Discussion: Interested Coaches

Hi Everyone,
As I stat to get ideas down for the junior development program, my next step is to identify, individuals who are already coaching around the country in orienteering, and individuals interested in doing some coaching, or training coordination for kids to get together weather it be for a day or a weekend, to train and practice. My goal is to be able to set juniors or a couple juniors up with an individual or a few individuals in their general area. These individuals would be connecting with me to let me know whats going on and how the kids are doing, and what I can do as the junior coach to support the local coaching effort. At the local level those individuals would stay in touch with the kids once a week, and perhaps organize training with them or a few other individuals once a week, or a couple times a month in and around other big orienteering camps and meets. If you could let me know if your interested on this thread or send me an email that would be great. Or if you have a friend who does not get on AP that you could recommend please do so. This invitation is open to anyone, senior team members, coaches, people who have never coached but are interested in learning. Thanks
Erin

Which country are you referring to?

Good question. If US, add me to the 'interested' list.

I would assume it's not Australia because we have orienteering events, not meets. Oh well, I will have to continue coaching myself.

schirminator is the US Junior Team Coach

ah, who knew? Thank you schirminator!

Interested? Of course. See you at NAOC!

There are several coaches in the Seattle area. The Forgraves (Bob & Kathy) should be the first ones to contract, since they direct our local junior league, organize our junior training event, and can connect you to all of the other team coaches in the area.

Erin has already connected with EIleen.

COC/WIOL is DEFINITELY on his -- and our -- radar. Too bad only 2 WIOLers will be going to Boggs...

I can't speak for all of the WIOL kids, but I know that the top 3 varsity boys are all in the thick of cross country season right now. One of them was able to go to Laramie and Whistler within the last month, so that was good (plus another high schooler went to Whistler, too).

Looking forward to the spring, if there's any junior training in Arizona, it'll be a conflict for the WIOL kids, as it's the league champs (ie biggest local event of the year).

If Erin wants to do something here in Seattle and have it mesh with a local event, the January 19th event is at Lord Hill, which hosted the Sunday of the national champs (ie the best terrain of the season).

Erin, slightly off topic, but my Dad is coming over for NAOC and he is essentially the co-ordinator of the Junior programs for the younger kids in the UK these days, and have been heavily involved with many changes over the last 15 years in GB orienteering - both good and bad. If you'd like to get together with him at some time over the weekend to throw some ideas around, I'm sure he'd be happy to do so. Let me know!

Erin's tentative plan is to visit COC/WIOL-land in November -- near the beginning of the WIOL season.

While nothing is definite for 2013, that January weekend is the GA Navigator Cup, so I would expect him to go there, as it would be a good chance to touch base with the JROTC crowd.

Of the two WIOL events in November, I'd recommend the November 17th event at Magnuson Park.

That park has indoor space and conference rooms available (our club has used that for course setting and mapping classes before). That date is also the annual meeting for Cascade's membership, held on site after the race in one of those conference rooms. Seems like there'd be more potential to meet with club leadership, parents, coaches, etc.

Also, I'd recommend avoiding the 1st event of the WIOL season (Nov 3rd at Lincoln Park). The first WIOL event of the season is crazy.

Also, the 1st WIOL event of the season always conflicts with the state cross country champs, so the fastest guys usually aren't there.

Erin, tried to email you using the email listed on your attackpoint account and it bounced.

Hey All thanks for all the emails. I have herd from about 8 people. I am hoping to set up some kind of email list pr list serve so we can hold regular discussions about training and share info. I hope to have that up in the next few days, I will contact everyone. I'm excited to here about all the different programs.

Erin, I would like to be added to your coaching list.

Speaking of XC and Flotrack, maybe someone should reach out to this coach and his XC crowd:
Cougar XC Orienteering Race

Deja vu? I swear I've seen this video before, but not from 2012...

Just saw the video anyone know were that is? I thought it was pretty cool. Lots of potential in one place.

Hidden Valley Park in Martinez, CA

Campolindo High School in Moraga, CA

Thanks Pat

http://www.flotrack.org/video/203104-2009-orientee...
or
http://www.flotrack.org/video/509557-2011-Orientee...
Same school, probably the one you saw before.

Holy cow, I've made an ISSOM orienteering map of that park!!! (It's about one mile away from the Pasa Nogal and DVC maps that Vlad used for his A-meet last year)

That is awesome. That is exactly what an orienteering race for kids should look like.

So, all those kids were from just one high school?? It looks like they were having a blast! I wonder if any of them have ever been to a BAOC event...

Clipboards instead of punches -- and flags...

A map that looked like (was?) an aerial photo...

...and a nice collection of prizes, that would have them not caring if the race was not "real" orienteering.

Does anyone know the context of this race?

All those kids were from just one high school?

Yes, Campolindo High School in Moraga, CA. Enrollment ~1300.

Some schools have really big cross country teams. For example, the cross country team from my high school was HUGE; it was one of the largest schools in Kansas + cross country was *the* sport (33 state championships and counting).

A map that looked like (was?) an aerial photo..

A map is a map (unless it's on iOS 6), and aerial photos can work just fine in many circumstances.

Does anyone know the context of this race?

Looks like it's something the school's XC team does every year, organized by the team coach.

I wonder if any of them have ever been to a BAOC event.

I doubt it. A Google search of BAOC's website doesn't return anything with Campolindo (the school) or Woolridge (the coach).

It looks like there was an attempt to connect BAOC and Campolindo in 2010, with Jay Hann having a photo album from October 2010.

Can I play?

I lived ~1km from Campolindo High School as a wee little one and all I ever did was swim. It would be really sweet if BAOC could connect with this coach - doesn't seem like that many XC coaches are friendly to having their kids run around with maps like this!

Shit. Somebody should send the coach a fax and tell him that it is great he likes what he thinks is orienteering but that it's not real orienteering and all the kids should have full body cover (we can suggest vendors for gaiters), controls should be hung 3ft off the ground and not up funky trees, and the kids should be thinking more and running less, otherwise it isn't challenging enough.

ndobbs, did someone send you the top secret OUSA development plan? That's supposed to be US-only!

Those kids, and the coach are having a great time. It would be great if every XC coach had his attitude and ideas. Orienteering, food, Ultimate, what a fun day.
I wonder if the coach would give a BAOC event a try.
Should we be putting more effort into setting up events like this, and less on making perfect maps?

@coach: Don't forget those prizes! And, oh yeah, the costumes...

I wonder if the coach would give a BAOC event a try.
...or if the kids (with some coach / parent help) would give a BAOC event a try?

>Should we be putting more effort into setting up events like this, and less on making perfect maps?

Maybe not events but perhaps 'training'. We have shown here in Hamilton that kids love orienteering for fun as part of school or on weeknights. Getting them out on weekends is a lot tougher to do. I'd argue our sport in North America is too 'race centric' and too much about following IOF rules and mapping standards when what is important is getting out and doing the sport...even if it is part of a XC practice on an google sat image.

It turns out that the coach was given an early draft of my ISSOM map several years ago, but he chose to keep using the aerial photo anyway. Frankly, I'm totally fine with that. The simpler he keeps the logistics, the more likely that other people will copy his ideas.

Keeping the map simple also frees the students to have fun with running and strategy, instead of getting bogged down with map interpretation.

The simpler he keeps the logistics, the more likely that other people will copy his ideas.

Keeping the map simple also frees the students to have fun with running and strategy, instead of getting bogged down with map interpretation.

+1

Since there are prizes for this event, I'd offer a BAOC school-league season pass to the winners of this race.