EYOC Hungary 2007

[RS]

Yes but last year's was not in A2 exam period.
It does seem a bit of a waste of scarce money to go to EYOC.

On a different scale the JIRCS are also affected as the Biology and Chemistry exams are either side of the weekend. June is not a good month for junior competitions.

[Gross]

Well said Toni. Perhaps Gross didn't appreciate that these were not all the top 18's as some of them have been selected for JWOC/JWOC Training camp and those going to EYOC were the next band down.

According to the EYOC preview in FOCUS "All athletes selected have shown real potential to be members of that JWOC team in Gothenberg next year"

[RS]

Gross, that's because Focus was published before the original team had been asked if they were available. Then most of the reserves weren't available either. A lesson to be learnt here, methinks

[Barny of Blandford]

If I was the organiser of EYOC and British Orienteering told me they were not sending a team because of exam problems I think I would not be a happy bloke - think what would have happened to our World Championships in Surrey if none of the teams has turned up after all the organisation we had put in to put it on. The fact that we did send a team of young runners who probably have had the experience of a lifetime is positive and to be commended - they will come home with a taste and desire for more and with a bit of luck will form the backbone of out teams in the next 2/3 years before moving on to senior level (the more we can blood with international experience the better even in these financially hard times)
However I do find the timing of the JIRC's a bit funny - despite having recently retired from teaching I do a few odd days being bored invigilating and today and the end of last week were some of the busiest exam days for GCSE Year 10 and 11 and A2 - some A2 students had 8 hours exams on one day last week and Science modules went on for 5 hours today for GCSE.
The exam boards publish their outline dates 2/3 years in advance - could we not get our act together a bit more for events such as these? Every secondary teacher has access to these dates through their school examination officer.

[Adventure Racer]

If I was the organiser of EYOC and British Orienteering told me they were not sending a team because of exam problems I think I would not be a happy bloke - think what would have happened to our World Championships in Surrey if none of the teams has turned up after all the organisation we had put in to put it on.

I'll admit to a total lack of knowledge about forces behind scheduling of EYOC (feel free to shoot me down), but wouldn't not sending a team and metnioning it was due to exam problems send a message to those higher up who schedule EYOC that it's really not a very clever time of year to put it on (at least for British athletes). WOC is a totally different issue (though surely the event in Surrey was only a World Cup), as athletes will turn up to them come what may, and most competing at that level don't have exam problems.

[Colm Hill]

Eyoc and Jwoc are always on around the end of june/ start of july, as are exams. The exams are the bane of all junior orienteers- but they come and go. Although 5 weeks of reduced training is not perfect, its not the end of the world. Its still possible to train and study. Comes down to time management at the end of the day.

[Gross]

Gross, that's because Focus was published before the original team had been asked if they were available. Then most of the reserves weren't available either. A lesson to be learnt here, methinks

Funny enough most of those in FOCUS ran in EYOC

[Gross]

happened to our World Championships in Surrey if none of the teams examination officer.

I suspect if you look at O history there has NEVER been a World Chapionships in Surrey

[Gross]

(feel free to shoot me down), but wouldn't not sending a team and metnioning it was due to exam problems send a message to those higher up who schedule EYOC that it's really not a very

Thing is - end of June is a good time of year for most nations.... except the odd region like England... ask parents who want to go to ORingen / WMOC ect but can't coz it's still in term time... An English problem for sure:)

[awk]

The fitness issue is an interesting one. It regularly rears its head (our athletes aren't fit enough, etc. etc) but then it also often rears its head in another way (X overtrained and was injured, ill etc etc). It's a very delicate balancing act, especially early on (before EYOC, JWOC and so on), and personally I'd rather see athletes of this age slightly undertrained than overtrained, especially when it comes to endurance.

These events have to be part of a learning curve, and frankly I can't get overworked about them. Just look at the ranks of JWOC medallists (not!) compared to achievements at senior level, although it's a great bonus when they do succeed I do agree. (Athletics seems to have the opposite problem).

[marcus_weatherburn]

oh and there has been a world cup race ner surrey. it was in 2005. the youth orienteering champs was held in conjunction with it.

[mharky]

Gross is the only person on this thread who has any idea what he is talking about.

[Gross]

The fitness issue is an interesting one. It regularly rears its head (our athletes aren't fit enough, etc. etc) but then it also often rears its head in another way (X overtrained and was injured, ill etc etc)

That's because of shortcomings in our coaching set up.... how many juniors have thier own coaches looking after the physical side of their development (more than used to be).

Hopefully now the START Squad etc have a trained coach in charge we will see better education for the juniors. Orienteering at it's competitive end is NOT an adventure sport, it's NOT a navigational sport it IS a RUNNING sport.

[Rockaldo]

I am dissapointed in how this thread has turned out. I posted this thread on Tuesday - 3 days before the competition started wishing the team good luck. Not one single person joined me in getting behind the very young team all wearing the GB top for the first time. But after the competition there was huge interest in dissecting the results, that's a shame.

I myself went to EYOC twice, the first time i was a reserve and went because other runners had exams and did not achieve the best of results (near the bottom on all races) but the year after my results improved significantly and we walked away with a medal. EYOC is for experience, its role should not be questioned i would not be where i am now without it!

[gg]

i seem to remember coming about 50th in EYOC in Czech in my first competition for GB about 6 years ago....