Discussion: USA Junior News

I hope people in the USA and Canada will sign up to get our regular newsletter by email. It's fun and informative. Even if you (think you) have nothing to do with juniors, please consider getting this newsletter and follow along as we build up OUSA by bringing in new families and building the excitement. If clubs have their own newsletter for their members, feel free to pull from our newsletter!

Here is the link to sign up

Last week's newsletter has information about training camps, junior activities at upcoming A meets, an opportunity to host a young European orienteer, 2014 JST and JWOC teams, and the Junior Development Team.

This week's newsletter will feature two videos, including the AWESOME Lakeside School recruiting video, a feature on a Junior teaching kids how to orienteer, notes from talking with SLOC about how to build an ARK-like program from small beginnings, and how the 2014 JWOC Selection Committee will handle petitions. And more.

Newsletter #4 is out. This week: Junior camp 11/23, sandwiches!, Loudoun County HS NJROTC team, new JDT members, Harriman training camp, IOF news, upcoming A meets, awards nominations.

Newsletter #5. JST parents meeting: Erin talked a lot about 2014. DVOA A meet junior activities. Safety Committee, and "go to" people for concerns. A snapshot of training logged by US juniors in 2013. Tentative plans for the AZ training camp in Feb 2014.

This is great Barb. Thanks!

2013 training to date. Top 2/3 of the rows are JST members; bottom 1/3 are JDT members. Each column is a week.

Keep in mind that the minimum training for JST members is 5-hours/week...

Is this training based on Attackpoint logging? Or other reporting as well?

Only AP

The coach only checks AP logs for training. So, it would make little sense for anyone on the JST to log elsewhere.

I thought maybe some were reporting directly to the coach instead of logging on AP. So some of the kids that show little or no training could possibly just not be logging.

The point is not that there are some kids not logging. The point is that there are way more juniors (a) training regularly, and (b) logging, and (c) getting direction, and (d) supporting each other, than ever before. One of Erin's goals this year was to have juniors start to train regularly, and log it. I think he's done a really good job with that.

It's true some kids aren't logging; some focus on other sports for part of the year. A couple are active in orienteering but not training for competition.

I also think it's cool that there are clearly a couple people on the Development Team that are already training regularly, and are probably ready to step up to the Standing Team.

... some focus on other sports for part of the year.

It is my understanding that other sports activity can -- and should -- be logged on AP.

No disagreement with either Barb or Guy. Just trying to figure what the statistics really are telling us.

Nice to see my own junior's picture in the newsletter, as an even younger junior. :-)

Glad you noticed.

Newsletter #6: This week: DVOA A meet report, news from clubs, Zac Barker reviews his course, apply to receive $1000, JTESC meeting report, Feb 2014 training camp with subsidies for juniors & other US team members, Attackpoint/Constellation donation to the JST, travel trouble for teens

Newsletter #7: 2014 calendar for sale; announcement of award of local development grant; follow along with the JST; France-USA teen exchange; new JDT members; registration for upcoming national meets.

Past issues.

Join the mailing list. Please encourage people in your club to sign up.

The 2014 calendar has arrived! Evalin designed it and it looks great. I have about 20 left; if you want one, please sign up here.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO BRING YOURS TO CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND. I can hand it off to a clubmate, etc. That will save me postage and a trip to the post office.
I can probably also get calendars to the OCIN meet the following weekend. Let me know.

The calendar has photos of our elite juniors from JWOC, NAOC, elsewhere. It also marks dates for major events like A meets, championships and a couple training camps.

Thanks!
Barb

Junior Standing Team applications are due today.

Fees for the Feb 14-19 Arizona training camp in Arizona will increase on Dec 15th, so let me know if you plan to come. This is for all advanced orienteers, as well as intermediate and advanced juniors.

Terry Farrah has 7 copies of the 2014 wall calendar for sale for those of you in the Seattle area. The calendar has A meets and other important events, as well as some great photos of USA juniors.

The latest newsletter is out.

The 2013 Junior Yearbook is available. You can preview the first few pages to see the table of contents. It includes Erin's strength/injury prevention/conditioning guide, his articles of interest to coaches, lots of photos from meets throughout the year, the summer blogging, messages to the juniors from the senior team, introduction of the kids on the Development Team, the long-term vision for junior development, and more.
Also, I have a few pre-print copies I got for $12 and would be happy to sell at cost to anyone who wants one; just let me know and I can send them to the OCIN meet this weekend or make other arrangements to get them to you. If you buy from Lulu, $4 from each sale (i.e., all net revenue) goes to Jr Team.

Barb--this looks amazing! I will get mine from Lulu.

What a tremendous amount of work. Thank you so much!

Oo, somebody commented on this thread.

Same thoughts as Clem. Looks amazing. And already ordered a copy from Lulu.

Me three.

Make it four. Great effort!

Thanks, guys!

News #9 just went to press. This week: Arizona training camp fees increase on Dec 15th. JST parent meeting notes. Get your calendar and yearbook. WIOL junior training. Upcoming meets.

I got one, too. 321 pages! Impressive.
I like the photo on the preview pages of the Webb twins. Get those juniors into the program early!

News #10: Junior Standing Team 2014 announced. Arizona training camp. E-book version of 2013 yearbook. Half a dozen 2014 calendars still available. Summer European trip. Summer North American trip. Upcoming meets.

News #11: Junior Ski-O Development Team and Senior Teams announced; JST meetings start; Junior recruitment idea for clubs; parent communications with traveling athletes; summer junior trips; GA Navigator Cup junior activities; in-person Safety Comm meeting; club news; upcoming events. (Sent out January 13)

If you belong to a US club, please make sure that the newsletter is sent on to parents of juniors in your club, and/or that relevant information in the newsletter is shared with club members.

News #12: JST captains named; March junior training camp; 2014 Intercollegiates & Relay Champs; summer trip updates; Safety committee report; Where's Erin?; upcoming events.

Some of Erin's recent training instructions to the team:

Jan 27: New armchair training technology. Week's training: Running, orienteering (2 days), long run & agilities training. The armchair is Blue Mountain. Treat: Thierry Gueorgiou story.

Jan 16: general training plan for the year.

News #13: March 2014 Junior Training Camp, new JST Member, reports from recent meets, Orienteers of the Year, JTESC meeting notes.

Please note there is a typo in the newsletter; the late fee deadline for the OUSA Relay and Intercollegiate Championships is April 7 and not April 17. Thanks!

My bad!

News #14: Riverstone School in Idaho; a homeschool orienteering curriculum; new required training about misconduct in sports; JST parent call 2/11; host sought for visiting teen orienteer.

The training camp run by Erin Schirm and Becky Carlyle was amazing. The Tucson orienteering club was a fantastic host club, providing maps and B-meet competition that we attended for 2 of the 6 days of the camp. The Phoenix club also helped with maps on the first day. Thank you, clubs! Thank you, Leif and Peg and Jeff and all!

We had 16 juniors including little Giulia, one senior team member, three parents, two coaches, a local junior coach and 3 other Canadians who came along for some warm orienteering opportunities.

The juniors were great. They are so inclusive and fun and serious about their training. A number of juniors were newly introduced to each other and the group, notably Canadian junior Emma Sherwood, and Katrina Weinmann from COC.

Erin and Becky organized the days to have a nice flow. Exercises included agility and core training, and lots of different navigation exercises. There were a couple maps in the Phoenix area, then two days at Catalina State Park, two days at Kentucky Camp, and one day on the excellent University of Arizona sprint map. You can find out more by reading their AP logs.

Mikaela Shiffrin, the 18 year old wunderkind of ski racing, is a product of a countercultural movement in American youth sports, an initiative of parents who encourage their children to focus on the process of athletic achievement instead of the results. In theory, both the journey and the destination are enhanced. Shiffrin, the most precocious ski racer the United States has produced, believed and preached the doctrine, even as she became the youngest slalom world champion a year ago.

-NYTimes

I'd like to know more.

Ah, more info

Great article!

Liked the part about focusing on skills instead of winning things.

My Arizona photos are now on Flickr. I'm pretty sure the best photo is the one below of Ethan.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/faintgirl/sets/721576...

Yeah, it reminds me of Erin's emphasis on the distinction between process goals and outcome goals.

What a great photo!

Nice photos!

I love this photo. Thanks, Becks.

Newsletter: JWOC selection races, accommodations at West Point, Europe trip plans and purchasing airline tickets, March NY training camp, JST parent call, AZ training camp, Riverstone erratum, host sought for visiting teen orienteer this summer.

An extra note - if you're considering the Blue Mountain Camp, please sign up ASAP. This will help us decide on training groups and exercise focus. Please mention it to Juniors in your area who may not check Attackpoint!

Blue Mountain Junior Camp, Mar 28-30, information

5 juniors + Erin have now purchased air tickets to Europe this summer for 7 weeks of training & competition including Jukola, training on JWOC 2015 terrain, and working with local coaches in Bulgaria & Finland. Another junior will join the same dates, and 2 more are working with their school to see if they can make it to Jukola.

You can follow along with Erin's weekly training instructions to the Junior Team, and notes from weekly team meetings here.

Notes from last night's meeting:

• Individuals' training: lots of great training happening; some nice running PRs and orienteering training. Erin asks the team to make sure that the training is purposeful in the larger picture. And keep warm.
  
• There will be training available prior to team trials.
  
• AZ training camp went well.
  
• arm chair review of map from Bulgaria
  
• discussion of NY Times article on Mikaela Shiffrin. Skill development; life balance; vision; pressure.
  

Click for latest news: anti-doping; what is "team"?; West Point; Europe; petitions.