orienteering, lots of people try it and decide it's not for them but a few go on to do good things and at least those who don't do it know what it is
or
no-one has a clue what orienteering is, and those that do have a few think it's "something with hiking or like that?", which means hundreds of potential converts are not even lost, they're just never found in the first place
I know which one I reckon is better. I think Claire's to be applauded for the fact that orienteering is "pretty much compulsary" at UVHS - if only that were true at every school, and the orienteering there was involved going to proper events rather than schools leagues or just going round the school grounds.
And yes, I know Claire and that every orienteering trip becomes a school trip (I've been on one or two of them) - but at least the orienteering trips happen. That's the important thing. When you're a teacher taking a group of school kids to do something like orienteering then you're going to want to be definitely in charge. Imagine what would be all over the papers if one of the UVHS pupils got into serious trouble at an o-event (of the stuck out on an exposed bit of open fell rather than with the forces of law and order)...
Sorry, bit of an incoherent rant but I don't think there's such a thing as bad exposure of orienteering (although did anyone see the article on drugs in the last OSM, I'm not sure that's the kind of publicity that's wanted)
everyone exposed to orienteering, lots of people try it and decide it's not for them but a few go on to do good things and at least those who don't do it know what it is
or
no-one has a clue what orienteering is, and those that do have a few think it's "something with hiking or like that?", which means hundreds of potential converts are not even lost, they're just never found in the first place
I know which one I reckon is better. I think Claire's to be applauded for the fact that orienteering is "pretty much compulsary" at UVHS - if only that were true at every school, and the orienteering there was involved going to proper events rather than schools leagues or just going round the school grounds.
And yes, I know Claire and that every orienteering trip becomes a school trip (I've been on one or two of them) - but at least the orienteering trips happen. That's the important thing. When you're a teacher taking a group of school kids to do something like orienteering then you're going to want to be definitely in charge. Imagine what would be all over the papers if one of the UVHS pupils got into serious trouble at an o-event (of the stuck out on an exposed bit of open fell rather than with the forces of law and order)...
Sorry, bit of an incoherent rant but I don't think there's such a thing as bad exposure of orienteering (although did anyone see the article on drugs in the last OSM, I'm not sure that's the kind of publicity that's wanted)
Anonymous took aim for an easy pot-shot and wrote:Out of curiosity, Helen, do you know Claire at all??
I have first hand experience of her plus the UVHS lot. The reason so many people are good from UVHS is that orienteering is pretty much compulsary at school, when you are looking at the numbers she puts through, about a 1000-1200 since I met her, you are going to get the few good orienteers. I think you are confusing someone who gets good orienteers, and someone who made the sport accessible to all.As for their results at British Schools - the sheer number of orienteers they put out - they are going to have some good results, and dilute the whole of the fields.
How many UVHS people orienteer into university.....????
I know of very few. In fact in the five minutes I have stopped and thought I know of 3. That is the same number of people who orienteer on a regular basis still, who came from my school. Forcing kids into doing orienteering like that does the sport no favors, as it does not retain people in the sport, lowering the reputation overall.
However, I think you are missing some of the great coaches that are around, who don't get mentioned on a regular enough basis.
I think the people who don' t get the credit are the teachers from schools with weaker orienteering backgrounds, who encourage the kids to orienteer rather than as a forced thing.
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Ed - diehard
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As a UVHS orienteer, can I just point out that orienteering is not 'pretty much compulsary' at all, it is simply an interesting sport which involves lots of trips away at weekends and hence entices a lot of new year 7's. Claire (and many parents) then put in a lot of effort teaching them to orienteer in the knowledge that at least a third will drop out in the first year. Lots of people do though continue and there is 5 ex UVHS girls on the start list for BUSA. I'm not necesarily saying I agree with all her methods but it is good she still exposes people to the sport and in my opinion every teacher who get's kids into orienteering deserves recognition, as do all the coaches who give up their time to coach kids to a higher level but there being so many of these people no-one is going to be able to mention all of them hence it is up to the individuals to show their appreciation for all the support they have been given.
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cj - yellow
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