Discussion: World Orienteering Day 2019

May 15-21, 2019 has been declared by the IOF to be the week in which clubs around the world host their World Orienteering Day events. It is time to begin the process of planning, scheduling, and promoting your club's events. Last year, over 349,000 people took part in WOD events, and expectations are that we will surpass that number this year.

As OUSA's WOD Coordinator, I would like to start a discussion about this great promotional opportunity to bring more young people into our sport. Please share your stories of what has worked well in the past and what flopped. What can you share with other clubs to help make this year's events even more successful? What non-traditional games have you tried? What unique ways have you promoted your event(s)?

I am hoping that we can produce a video that emphasizes young people enjoying orienteering events in their distinctive areas of the country. Imagine seeing children running around in the desert with a control on a cactus, or in a tropical or Mediterranean setting with palm trees and aloes? How about kids in the rainforests of the PNW or the mountains of west or east? Your club may be able to showcase awesome geological features such as caves, natural bridges, or enormous boulders. This can be our chance to entice people to our sport by showing the wonderful experiences we can all have when we orienteer. I am not sure how to pull this together yet (I have zero experience making videos, so I am open to suggestions), but I hope that individuals and clubs will take advantage of opportunities in the next few months to video kids, and adults, having fun orienteering from school yards to parks to national parks.

I will do my best to help U.S.clubs make it a record year for participation in orienteering fun and games. Your input is valued whether you live in the USA or elsewhere. Please share your experience to help O grow.

You can find more info at www.worldorienteeringday.com where you can also register your event(s).

Let's start linking events here too:
May 19, Defiance, Ohio

100 Days to go! North American now has a total of three (3) events registered at http://worldorienteeringday.com/. What new ideas does your club have for WOD this year?

I expect that there are some drone video enthusiasts in our O community. Some footage (bits?) of orienteers on their courses would be a great addition to a WOD video featuring the coolest places in the USA. Hoping someone gets some at the upcoming event in AZ. I am imagining a fly-by of a giant saguaro cactus. And, some Go_Pro footage of orienteers dodging the teddy bear cholla cactus, or a glimpse into the complex eroded desert terrain there. What interesting places does your region have that you can show off?

I have just sent a survey to U.S. clubs, affiliates, non-profits and for-profits regarding what your organization has done for WOD and youth groups in the past, as well as what your plans are for 2019. The OUSA Youth Committee would like to get a better idea of what types of map activities are being used to introduce orienteering in schools and other groups, as well as the general public. If you receive a survey from your club officer, please fill it out. If you don't, but are involved in promoting orienteering in some other way, I am interested in what you are doing, too. Here is the link to the survey. Please fill it out by March 21. Thanks!

Survey Link:
https://goo.gl/forms/fwSIScLTufVErzwf2

Thanks to the many clubs who have responded to the survey about World Orienteering Day. If your club has not yet responded, please do so ASAP. We are looking forward to sharing the results and would like to hear from as many clubs and organizations as possible. We are interested in what you have done in the past, what you are planning this year, and if you do not participate, please share with us your obstacles to doing so. WOD is a great marketing opportunity for engaging new participants, especially young ones. We are interested in what you have to say. Please see the link, above.

Anyone else feel the marketing would have a lot more oomph if the IOF called it World Orienteering Week? WOD is a common term in CrossFit.

...then the IOF's mutant-bunny mascot could be the WOWabbit

At least people do WOD (crossfit style) currently. Does anyone still play WoW?

CoC seems a popular choice among the youth of today.

The World Orienteering Fortnite?