Discussion: SA champs

Didn't you win the SA long champs in Whyalla in 2011.

Oops I read that as the only ones you had won.

I think that event was otherwise known as the Steven Bradbury Memorial, although I've also won an SA Champs (1997) without requiring any assistance from much faster competitors missing controls.

maybe you should visit WA for the champs on the off years when there is only local competition and the fast McNulty boys are out of the state. You will just have to beat Craig Dufty ....

One step ahead of you Richard. I started increasing my training a month ago just in case.

In the exceedingly unlikely event (now that Lachlan Dow has entered) that I win in NSW, you might indeed see me in WA sometime.

Been a late run on entries Nothing unusual in that ;)

From past experience there's still 10-20% entries to come. One day someone is going to get a nasty shock!

in what way do you mean a shock?

Someone may be brave enough to say - no sorry entries closed.

And that would certainly put people off orienteering.

I was going to check that was what you meant before responding. I think we need to recognise that not all people are in the situation where they can commit to something in advance due to money issues/ work/ access to car/ family etc etc. Whilst I understand that we do need to have closing dates there are couple of ways we can deal with them...
1. Have a strict closing date and then say no further entries
2. Have a soft close date - we have a closing date, but then extend for a few days to get the last few people
3. Have a closing date but recognise that some people just aren't in the situation they can commit and though a pain consider some late entries as just something will happen
4. Do refunds (I actually don't know policy here)
5. Incentivise people to enter earlier.

etc. etc. it might be any one of us who can suddenly attend something and would be pretty upset if we couldn't go

/*rant over*/

BF are extremely generous with their entry policy - and it is acknowledged as such. Many other clubs are as obliging. However the disappointing thing is that it is the same group of people who enter late - often without an "I'm sorry. Reason: blah blah" or a "Thank you". Admittedly SOME of the people who entered our SL late were very appreciative. Others indicated it was an inconvenience to enter so early. People - we had Easter too! It's not that many years ago where the SL closing dates were 3-4 weeks before! That was difficult on many counts.

Jayne - not a rant at all - all valid points and all possible in various circumstances.

#5 doesn't capture the serial offenders though. It just reduces the revenue for the club - and found people who enter early often change entry (and ask for refund). they are actually the reverse to people who find they CAN come after all.

Most clubs fall into the #2 - #3 and recognise things happen to us all!

#4 - we do on case basis.

Shingo - don't think it would put people off Orienteering - just grumble about that club - bad mouth it - and remember to enter on time next time.

Jayne - another situation that has happened a number of times and at last SL - late entries (sometimes even on Friday night) are squashed into Start List when the SI person has a few other things to attend to, person promises to pay on the day - then doesn't show up!

Yes we know things happen shingo - and not just for people with children. Missing a run isn't the end of the world.

By the way I did say One day! I know there are rumblings at one club - and it's not NCN.

This goes way back. In the mid-1980s the organiser of the Munster Champs decided that too many from our club had entered (a day or two) late and sent back all our entries. Needless to say it wasn't a very well attended event and it took a long time for us to be persuaded to make the trip again.
I just don't think you can easily classify "serial offenders". There are way too many pressures on people, as Jayne says, from other activities. Orienteering actually has to compete with those activities for its "customers". People trying to enter, at whatever time, should be welcomed and accommodated as far as possible. I know this makes it difficult for organisers, but try and make it easy - For instance - use a start punch; don't bother re-writing the start lists; recycle maps; don't restrict late entries/EOD to certain courses; have a few blank maps available and really late entries can mark their own; don't treat late or EOD as "unofficial".

Generally in the UK we print a % more maps for each course for EOD - which is more expensive. I don't think you lose by having earlier entries cheaper - surely you just put a premium on later entries? Clubs don't always get the % of extra maps right but usually as O'ing suggests this can be sorted by marking up maps or using recycled - and those that EOD generally understand this is the cost of not being able to enter early. We also very rarely have start lists anymore - only for national events or where there's a very tight start window and high entry - though sometimes there are suggested start blocks. It generally seems to work.

In general I think we need to think more about how we can be more customer focussed in order to grow the sport. I was asked by a friend last week if she wanted to come orienteering where would she start and to be honest I didn't really have a good suggestion other than me taking her round centennial park with a map - that option isn't really available to all.