World Schools Selection

[Mrs H.]

Yes I do have an axe to grind, yes this is sour grapes and yes I have put my name to it
BUT
Am I the only person pissed off this morning with these selections!
IF the BSOA insists on adopting the "Whole School Team" rule for 3 places in each of the select teams - then surely they should embrace the spirit of their own principle.
To me sending 2 year 12 boys out who obviously went round most of the course together in the slowest possible time and both managed to get disqualified in the process sounds more like rent-a-friend and makes a mockery of all those who worked hard to get a proper team together - How I wish I had been cynical enough to work out that principle two years ago

[mharky]

Those are the rules, they had a team and JW performed better.

Everyone goes to school, everyone should be eligable.

The School Team team is the team aspect of the team competition. The select team should be a select team, not another school team team competition.

shouldn't we try and send the best team?

[Fratello de Pingu]

I agree with Mrs. H

[Mrs H.]

On the face of it I agree with you - but explain to me if you can then why in the junior girls select team CH has been passed over - she performed better in the selection race than the girl who has been selected (this is not a school team issue I agree - but where is the consistency).

I am not suggesting that JW should not be going - obviously he one of the most outstanding orienteers of his age - I'm just not sure I agree what catagory he should have been selected in.

Mharky now you'e edited your post my reply makes no sense -
It's the BSOA's rule on whole school teams and I think it's pretty daft one if they are after the best team they can get
all I'm saying is if they insist on applying this rule then they should at least be seen to be applying it for the reason it was introduced in the first place - to encourage schools orienteering not tokensim.

So sod off - it's got nothing to do with you,

there you go again - don't tell me you used to be indecisive but now you're not so sure!

[Guest]

We should try and send the best team we can for this, shouldn't we?

Disagree ! The best competitors get selected for all sorts of other junior international events. This is a schools event. I would restrict the team only to competitors whose schools enter a team in the Schools Championships, and by a team I would expect more than just the minimum number. The top people should be supported by their school, not just a few friends to make up the numbers.

[Fratello de Pingu]

We should try and send the best team we can for this, shouldn't we?

Disagree ! The best competitors get selected for all sorts of other junior international events. This is a schools event. I would restrict the team only to competitors whose schools enter a team in the Schools Championships, and by a team I would expect more than just the minimum number. The top people should be supported by their school, not just a few friends to make up the numbers.

I agree. newer orienteers are never going to be as good as the international runners without experience in big events, esspecially those abroad

[mharky]

[qoute]Disagree ! The best competitors get selected for all sorts of other junior international events[/quote]

Really? such as what?

You expect more than the minimum number, so say 5 instead of 3... so people will try and bring 4 friends then won't they...

you can't just keep raising the qualifying bar until the child you want gets in...

There shouldn't even be this stupid rule... WE ALL GO TO SCHOOL! Plus there is a School Team who gets to go isn't there???

[Mrs H.]

There shouldn't even be this stupid rule...

If you want the best team then this is obviously the case - and I couldn't agrue against it
BUT you can't argue against the fact that the rule exists - and for a reason - yet it is being applied without that reason.

[mharky]

These is no escaping the rule, and they didn't. As some guest (you can tell us your name, it's just debate) said, they ecpect more than the minimum requirement...

Where do you draw the line? 5, 7, 9??? I'm sure if someone really tried quite hard they could convince 8 people to go, it would be a real effort. But then you would demand that they all try... but they are all going to be rubbish, so how do you know that someone didn't try or that they are just not very bad??? You cant have a qualitative system for selection purposes.

the best school team still gets to go...

[Mrs H.]

Well getting some kind of team result might not be a bad place to start - a high number of the so-called school teams failed to even make the results as a team - either in school year class or whole school class.

As things stand a scarecrow being towed round on a bungee will just about do the trick!

[distracted]

why isn't the select team a select team, and the school team a school team?

why the need for overlap?

[Mrs H.]

Well I don't pretend to be an expert or even a supporter of the rule - but as far as I'm aware the rule exists to support BSOA's main objective to encourage orienteering in schools - i can't see what other reason there could possibly be for the rule.

And my main gripe is that if I am right in this then it is patently not being applied for the reason it was implemented in the first place.

I wait to be corrected on this.

[Blanka]

Well I don't pretend to be an expert or even a supporter of the rule - but as far as I'm aware the rule exists to support BSOA's main objective to encourage orienteering in schools - i can't see what other reason there could possibly be for the rule.

For those of us who are not as involved in schools' orienteering, what is this rule we are talking about?

Thanks!

[NeilC]

Strikes me that the World School Champs should just be for complete (however one wishes to define that)school teams. Just as only runners from qualifying club teams can compete at the CSC and YBT finals.

Surely there are enough other incentives for the best elsewhere eg Interland / JHI / tours / Start.

I've no idea how other nations select teams - this is purely an idealistic viewpoint.

[Mrs H.]

[For those of us who are not as involved in schools' orienteering, what is this rule we are talking about?

Thanks!

In each of the 4 catagories there will be two teams. a whole school team (everyone from one school like ulverston) and a select team - from various schools
BUT
In the select team 3 of the 5 places MUST go to runners who have a whole school team competing in the champs. This may be as little as 3 people in the same year. leaving 2 places to the best individual people on the day.
One school entered a team of 3 year 12 boys - two of whom were disqualified for mispunching and who - on the face of the splits - wondered round the course hand in hand. Hence my rent-a-friend scarecrow on a bungee jibes - this may seem very minor - but it has affected the resuts in both the senior and junior boys select teams.