SC RE The Home of Scottish June 2016

INSIDE: Tiomila | Club-O in Norway Staffing Changes | EVENT NEWS PLUS lots more

magazine of the SCOTTISH ORIENTEERING ASSOCIATION SC RE The Home of Scottish Orienteering contents

04 PRESIDENT’S PIECE 7 05 SOA NEWS 06 DEVELOPMENT NEWS 07 WORLD ORIENTEERING DAY 08 INTRODUCING… STEF LAUER 09 INTRODUCING…SARAH HOBBS 10 EVENT NEWS 13 UNUSUAL EVENT FORMATS? 10 14 TIOMILA 2016 Picture: Sally Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Sally Lindsay, 15 SOL 3 JURY VERDICT 16 SOA VOLUNTEERS’ WEEKEND 19 O-PINION 20 30 YEARS AGO - OR THEREABOUTS 22 FAMILY COACHING SESSIONS 24 A WINTER IN NORWAY 26 JUNIOR SQUAD NEWS 28 ELITE NEWS 29 VETERAN NEWS 11

29 TALKING POINT ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, 30 COACHING CORNER 31 ROYAL DEESIDE 2017 32 EVENT PREVIEW 34 MEMBER BENEFITS 35 POINT SOL AND BTO SOUL DATES

26 33 Picture: Andrew Barr, EUOC/MOR Picture: Andrew Barr,

Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC 2 www.scottish-orienteering.org editor’s intro ABOUT ORIENTEERING Information on orienteering or any SOA activity can be obtained from the Association Secretary: Scottish Orienteers, [email protected] Welcome to another full issue of SCORE, which I Addresses of clubs, details of hope you’ll enjoy. groups and a short guide to the There’s plenty of news sport are available from: from recent events, including National Orienteering Centre World Orienteering Day and Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore the Tiomila, and SOA news PH22 1QU. too: an introduction to new Tel 01479 861374 staff members, a report from [email protected] the recent AGM, and an article about the excellent SCORE Advertising SOA Volunteers’ Weekend at Full page: £90 Glemore Lodge. Other articles ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, Half page: £60. cover unusual event formats, Discounted rates available for a winter spent with an orienteering club in Norway, multiple issues. and some improvement suggestions for colour Contact us to discuss: blind competitors, plus the regular squad updates, communications@ coaching corner and event preview. Make sure you scottish-orienteering.org look at the back cover too, for a special offer for SOA members from Tiso, the outdoor shop. SCORE Editor The next issue will be in September, and I’m Sally Lindsay hoping to include some accounts of multi-day events [email protected] in foreign parts - so if you’re going to one, please do get in touch. Other orienteering-related contributions Design are always welcome. MediArtStudio My photo this time is in another snowy setting, on www.mediartstudio.co.uk the summit ridge of Carn Mor Dearg (next door to email: [email protected] Ben Nevis), at the end of April, which was somewhat less springlike than we expected when we originally Printed by: planned the trip. Groverprint & Design, Enjoy the summer, wherever you may be! Studio 2B1, Industrial Estate, Sally Lindsay Newtonmore Editor PH20 1AL

Cover pic - The victorious EUOC Women’s Open team approaching the Scottish Relay finish. Pic courtesy of Rona Lindsay, ESOC

COPY DATE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 24 August 2016

The views expressed by contributors to SCORE are not necessarily those of the SOA Board, nor of the Editor. www.scottish-orienteering.org 3 president’s piece by roger scrutton (ESOc) SOA President email: [email protected]

resh from a very is an interesting area: we now Fsuccessful second SOA organise more local events that Volunteers’ Activities do not require long travel times, Weekend at Glenmore Lodge, but even so, parental support with there is no shortage of things to transport is likely to be needed to discuss. participate. My Q&A Session with a very A feeling of relatedness comes forthcoming audience focused through belonging to an active on the SOA’s Strategy for 2016- club, and guidance comes through 2020, funding of our sport, club coaching or from a mentor (Mum? membership and SOA staffing Dad? another club member?). issues. There was also an However, this subject arose over interesting question about keeping the Weekend in connection with young people in the sport because talent, how we identify it, keep as-

Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, you do not necessarily know yet-unidentified or nascent talent where the next talented athlete is in the sport and how we nurture it. going to come from. Young people encounter two ‘cliff As it happens, the Weekend also edges’ as far as developing their had a workshop on Identifying talent is concerned: one is when and Nurturing Talent, facilitated they miss out on selection for a by Suzanne Robins-Bird (INVOC), squad, and the other is whether or and with an equally forthcoming not, as school leavers and possibly audience, which provided an home leavers, they move on into opportunity to discuss this an active orienteering environment, issue in depth. Although the e.g. a university club. In the workshop focused on young of discussions at the Weekend, we talent, it acknowledged that talent wondered if there is scope within might equally be present and junior orienteering in to require nurturing amongst older move to a structure that is more participants. inclusive, through the use of club, Central to understanding how area and regional competitions. I we might keep more young people would like to see SOA sounding in orienteering is identifying out opinion and ideas on this their needs: fun, a sense of because, apart from its primary achievement, easy access, regular aim of identifying and nurturing opportunities to meet friends, a talent, it would help member feeling of relatedness, making retention, something we are very decisions for themselves, some keen on (and, I’m sure, you are guidance and so on. Easy access bored of hearing about).

4 www.scottish-orienteering.org soa news by Colin Matheson (mor) email: [email protected]

he 2016 SOA AGM was Quick take up new part-time roles Theld at Crathie Kirk Hall, with effect from the beginning of following the highly June, as Events Manager and successful Scottish Orienteering Education Manager respectively. Championships Individual There are some voluntary roles event. 26 members attended still to fill - Andy Paterson is the meeting, and over 20 proxy stepping down from organising votes were received. the popular Scottish Orienteering SOA President Roger Scrutton Urban League (SOUL), and we still and Treasurer Ian McIntyre went need a Competitions Convener. into some detail of the challenges Sally Lindsay has produced high facing the SOA, and explained the quality copies of SCORE, but she rationale behind the proposals is standing down from this role in presented in the SOA AGM booklet. September. Highlights from Directors’ reports The proposals to increase the were picked out, and there were SOA membership fees and to special thanks to Terry O’Brien for remove the need of members to be

Picture: ActivNorth his work as Operations Director members of the British Orienteering over the past six years. The work of Federation were accepted with the Development staff was praised, large majorities. The latter (a and it was stressed how important it change to byelaws) clears the way was to try and retain members once for the SOA Board to introduce club they had joined up. The expertise and SOA only membership options, of Directors on the Board carried though a number of practical and forward from their employment was operational issues will need to be also highlighted, particularly from resolved. Ian and from Claire Macpherson Marsela Macleod was (our Partnership Director). It was unanimously re-elected as stressed that the SOA has its Performance Director, and Roos own objectives, and our Charity Eisma was unanimously elected as status does differentiate us from the Operations Director. British Orienteering and other Roger Scrutton announced that Associations. he was awarding the President’s The SOA looks forward to Medal to Richard Oxlade, for all Stefanie Lauer joining as Chief his hard work for Highland 2015, Operating Officer, and she should including steering the Steering be relieving Directors of some Group on the joint venture with of the current tasks they get British Orienteering, and helping involved with. Paul Frost was resolve issues at Glen Affric. It was keen that a ‘Job Description Plus’ announced that Terry O’Brien will act was published to describe Stef’s as Coordinator for the Scottish 6 Days role. Colin Matheson and Hilary in 2019. www.scottish-orienteering.org 5 Development news by Hilary Quick (basOc) Email: [email protected]

t the time of writing we programme will be administered A(the employed staff of the are being ironed out, but the next SOA) are undertaking a Board meeting that will consider re-allocation of responsibilities, applications will be in October, which is or will be elaborated on for which applications must be elsewhere. submitted during September. Details The short version from me is of who they should be submitted to that from the end of May I will will be publicised well before then. shed my general ‘development’ Meanwhile, TAY, INT and SOLWAY responsibilities and focus on have been awarded grants this year.

Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, education – of coaches, event Please remember to show how your officials, club officials, etc. Basically, club will produce income to cover if you want to learn about something /replacement costs of any orienteering-related, contact me! I equipment you intend to buy. will also reduce my working time to 3 days per week, thereby giving me Sligheadaireachd time to finally finish the Munros (I’ve Comunn na Gàidhlig held a had 17 left for over 10 years now) schools orienteering festival in and do more training for the 5km Portree on 10 May (sadly not open water swim that I appear to be quite coinciding with World doing in July. Orienteering Day), complete with Meanwhile, the SOA Development a map with the legend in Gaelic, Fund continues to be available and all post-run discussion totally to help clubs with development incomprehensible to those of us Extract from the Port projects; detail of how the who haven’t yet mastered that Rìgh (Portree) map wonderful language. The group intend this festival to be the first of many, the culmination of a lot of work by CnaG’s team of teachers who cover much of the west coast and the islands, teaching various activities through the medium of the Gaelic language. These teachers had attended a Teaching Orienteering course last September and then leapt into action with impressive enthusiasm.

6 www.scottish-orienteering.org world orienteering day

orld Orienteering and from Islay to Aberdeen. Many WDay was organised Scottish clubs organised events or by the International assisted with schools events. Events Orienteering Federation and included on the British Orienteering took place on Wednesday 11 fixture list were: May, with the aims of increasing Hillend - Edinburgh Southern the visibility and accessibility of Orienteering Club orienteering to young people, Hawick Hill - Roxburgh Reivers and increasing the number of Pollok Country Park - St Andrew’s participants. Orienteering Club (Glasgow) Schools and orienteering clubs Balmedie - Grampian Orienteers all over the world were encouraged Falkirk Wheel - Forth Valley to participate, and it was hoped that Orienteers a new World Record would be set Mar Orienteering Club, Moravian for the number of young people Orienteers and Solway Orienteers participating in an orienteering assisted with local schools events, event on the same day. The which were very well-supported, and previous record was from the World Clydeside Orienteers were involved Orienteering Championships 2003 in some schools events the same in Switzerland, when 207,979 young week. people at 1381 locations ran an At the time of writing, participation orienteering course. numbers were still coming in, but Events took place all over the record was certainly broken. See Scotland, organised by clubs and the World Orienteering Day website schools. Over 30 were registered for further details, including a map on the World Orienteering Day showing events throughout the website, and geographically they world: ranged from Dalbeattie to Elgin http://worldorienteeringday.com/ WANTED

Responsible person to edit SCORE, starting with the December 2016 issue. (SCORE is published every 3 months, and distribution is handled by the SOA Office.) The main attributes needed are enthusiasm and a general interest in Scottish orienteering. Previous editing experience isn’t essential, and layout skills are not required, as the design work is done by a professional. Don’t be shy – if you’re at all interested, please email [email protected] or [email protected] for further details of what’s involved. www.scottish-orienteering.org 7 introducing...

Stef Lauer, SOA Chief Operating Officer

Stef has recently been appointed as the SOA’s senior administrative officer, with responsibility for governance and the implementation of the new Strategy.

Roger Scrutton explains: “Stefanie will be half time, based at Glenmore Lodge. She has 10 years’ experience of project management and operations in the customer service and outdoors industries. She is currently working with Speyside Wildlife and Wild Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, Scotland. When at Wilderness Stef at Glenmore Lodge Scotland, she led a small team delivering wilderness experiences after an interlude of a few years in and was one of the company’s Australia and New Zealand, I’ve senior management team. She has been calling Aviemore home now also orienteered, but confesses for 5 years. I used to manage hotels that she isn’t athletic, prefers the and guesthouses but have worked mental challenge and is going to join in the industry and BASOC to take things a bit further.” in training/consulting in more recent years. I love spending time in the Stef says: great outdoors - preferably on foot, “Hello - my name is Stef Lauer but also on the bike or on the water. and I’ll be joining the SOA as Chief Relatively new to orienteering, I’m Operating Officer in June 2016. keen to learn more and I’m excited Originally hailing from Germany, about this opportunity to help to I moved to Scotland in 2005 and develop this sport further.”

8 www.scottish-orienteering.org Sarah Hobbs, SOA Administrative Assistant

Sarah joined Scottish Orienteering in February 2016, working 10 hours per week in the SOA office, at Glenmore Lodge, mainly on tasks related to member services and communications.

Sarah tells us about her background: “I am a recent arrival to the Highlands and split my time working for the SOA, reindeer herding, green woodworking, and walking. I speak Arabic and Norwegian, and have had quite a varied life working with contemporary art from Saudi Arabia, running cultural expeditions for young people (co-leading four Picture: Sally Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Sally Lindsay, expeditions between the UK and Sarah at Glenmore Lodge Middle East, including to Pakistan), and setting up national education to change approaches and services, programmes bringing current, real- including teaching medical students life expedition data on Arctic and at King’s College. ocean science to classrooms. “I have an interest in useful plants “I have worked with Muslim (medical and edible!) and am communities for over ten years wandering the Cairngorms indulging and have spent the last few years my mostly as-yet unexplored interest. in London as a project manager Despite my interest in , I am a looking at structural inequalities in non-orienteer, which probably won’t education and health, and working last long...” www.scottish-orienteering.org 9 event news

This spring has seen a huge choice of events - here are some highlights.

The first event of the 2016 woodland with some open areas Scottish Orienteering League was and university campus buildings. organised by Roxburgh Reivers. SOL 1 took place on 6 March (just In the Scottish Urban as SCORE went to print) at Elibank Orienteering league, SOUL 3 Forest, in the Tweed Valley, on an was on 3 April, in Paisley. Alastair extended map with courses that Dunlop (CLYDE), event organiser, offered plenty of route choice. reports: “The Paisley Urban Some were pleasantly surprised event used a new map funded by the forest, as it had a reputation via Renfrewshire Council and the for rough terrain. sportscotland Community Sports Hub initiative, mapped by GB The 2016 CompassSport orienteer Graham Gristwood. Our Cup heat for Scottish clubs was planner Arnis set challenging and hosted by FVO, on 13 March, varied courses, and Clyde were at Dumyat, just north of Stirling. most grateful to the University of Congratulations to the clubs who the West of Scotland for access.” qualified for the final, which is near Sheffield in October: FVO and ESOC in the Cup (for large clubs); CLYDE, RR, INT and ECKO in the Trophy (for small clubs).

JK 2016 was held in Yorkshire, from 25-28 March, on four varied areas with plenty of Scottish

podium places - too many to list Picture: Alastair Dunlop, CLYDE here. The Sprint was at Leeds SOUL 3 Finish, County Square University, and provided an interesting challenge with multi- Interløpers presented another level terrain and varied buildings. INTrepid weekend on 9/10 April, Day 2 was at Wass Forest, in featuring two contrasting events. steep-sided valleys on the edge SOUL 4 took place in of the North Yorkshire Moors, and Livingston. Graeme Ackland (INT) Day 3 was on open limestone was the planner, and explains his terrain at Kilnsey in the Yorkshire thoughts on the planning: “There Dales. The Relays were further is a lot written about planning style. south, at Storthes Hall near For sure, different planners have Huddersfield, in mixed mature different styles, and you need a

10 www.scottish-orienteering.org different style for individual races The Scottish Spring weekend, compared with head-to-head. on 22-24 April, started with the The area available imposes more Dark Thistle, on Friday night at limitations, but the course length Craig a Barns. A mass start at shouldn’t be a further constraint. 9pm with gaffled courses soon So I was surprised when the INT had headtorches speeding in all newsletter said of SOUL 4: ‘Only directions. This was full-on, tough Graeme could combine Junior technical terrain, and there were under 16, Elite Sprint and Ultravet many retirals, but most greatly Women 65+ on the same course.’ enjoyed the challenge. A good 3km course at Livingston is a good 3km course, regardless of Next day it was the JOK who it’s for. It needs a mix of long Chasing Sprint, at Faskally - legs, short legs, route choice and Graeme Ackland planned again: detailed mapreading, just like the “The chasing sprint does require longer courses. The classic maxim somewhat unique planning style. that ‘the longest two legs are a The prologue is a fairly standard quarter of the course’ still applies. short course, but the chase is a And, although officially only one head-to-head, so the style is like a of those classes can be trusted relay, only more so - because you to cross roads, none of the W65+ don’t have forking to split people seemed bothered about their up. Everything is designed to untested chicken-impersonation give better orienteers the chance skills.” to drop their pursuers, or sneak unseen past the blunderers ahead. SOL 2 at Culteuchar & Dron Controls need to be either easy to the next day was on an open find, so that pack-leaders can flow hilly area. Max Carcas (INT) was smoothly through and string the the planner here, and he says: group out, or in low-visibility areas “I really enjoyed planning SOL where the accurate navigators can 2 at Culteuchar - always nice to get in and out unseen. Finishing have an excuse to roam the hills in the caravan site meant that (and bogs)! In an area like this, cleaner navigators had to make it is difficult to plan TD5 controls, their break early. Time losses in the as there are so many catching caravan park were typically only features. However, what was a few seconds - something you interesting was the variety of routes wouldn’t even notice normally, but that people took - which is what I very evident when your opponent is intended…” suddenly 20 metres ahead!” >> www.scottish-orienteering.org 11 event news

The final event of the weekend The Scottish Championships was the Bonskeid Middle weekend was on 21/22 May, at Distance race on 24 April, a World Balmoral, presented by MAROC Ranking Event for the Elites, with and GRAMP. As promised, it was the same courses open to all a fantastic setting, with mostly afterwards. This is a delightful area good weather. The going was with very enjoyable courses zig- quite rough underfoot, with a lot zagging through the woodland, on double-sided maps.

The British Long and Relay Championships were in Shropshire, at Brown Clee on 30 April/ 1 May - a small contingent of Scots made the long journey, with some excellent results (insufficient space to report in full here). In the Individual event, Graham Gristwood (FVO) retained the M21E title; in the Relays, EUOC won the Men’s Premier.

On 8 May, INVOC presented Warming up at Balmoral SOL 3, in the technical terrain of ESOC Picture: Rona Lindsay, Affric North, which is very wild, of rock and some steep climbs. with few paths, and there was a The Individual event was the 9th long walk to the start to make the in this year’s UK Orienteering most of the area. Misty weather League, so it attracted competitors added to the challenge for those from far and wide. The Relays on the longest courses that on Sunday were in the eastern ventured onto the open hill above part of the same area. Full results SOL 3 Assembly Area the forest. are available on the Scottish Championships page of the SOA website: http://www.scottish- orienteering.org/championships

See the ActivNorth photo galleries for some great photos from the JK, SOL 3 and the Scottish Championships: http://www.activnorth.com/-/ galleries/orienteering Picture: Elaine Gillies, TAY 12 www.scottish-orienteering.org unusual event formats? by John Mason (maroc)

few years ago, I was • AMazeing Micr-O - Achatting with Sally using plastic stakes, tape (your esteemed or crowd-control barriers to editor) about the many build a maze with controls ways that clubs find to tucked into devious corners. morph the standard O This can be an event by event into something itself, or added as part of a original and unexpected. normal course. I thought it might be useful • Memory-O - the course to collate a list of these map misses out some different event formats - not controls, which you have the method of transport, like to find by memory. For Ski-O, MTBO or Kayak-O, each one, a segment of but the formats you won’t map hangs at the previous find in the IOF rule book. control, showing the Phot-O example (Thanks to ELO) Keeping the O-experience location of the next control; • Knoll-bagging score fresh, by adding a twist to you need to memorise - a control is put on every some of your local events, direction, distance, features, knoll on the map, but there is one way of creating a and have to keep very are no controls marked buzz of interest, creating a focused to find it. on the map. (Memories bit of fun, and in fact some • Empty toner of frantic knoll-bagging at of these can really help to cartridge-O - the map is Faskally!) improve your O-skills. The missing black ink. No paths, • Phot-O - requires possibilities are only limited boulders, crags or walls are a pen... at each control by your imagination. Here shown, so has circle on the map, a photo are ten ideas that I’ve come to focus on contours and of something observable across: distances. from the control location • Time-O - has Score has to be selected from a • Modified Score - a controls that only exist at set of photos around the score event to get maximum specified time windows, and map. See the example points by visiting controls other controls which have (from an ELO Festive Frolic within a time limit, but with the score points doubled event). the added challenge that or trebled if you punch the • O-limination, where controls must be punched control within a specified one control on the course as alternating odd and even short time interval. can be missed out, decided numbers. • Spaghetti-O - by each competitor. • Hybrid-O - a standard registration includes one O-course, but with a piece of uncooked spaghetti Perhaps we could post a time window for a score to take around the course, compendium of these ideas section in one area of the bonus points based on the on the SOA website to help map, partway through the surviving length of pasta inspire clubs to try mixing it course. measured at download. up a bit? www.scottish-orienteering.org 13 tiomila 2016 by Alasdair MCLeod (clyde)

iomila is a weekend Tof orienteering relays hosted every spring in . It is the second biggest orienteering competition in the world, this year seeing 6,400 competitors, and one of the best advertisements for what the sport of orienteering is all about. Over the weekend, 3 forest give the event a real different relays are run: a atmosphere and sense of youth relay, a women’s relay importance. It always feels to and a men’s relay. That’s me that a normal orienteering right: only 3 classes, and event has been infused with everyone, from the best in the the scale and vibrancy of a world to some clubs’ 6th or music festival. 7th teams, is there competing However, what I enjoy most over the same courses. This about Tiomila is the tactics. universality is one of the things Typically, when you run an that makes Tiomila a special orienteering course you are race; everyone understands doing it for yourself; you run At the WOC 2015 Middle Distance race that different people are there right on the edge of your to accomplish different things. orienteering abilities to get the ruining their chances, as Some people are competing best time. As you will all know, they are then too far down at the sharp end for the win, more often than not being on to make back the time. This others are fighting for a target the edge leads to mistakes and is especially important in the they have set, such as top bad decisions. In Tiomila you middle section of the relay, 150 team, and others are just are looking for the best result where you are at night, interested in the challenge of for your team, and this leads and mistakes tend to get successfully completing the to lots of different tactics that amplified. relay. It is all one big adventure have to be used at different As the relay moves into the for every club and team, and times throughout the relay. later stages, teams stop trying everyone is in it together. Often you make sure you to just stay in contention but There is also something else minimise your mistakes and instead work towards winning. that makes Tiomila special sacrifice a little bit of speed. The last couple of legs of and that is the spectacle! As the first half of the relay Tiomila have some very big The number of people, the progresses, teams capable names running them, and huge arena, and the live TV of doing well never streak world-beating performances coverage throughout the race ahead, but they often make are required to give a chance from many cameras in the large mistakes and fall behind, of eventually winning. >> 14 www.scottish-orienteering.org sol 3 jury verdict

At the Glen Affric SOL on 8 May 2016, a formal Complaint was made regarding the siting of the Finish on the TD4/5 courses, and the fact that the route to it was not taped from the last control. The event team were unable to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of the complainant, so the matter was referred to the Event Jury.

THE Jury was convened to consider find, but it wasn’t obvious to any who had whether the location of the Finish, and headed out of the last control (150) in the the navigation from the last control (150), wrong direction. complied with the requirements set out in Para 5.1.3 of Appendix B goes on to the British Orienteering Rules (effective 1st state “There should be no possibility of a May 2016) and the Appendices to those competitor being unable to find the finish.” Rules. A number of people found considerable The Jury comprising Rob Hickling, Colin difficulty in finding the Finish, and had Matheson and Hilary Quick (controllers very long finish leg splits. The jury’s view grade A, A and B respectively) have met is that there is sufficient evidence that the and considered the protest. requirements for the Finish, set out in the Para. 30.1 of the British Orienteering Rules and Appendices, have not been fully Rules states that “the precise location of and fairly met. Therefore the jury decided to the finish must be clear to all competitors uphold the protest, and concluded that the approaching it”; this requirement is proper course of action is to void the leg repeated in para 5.1.1 of Appendix B, along 150 - Finish for all courses that used it, and with the requirement that it must be “easily to require the results to be re-calculated located” (5.1.2). It was indeed clear to all with those courses being deemed to finish approaching, properly marked and easy to at control no. 150.

Tiomila 2016 continued leg and finishing still in 1st by competing in Tiomila, I This year was a great the end of it, a brilliant show would urge you to make the show from some Scottish under pressure. Douglas trip. It is without any doubt orienteers, showing how to Tullie and Duncan Coombs one of the best orienteering run the right tactics for their put in similarly respectable races in the world and leg and giving top class showings in the men’s relay should be experienced performances. Jess Tullie 1st and 3rd legs respectively; by everyone who loves ran a well-controlled first leg, running very controlled races orienteering. with big pressure in the team and keeping their teams in See also Jess Tullie’s of the defending champions, contention at that point in the blog for an account of her to come back within a few relay. run in the women’s relay: minutes of the leader. Hollie If you enjoy orienteering http://jesstullie.blogspot. Orr showed us all how to and want to add your co.uk/2016/05/5th-in- front run, starting 1st on 3rd name to the list of Scots tiomila.html www.scottish-orienteering.org 15 soa volunteers’ weekend by Hilary Quick (basoc)

he SOA recently hosted up a new map drawing that I had not Ta Volunteers’ Weekend done before. at Glenmore Lodge, with Sunday’s indoor session for the combined aim of rewarding me was a well-structured one on volunteers for their many hours Recognising and Developing Talent, of varied volunteer input to the which had me realising that this sport, and giving opportunities is something in which my club is to learn new skills or brush up lagging well behind some of the on old ones. Rather than me tell other clubs which were represented. you how wonderful it was, I’ll let I left that wondering about what we some participants share their can do to improve on this. experience of the weekend. Notes In addition to these discussion from the sessions are now on the and training sessions, there was lots SOA website: http://www.scottish- more to do. I regretted not having orienteering.org/soa/page/ booked onto the roller and volunteers-weekend-13-15-may was entertained by watching those who were trying this! Sheila Strain (ELO): Fun! Friendship! Food! The Volunteers’ Weekend was all of that and lots more: fresh air and exercise, challenge, stimulating discussion, great ideas. What’s not to like? There was plenty choice of sessions and activities, and I had to miss some that I would have liked to get to, as they clashed with other equally attractive options. The first, on Friday afternoon, was one of the best, a coaching ‘swap ESOC Picture: Sally Lindsay, shop’ with everyone buzzing with I was so busy talking to my Roller skiing session good ideas. There were sessions companion on the Pre-O course geared to the various volunteers’ which Roger Scrutton had set out, roles, so I spent a double session on that just like two kids on a White Saturday improving my abilities on Course, we walked right past the OCAD, though I have to admit that path junction where we should have it was the pre-course preparation turned right, and had to relocate which took me a long time, but and return! A maze had been set up forced me to tackle steps in setting just outside the dining room, with

16 www.scottish-orienteering.org a new idea (to me) of building two mazes, mirror images of each other, and having head-to-head racing between people, one on each. It took me three trips to the woods to visit all the control sites which ‘Ivan O’Map’ had taped. Every control had at least one mistake, between the map, the descriptions and the taping on the ground with a point for every mistake noted, and bonus points for the extra ones we found that had not been intended! I thought I was doing well with the number of errors I spotted but was well behind those with the best scores. Picture: Jenny Clarke, BASOC There were chances for normal Johannes Felter (BASOC): Typical terrain at Sunday’s team score orienteering as well. One course Think of any challenge or event was intended for night orienteering, opportunity facing orienteering but I dashed out before it got too at the moment...the chances are dark; the only problem with that that the Volunteers’ Weekend was trying to run, having not long had a workshop to address it. finished a delicious three course There was everything from core dinner. orienteering skills, such as mapping Sunday afternoon, everyone and planning, to newer subjects took part in a team score event in like strength & conditioning and the open moorland area between fundraising. As ever, this brought the Coire na Ciste and Coire Cas home how we have all ended up in car parks, lots of contour and rock love with a sport which could barely detail in there. Being based on be more complex to organise. Sudoko meant that we had to divide Two memories stand out for me. the 27 controls between the three Firstly, feeling pretty pleased with on the team, such that we all found myself as my Condes skills rapidly ones with control numbers ending improved during Hilary’s workshop... 1 to 9. then just as rapidly realising how If there is another weekend like little I actually know, as I came upon this, make sure you jump at the the myriad menus and options opportunity to participate. lurking within the relay planning >> www.scottish-orienteering.org 17 soa volunteers’ weekend

functions...a lifetime of learning I think I’d barely notice in daylight, still ahead! Secondly, standing at but there you go... I learnt a lot and 630m above sea level with my club Jane persuaded me that that she’d mates, watching teams of runners rather do that, even at my pace, than charging across the open hillside sit at the bar, bless her! of the ‘Windy Ridge’ in search of Actually the best bit about the some breathtakingly beautiful control weekend was the social side - locations. being relatively new, it was great to make so many new friends that Alison Wiseman (MOR): Most I’ll now know at events, and got to valued workshop for me was know some I knew already better. Physical Literacy; really well run It was good that there was a full and both interesting and useful for programme, but spaces in between training. I’ll be doing a dynamic warm for socialising, and also you didn’t up at every event now! The Condes have to do everything. Stephen and workshop was also very useful for I managed a nice walk too and of me and I’ve come back and solved course a swim. various problems I was getting stuck I was cursing before the up-a-hill with. team event but actually it wasn’t as For most valued activity I think I bad as I thought and all in good fun, would have to say training at Loch and also I think I needed a bit of hill Vaa... a superb range of activities to training... choose from, really good advice from Oh, and of course the venue both Roger Scrutton and Mehmet couldn’t be bettered...perfect in every Karatay. Also the night O was great, way with brilliant location, lovely particularly since Jane Halliday rooms and facilities, delicious food. shadowed me, which was hugely Thanks for a great weekend... would useful - she can spot stuff in the dark definitely recommend it. Discussion in the dining room Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, 18 www.scottish-orienteering.org O-pinion by Steve Wilson (clyde/jok)

hile I guess that Wdedicated football fans might say differently, it seems to me that one football pitch is pretty much like another. One of the joys of our great sport is the almost infinite variety of courses and terrains we experience each year, and this particularly came home to me as I reflected upon a hectic

start to the 2016 orienteering ESOC Picture: Rona Lindsay, season. Steve Wilson at the Scottish Relays SOL 1 was a proper Scottish to the ground, followed by an physical and technical challenge; enjoyable sprint (apart from the the Compass Sport Cup/Trophy man-eating ditch of brown mud) was a fast race on a runnable area round the easier half of the map (although I still claim that boulder in the relays; while, finally, SOL looked more like a crag!); the 3 was a superb technical and JK was a classic with four totally physical challenge at Glen Affric different races over the four days on one of the best orienteering and some epic freezing hail for the areas in the country. later runners on day 3; the Lakes Of course, these are just my Weekend was a mud-fest on day 1 very personal views, and others and a stern physical test on day 2; will have had different experiences SOL 2 was fast and mostly open of these events: perhaps they but not technical enough for me missed the hail at the JK, enjoyed to do well against all the faster Mulgrave Woods, or found Glen runners; the Northern Champs Affric too physical. Whatever was a fun urban race in poor their experiences, they will have weather, followed by a horrible travelled to places they would slog round grotty Mulgrave Woods never otherwise have gone to in good weather; the Scottish (including, in my case, a bijou Spring was a fast and furious JOK Youth Hostel in Shropshire and a Some personal Sprint at Faskally, followed by a sea-front flat in Whitby) and met musings on much sterner challenge against friends from all over the country in orienteering. The the elites at Bonskeid the next day the full range of weather offered views expressed in glorious sunshine; the British by the British spring. What other here are the Championships weekend was a sport can offer such a wide range author’s own and long and frustrating slog round of physical, mental (and logistical!) not those of the Brown Clee using a map many challenges? Roll on the second SOA or SCORE. of us weren’t really able to relate half of the season! www.scottish-orienteering.org 19 30 years ago - or thereabouts by Neil McLean (gramp / mor)

s I raked through my old cards got wet, the job became rather Aresults from the years 1984- problematic. Competitors were 1987, once again I came responsible for their own cards, and across many names from the past, could protect them in plastic holders. rather like Steve Wilson in the In theory, if a card was illegible March issue of SCORE. you could simply disqualify the competitor. Most checking teams did Also, like Steve, it was interesting their best not to disqualify anyone. to read comments from planners Happy days. and organisers: the problems of late Picture: ActivNorth At the Scottish entries, late maps and the perennial The use of computers was in its Championships issue of our weather. In some cases, infancy. Martin Liddle (of Tynemouth I do remember horrendous weather, Computer Services) and John Eades but in others, when (according to the (of MAROC), as I recall, led the way report) there had been torrential rain, in orienteering. At Tayside 1985 there I have no recollection of the rain. I were few podium places for Scots. guess I must have had a very good Swedes and Norwegians dominated. run despite the weather. Our only big winners were Alison Biggar (LINOC) 1st in D11A, Hazel 1985 was the year of Tayside 85, McNee (CUNOC) 3rd in D21E, the and I do remember the rain on Day late Jenny Graham (MAROC) 2nd in 1. I had been in charge of control D40A and Jon Musgrave (GRAMP) card checking. We had a small tent 2nd in H21E. for the team, and as the rain got heavier and heavier, we crammed In 1984, the Scottish Individual and more and more checkers into the Relay were held at Garshellach and tent.There wasn’t room for everyone, Touch (near Stirling), the Northern and my wife and I ended up under a Lights at Inver (on Deeside), and the table outside the tent, still checking Scottish Score at Dollar. cards. The cards progressively got In 1985, these were held more and more difficult to check. respectively at Loch Ard (near Younger orienteers should note that Aberfoyle), Devilla (in Fife), the Bin this was in the days before electronic (at ) and North Kirkhill (near punching. Controls had pin prick Aberdeen). punches with a variety of punch In 1986, the Scottish Champs patterns, which had to be checked was in Dumfriesshire (at Mabie and against a master card for that course. Hills), the Northern Lights at Roseisle It was a labour-intensive task at the (Moray), and the Score at Bowdenhill best of times, but when the control & Lochcote, near Linlithgow.

20 www.scottish-orienteering.org I don’t have the venue for the West ’84 was held at Coull, near Champs in 1984, but in 1985 it was , whose academy won the at Ross Woods, by Loch Lomond, Mike Booth Trophy for the school and in 1986 at Sculliongour, near with the most gold standards. ’85 Lennoxtown. The last of these - full was held by Roxburgh Reivers - no name Sculliongour and Meikle Rieve venue is given, but with a thank - was planned by Jan Solvberg, you given to His Grace the Duke of a Norwegian member of CLYDE. Buccleuch, I’m guessing the forest Some folks will remember him well. was at Bowhill. The Mike Booth His comment in his report, after Trophy was won by Linlithgow. noting that he may not plan again: “Maybe next time they’ll give me an In September 1986, Interlopers area with a couple of trees on it.” held a Badge Event at Drummond Hill. It was titled ‘A Peter Dominic The British Champs in 1986 were Ranking Event’. From memory, I at Achilty, near Contin, 25 km NW of believe that company sponsored the Inverness. Ken Davidson (INVOC) ranking series of events. The event coordinated the North clubs, who doubled as the Junior Inter-Area manned the event. Of particular competition. NE won, helped a note was the use of computers to little by my daughter Kirsti in W13. produce instant results and to give What I noted was that three Areas the commentary team competitor essentially were single club teams. details. Neil and John Eades For Midlands read FVO, for SW read designed the system - described as Solway and for North read INVOC. the best used up to that time. That may explain why we now have Scottish club members had 16 three Areas - or does someone else podium places at BOC, but only 4 know when it changed? winners: Moira Cumming in W17A, Brenda Nisbet in W60, Alasdair Thin in M15A, and Bill Gauld in M50A. Over the period, many Badge Events took place: INVOC Eagle, Moravian Bull, Midlands Champs and other club badge events. Some of these I’m sure contributed to the Scotland’s Galoppen. The Scottish Schools presumably took place each year, but I have only Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, the results for ’84 and ’85. The view from Drummond Hill - Kenmore and Loch Tay www.scottish-orienteering.org 21 Family Coaching Sessions by Johannes Felter (basoc) Regional Development Officer (Highland) This article describes a systematic approach to recruiting new members

his approach originated 3. How much it will cost? The pricing Ton Deeside, and has been can be tricky, because you will tried in the Speyside and ideally want to incorporate a Inverness / Nairn areas over year’s membership fee into the the last two years. The basic cost of the session. (In 2015/16, concept is to directly access BASOC and INVOC both charged local ‘outdoorsy’ families whose £10 per head, regardless of age. parents are willing to drive to So a family of four would pay forests and take part in sport £40 for three coaching sessions,

Picture: Wendy Carlyle, AIRE Picture: Wendy with their children. including membership for the rest of the year.) The fees go into 1. Identify your target community. the club account and the British There should ideally be some Orienteering membership dues are awareness of orienteering, a few then paid by your Treasurer directly pre-existing club members, and to the British Orienteering office, two or three local maps suitable with a hard copy membership for beginners. You also need form (available from the National a few local weekend events Orienteering Centre, or the BOF coming up, within a reasonable website). You can spend forever distance. analysing the pricing – just do what’s right for your club, but don’t 2. Set up a meeting with local get hung up on it. If your club is members, coaches, parents and serious about growing, then you’ll Active Schools Coordinators. need to be willing to think a bit Plan out a set of suitable evening differently and probably agree to dates. A series of three or four subsidise new memberships. consecutive weekday term-time evenings seems to work best, 4. Make the family session signup with 6:30 - 7:30pm a popular form easy to find on your club time slot. If your club meets website. Google Forms are midweek anyway, then dovetail painless and can be embedded the family sessions with this within most club websites. You training, to increase car park chat don’t need to take payment online, opportunities, and show new just collect this at the first session. members what a fab club you have! You also need a nice local 5. Now you’ve got dates, costs and weekend Level D event shortly the website sorted. Find some after the final family session. fantastic photos of children

22 www.scottish-orienteering.org orienteering, remembering to get permission for use. Pay a local print workshop to design professional leaflets, or do it yourself if you have the skills. There’s a Facebook group called ‘Publicity Group – UK Orienteering’: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/orienteeringpublicity/ which may help you. Launch your publicity 6-8 weeks in advance,

using Facebook, club member BASOC Picture: Johannes Felter, emails, word of mouth, Active membership numbers by now. Adults and children learning together Schools Coordinators… however What you want is an indoor you do it, just make sure that venue for the final session, ideally all publicity points back to that with Internet access. Set up an prominent signup link on your extended after-session social, website. where you can use a laptop to show how to enter events online, 6. Run the sessions themselves. access the events calendar, and Emphasize to parents that there so on. Because you’ve timed is no standing on the sidelines! the series right, there is that nice Everyone learns together, and friendly local event for the new what we’ve found is that parents members to sign up to. This is the absolutely love helping their children final step in creating independent get the hang of the map. Your orienteering families. INVOC even coaches need to be adaptable, decided to give free entry to new throwing in chunks of learning aimed families for a Level C event shortly more at adults, whilst keeping the after Highland 2015. children engaged. When this works, it is pure magic. The more assistant 8. Be prepared for some churn. It’s coaches or helpers you have, the inevitable that a proportion of the easier it becomes. Hand out SOA families you’ve worked so hard new member packs (available from to recruit will not commit to the the National Orienteering Centre). sport in the long term. That means Have healthy snacks and squash that your membership numbers available for a sociable chat at the will peak and then slump after 31 end. December. Not to worry – it’s just a fact of life, and if you end up with 7. The final session. If you’ve timed one or two families who become it right, each family will have core members of your club, then it received their British Orienteering will all have been worth it. www.scottish-orienteering.org 23 A winter in norway by Sarah Dunn (marOC)

Some take-home thoughts on orienteering club development

ast November, Jon and I for the hills during weekends and Lfound we had somehow holidays… managed to free our We had a ball, summed up by lives up enough to take an some stats from my training log opportunity for some time out. which included: 39 days on skis, 35 Ewan was in P7 at school and days with some form of O technique, also in need of a change, having 12 of (Head Coach) Eva’s legendary had the same teacher for the last Strength & Conditioning sessions 3 years. So we headed for Halden and only 7 full rest days. We also in southern Norway, home of had many other interesting social one of the world’s most famous and cultural experiences and met orienteering clubs, to spend four lots of very welcoming people. months experiencing Norway in So what did we find out about winter. One reason for choosing orienteering in Halden? Halden was that it is usually relatively snow-free, allowing • Norwegian kids toughen up from orienteering training, at least for a young age, playing out in all the elites, to continue through the weathers all through the winter. winter. We were keen to find out • Early years in the club are about more about how a big Scandinavian socialising more than the sport; orienteering club worked, and to large numbers participate in see what we could learn and bring activities but no O training is home to the Scottish club scene. organised during the winter At the same time, we wanted to “Ikke dusj men bål”- the months. fire is an important part take the opportunity to hone our of life cross-country ski skills by heading • By 12, youngsters don’t appear to be any further ahead of us in terms of their O skills.

• By 16, the top youngsters are starting to participate in elements of the elite programme.

• The weekly elite training programme includes more than 4 tough technical training sessions.

• Night O is a very important part of this in winter. Picture: JSarah Dunn, MAROC 24 www.scottish-orienteering.org • Many technical training sessions are done without any tapes or controls in the forest, making it far more practical to organise frequent sessions.

• GPS tracking (Loggator) is used for every training session and event, allowing detailed analysis of performances as well as keeping athletes honest when there are no controls out.

• By 18, athletes have gained a vast depth of technical experience.

• The physical programme in winter is based around high volume, lots of time in terrain and generally Loggator GPS tracking – used for every technical training session and competition only 1 interval or speed session per week.

• Weekly ‘O Theory’ sessions are also a core component of the coaching programme.

• There is a strong culture of group training and support amongst the athletes, especially the younger elites.

• We saw less of the competition structure due to the time of year, but clearly team events are really important to the club.

• Fires are at the heart of winter events and are essential for de- icing shoe laces as well as grilling pølser! Thursday technical training from the club hut at Høiås www.scottish-orienteering.org 25 Junior SQUAD NEWS by Elizabeth Furness (mor) ScotJOS Squad Manager he coaching weekend assessment and realising that Allan Theld around Stirling over Water was across the road by the the weekend 2/3 April inviting open area. No ball games was a great success, thanks then! As it was, Ben and Ross to several people stepping devised an early evening exercise up when I was unable to go: getting everyone to draw a map of Ross Lilley (ECKO) led the the public park area in front of the coaching on Saturday and Ben hall, in which they had placed 10 SI Stansfield (FVO) led on Sunday. units. The juniors swopped maps

Picture: Sally Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Sally Lindsay, They were supported by Rona and ran the mini-event using the Lindsay (ESOC), Zoe Harding maps. Prizes were awarded for the (EUOC) and Dave Robertson fastest times and the best map. (CLYDE). Further thanks to Josie Stansfield and Ann Robertson for masterminding the catering, Pat Graham and Dan Gooch for minibus driving, Jane Ackland, Andrea Lines, Kate Hunter, Robin Galloway and Rona Molloy for additional transport and general support. The Saturday session was at Gallamuir, a recently mapped area SE of Stirling. It’s small and (almost) perfectly formed, in that it presents Graham (MAROC) Picture: Pat Mini event by the river opportunities to practice contouring round, across and over the two For Sunday, Ben had planned hills as well as being able to go a series of exercise on Polmaise, straight in the more runnable parts. designed to practice map contact The squad was joined by Lynne and focus in changes of terrain. Walker, who was assessing three Everyone had plenty to keep them people completing their practical thinking but in case they weren’t assessments for the UKCC Level 2 tired enough at the end, I had coaching qualification, and we look planned a fun ‘pegs means eggs’ forward to them being available to race. It was pretty straightforward: join us again as fully fledged L2s. the pegs were in pits and each They are Dave Robertson (CLYDE), peg collected could be swapped Ian Hendrie (FVO) and Alastair for a chocolate egg... well, maybe Dunlop (CLYDE). not quite that straightforward, as The overnight accommodation there were rules about the different was at Kinbuck Hall, which was in a coloured pegs and there were about lovely setting... until doing the risk 30 pits on the area of map used. 26 www.scottish-orienteering.org Picture: Pat Graham (MAROC) Picture: Pat Picture: Rob Lines (SO) Briefing at Polmaise Jake Chapman and Grace Molloy on the winners’ podium at JK Day 1 Many of the squad had Grace Molloy (FVO) - W16; competed at the JK (the weekend Jake Chapman (MAROC) - M16; before Stirling), gaining top 10 Emma Wilson (CLYDE) - W18; positions and podium places in Alex Carcas (INT) - M18. both the JK Sprint and the overall All four have also been competition, which were selection provisionally selected to represent races for the international Junior Great Britain at the Junior competitions. In mid-April, the European Cup in Scotland, 30 Northern Championships weekend September - 2 October; Jake and events were also selection races, Emma will be competing in M/W18 with more good results for ScotJOS as a development opportunity. members. The British Champs, all the way down in Shropshire, were The selections for the GB Talent the last weekend in April, with fewer Development camp and Junior squad members competing but still Regional Squads’ camps should with impressive results, including a be announced soon, and I expect clean sweep in W14. a number of Scottish juniors to And finally, what most of be on the lists. Of course, the the juniors who were at the most eagerly awaited camp is selection races were aiming for, the one that all of ScotJOS will the selections to international be on together, from 9-19 July in competitions have just been Sweden. We are going to Frillesas, announced, and there are several on the coast about 60km south of to congratulate. Gothenburg, and will be training Selected to represent Great in the forests around there before Britain at the European Youth competing at the Hallands 3 Days, Orienteering Championships in just a few kilometres from where we Poland on 30 June - 3 July: are staying. www.scottish-orienteering.org 27 elite news by Duncan Coombs (aros)

ollowing a good set of Further congratulations go to Fperformances at the JK, Sasha Chepelin and Jo Shepherd many SEDS athletes were who have been selected for the selected for the Great Britain World University Orienteering Team to take part in World Championships (WUOC) in Cup Round 1 in Poland, from from 31 July to 4 August. 30 April to 2 May, with Kirsten Both will run the Middle, Long and Strain even making her long- Traditional Relay. awaited international debut! In more recent news, Hollie Others selected were: Ali Orr starred on the third leg at the McLeod, Alan Cherry, Hector Swedish relay, 10mila, to admirably Haines, Doug Tullie, Hollie Orr, retain the lead for Halden SK. Jo Shepherd, Kirstin Maxwell, This included an unfortunate late Kirsten Strain, Jess Tullie. Hollie banana with a mobile cameraman Picture: MarathonFoto Duncan at the Orr and Alan Cherry delivered in hot pursuit – that is pressure London Marathon standout runs in the Middle, that no one wants to experience! arriving into 18th and 51st places Hollie’s team eventually finished 8th respectively. Many SEDS runners after being overtaken by Jessica had difficulty and took some Tullie’s team, Domnarvets GoIF, holiday time in the green areas who finished a creditable 5th. (see the map extract). Hector Haines’ team, IFK Lidingö The same set of athletes are SOK, finished 4th, which topped in the GB team for Round 2 the places for male SEDS athletes. of the 2016 World Cup, which But arguably the best performance incorporates the European was from Doug Tullie, who did the Orienteering Championships, in the business on the critical gaffled Czech Republic on 21-27 May (as night leg for his team, TuMe (Turun SCORE goes to print). Metsänkävijät). Picture: Rob Lines, SO World Cup Round 1 Women’s Middle Distance SEDS athletes on the overall JK podium - in W21E, Jo Shepherd 1st, map extract Jess Tullie 2nd; in M21E, Alan Cherry 2nd.

28 www.scottish-orienteering.org Veteran news

Janice Nisbet (ESOC) is the Veterans Team Manager. At the time of writing, the VHI selections had yet to be announced, but may be available by the time you read this. See the SOA website for full details: http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/soa/category/veterans The 2016 Veteran Home Internationals will take place on 3/4 September 2016 at Cassy Water, Kilkeel, Co. Down, south of the Mourne Mountains. The Individual event will be on Saturday, in conjunction with the Northern Irish Orienteering Championships, and the VHI Relays will be on Sunday. There’ll be a report in the next issue of SCORE. Talking Point by Ian Maxwell (RR) A Plea to Urban & Sprint Organisers

really enjoy urban events but, like • Print olive green (OOB) and grey I a significant proportion of the (buildings) in as light a shade as male population, I have colour vision possible. problems. The main problem that I have is • Course overprint in as dark a shade as seeing the course print colour over possible. grey (buildings) and olive green (Out Of • White shadow around circles and Bounds). There are times when I just can’t numbers where practical. (Condes can see the course or large portions of it at all, do this) which is extremely frustrating, as I never know until I pick up my map, so I can • Map narrow gaps as wide as possible have made a 200 mile plus round trip for (the bigger the gap, the more of the nothing. circle is visible). There is currently no consistency on the colouring on urban maps, but lighter • Use 1:4000 scale rather than 1:5000 shades of grey and olive green, with darker scale, where map size allows (reason overprint, definitely work better for me. as above). If urban mappers, printers and organisers could try wherever possible to do the • Alternatively, print some maps with the following, it would make a big overprint in dark blue for colour blind difference. competitors. www.scottish-orienteering.org 29 coaching corner

by lynne walker (BASOc) SOA Coaching Coordinator - email: [email protected]

n the last edition of Score, discuss discrepancies? How do you IGraham Gristwood wrote react when asked to alter from your about goal setting for athletes. overall plan? Now that the orienteering season Are the clubs aware of the is well underway, have you Continuous Personal Development evaluated your progress towards each coach would like to undertake your goal and maybe reformed to help them develop further? Are what you want to achieve this the clubs prepared to contribute season, and when you want to towards this? For example, the achieve this? CPD sessions which the SOA Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, Maybe you have already are holding in 2016 will cost the achieved your initial goal at the JK delegates their travel expenses or Scottish Champs; if so, what are as sportscotland grants pay for you now going to do? Alternatively, the hall hire and tutor travel costs you might be frustrated by your (the tutors give their time for these performance – so, re-evaluate the courses); does each club pay the process goals and ensure that they travel costs for their coaches? have been set to help you towards See the National Centre Coaching your desired performance. Courses page for details: Coaches should also have goals http://www.scottish-orienteering. for the work they are doing. Having org/natcen/page/national-centre- these can help to ensure that you course-schedule are using your valuable volunteer The SOA CPD courses in time in the best possible way. What 2016 are based around some is the best possible way? Do your of the UKCC L3 topics. Anyone coaching goals sit well alongside is welcome to come along to the club development plan? Are you the sessions; you do not have being realistic with regard to your to be thinking of doing your L3. coaching goals, the athletes you are While priority is given to coaches, working with, and the time you have anyone with an interest in the available to give to orienteering? topic is welcome. The value from As a coach we are frequently these sessions comes out of the asked to respond to initiatives at discussions which take place short notice; these can often mean during the day, and these can be that you are under pressure to at a variety of levels as the day is produce something quickly, and adapted to the delegates. your time is taken from the overall The next ‘Coaching Corner’ coaching plan you have. How will feature a report about actual much dialogue do you have with coaching in a club – we should all the club committee regarding your be able to learn something from coaching for the club and the club this, and I am looking forward to development plan? How do you reading it! 30 www.scottish-orienteering.org SCOTTISH 6 DAYS 2017 - royal DEESIDE by Jon Musgrave (marOc) 2017 Coordinator

Balmoral, so that everyone could get to know one another. Some positions have yet to be filled: Social Programme, Marketing & Publicity, Sponsorship. Days have been allocated to clubs, and some planners and controllers have already volunteered. The plan is to fill these positions by mid-June, giving time to visit the areas in the next few months, with summer lans for the event are vegetation. Other day officials progressing, with plenty are being appointed – if you’re P interested, please contact your going on behind the scenes. All of the areas have club for more information. been agreed in outline, except one part for which we’re awaiting final agreement; Deeside 2017 detailed discussions will be taking place to finalise the 30 July to 5 August access contracts. Parking arrangements have all been agreed in outline. We will be meeting the owners and farmers to finalise detailed plans for access and parking. An initial get-together meeting of Haste ye back! the Central Organising Committee took place during the Scottish Championships weekend at www.scottish6days.com/2017

Would you like to receive future issues of SCORE on paper? If you’re reading the electronic version, and would prefer a paper copy of SCORE, please contact Sarah Hobbs at the National Orienteering Centre at Glenmore Lodge. Please state your name, BOF membership number and address. By email: [email protected] By phone: 01479 861374 (has an answerphone) By post: National Orienteering Centre, Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore PH22 1QU Thank you www.scottish-orienteering.org 31 event PREVIEW

The summer brings evening local event series, as well as level D and C events at weekends, and although it’s the main holiday period, there are some exciting events coming up, several of them very soon indeed.

As SCORE goes to print, the Scottish at Glen Feardar the following day. Peter Schools Orienteering Festival will be Craig (MAROC) is the planner, and says: taking place, with competitors from all over “Tucked away in a ‘hidden valley’ just four Scotland. It’s on Friday 3 June at Dalkeith kilometres west of Balmoral, Glen Feardar Country Park, and there should be a full has that classic Deeside combination of report in the next issue. And maybe by open hillside, birch woodland, mature the time you read this, many Scots will plantation and patchy natural pine forest, have headed south for the British Sprint all with the added bonus of views that Championships, on Saturday 11 June at become increasingly spectacular the Olympic Park in London, and the British higher your course takes you. For those Middle Distance Championships, which with a feeling for history, you may also want take place the next day at Leith Hill near to reflect on the numerous stony ruins as Dorking, Surrey. Both events are part of you run through the many deserted crofting the UK Orienteering League. Soon after townships that are scattered through this that, the annual Scottish inter-club junior once densely populated but now totally competition, the Jamie Stevenson Trophy, uninhabited area. More probably, you will is on 19 June at Balkello Hill. Can MAROC be wrestling with the challenge of working continue their winning streak? out which of the many ruins has the control beside it!” The next Scottish Orienteering Urban League event, SOUL 5 takes place on 25 Sprint Scotland map sample June at Aberdeen Westhill, organised by Grampian Orienteers. The area is a modern commuter town 8 miles to the west of Aberdeen, and there’ll be a full range of courses. Pete Lawrence (GRAMP), the planner, reports: “This brand new map covers almost all of the residential area of Westhill, resulting in a map area of 2km x 1km at 1:4,000 scale. Longer courses will have A3 back-to-back maps. The terrain will be a mixture of suburban housing types of varying complexity giving courses with The Sprint Scotland weekend on 14-17 route choice as the main challenge of the July sounds brilliant. Graham Gristwood day. Most courses cross small areas of (FVO) describes what’s on offer: “Graham parkland, woodland and grass recreation Gristwood, Kris Jones, Fanni Gyurko and grounds but with less than 10% of optimum FVO bring you 4 days of sprint orienteering route off tarmac.” You can make a weekend in and around Stirling, Falkirk and of it by attending MAROC’s Level C event Grangemouth. With a total of 9 orienteering

32 www.scottish-orienteering.org sessions (6 training sessions plus 3 races) bit of mainland Scotland before the Skye incorporating 2 World Ranking Events, 2 Bridge. Camping is available at Balmacara Scottish Urban League races and one UK Square, with a BBQ on the Saturday night.” Urban League race, this is a competition More details on the website: not to miss! New maps for all the races, http://www.purple-thistle.co.uk/ and new/updated maps for all the training sessions. Evening ceilidh and talks from The Highland WOLF has become an Kris Jones (8th, WOC Sprint 2016), Murray established autumn fixture, and this year it’s Strain (9th, WOC sprint 2013) and Heather on 10/11 September. James Tullie (BASOC), Monro (Bronze, WOC Sprint 2005) about weekend coordinator, says: “We hope sprint orienteering and their experiences. Highland WOLF 2016 will continue the quality Sign up to everything and get a free of the previous WOLFs. Indoor assembly and technical t-shirt”. See the event website for town centre finish for both Middle and Sprint full details: sprintscotland.co.uk in Kingussie. The ceilidh returns in a great Kingussie venue. Sunday’s SOL will be on a The Purple Thistle returns on 30-31 July. completely new Stirling Surveys map of Uath Tessa Strain (EUOC), the planner, explains Lochans - not to be missed!” the format for the weekend: “Come join us on the west coast for the Purple Thistle. The Glasgow Parks Championships True to the barebones concept, we’ve got takes place on 18 September, and will also be keenly anticipated. Billed as “a magical tour of our Dear Green Place”, this is a full day of races in three different Glasgow Parks, with much socialising in between. The locations are a closely-guarded secret – where will it be this year?

Two major junior competitions are coming to Scotland in the autumn, on consecutive weekends. Junior teams from all over Britain will compete at the Junior Picture: Crawford Lindsay, ESOC Picture: Crawford Lindsay, Inter Regional Championships, with View to Skye from the some low fuss, top quality orienteering and the Individual event at Cambus o’ May, Plock of Kyle hopefully a great atmosphere! There’ll be hosted by MAROC, and the Relays at a Middle (net downhill) and a Long race Forvie, hosted by GRAMP. This is closely on the stunningly wild open rocky hillside followed by an International junior event, of Balmacara. We’ve also got a short race the Junior European Championships, planned for the Saturday evening on the on 30 September/1 October -more details newly-mapped area ‘The Plock’, the last next time. www.scottish-orienteering.org 33 Member benefits

This page provides our members with useful services and products provided by like- minded people - with the added bonus of discounted rates! If you have a product or service you’d like to feature on this page, please email your details to [email protected]

HAMPDEN Scottish Orienteering partner PERTH SPORTS CLINIC organisations CHARTERED Hampden Park, Glasgow ACE PHYSIOTHERAPY PHYSIOTHERAPY (Motherwell / East Kilbride) AND www.hampdensportsclinic.com SPORTS INJURY www.acephysiotherapy.co.uk Tel: 0141 616 6161 CLINIC Tel: 01698 264450 £6 discount on physiotherapy www.perthphysio.co.uk sessions (£32 instead of £38) Corporate rate Tel: 01738 626707 and 10% off all Health and (currently £25 per session) itness packages. applies. Rates on application. Quote Scottish Orienteering Quote Scottish Orienteering Quote Scottish Orienteering Association member when booking. Association member when booking. Association member when booking.

FUTURE FOCUS SCOTLAND TISO LTD OBAN Outdoor shops with branches SEA SCHOOL www.futurefocusscotland.co.uk throughout Scotland. West Coast family sailing Tel: 01738 827797 www.tiso.com holidays from Oban, Argyll Business Mentoring and Free Outdoor Experience card Varied itineraries, suit children Coaching in Scotland and on application at any Tiso store, 8+. A natural adventure. around the UK including HR using BOF membership card as Coaching and HR Services See www.obanseaschool.co.uk proof of SOA membership. The for ideas, photos, information. Discount: 10% for SOA card provides 10% discount on purchases at Tiso. members. Quote Scottish Contact Robert or Fiona Orienteering Association Kincaid Tel: 01631 562013 Quote Scottish Orienteering member when contacting Association member when booking.

MAS FERGUSSON LAW mediartstudio Private Client Solicitors COMPLETE DESIGN SERVICE From logos and lyers SHOWCASE Tel: 0131 556 4044 to websites and brochures, YOUR BUSINESS www.fergussonlaw.com MAS can help with all your marketing needs. HERE FOR All services offered at ixed prices. 5% discount to SOA Contact members. Ask for Janice Nisbet [email protected] (ESOC) when contacting. for a no obligation quote. www.mediartstudio.co.uk FREE!! Quote Scottish Orienteering Association member when booking. Quote Scottish Orienteering Association member when booking. Classic Forest Orienteering in Scotland

All races Sundays. Starts from 10:30 am. Compass Point Full range of colour-coded courses, Scottish Orienteering League from string courses for under-5s to 2016 - provisional dates 10km+ Black courses for Elite orienteers. www.scottish-orienteering.org/sol 4 SOL 1 06.03.16 Elibank, Peebles RR

www.compasspoint-online.co.uk 4 SOL 2 10.04.16 Culteuchar & Dron INT 4 SOL 3 08.05.16 Glen Affric North INVOC 4 SOL 4 21.05.16 Balmoral Estate MAROC 4 SOL 5 11.09.16 Uath Lochans, Kingussie BASOC 4 SOL 6 02.10.16 Fairy Knowe & Doon Hill CLYDE 4 SOL 7 30.10.16 Culbin, Forres MOR

Quality Urban Orienteering in Scotland

Courses from under-12 to Ultravet Scottish Check website for full details Orienteering Urban League 2016 - provisional dates 4 SOUL 1 23.01.16 Edinburgh EUOC 4 SOUL 2 07.02.16 South Queensferry ESOC www.scottish-orienteering.org/soul 4 SOUL 3 03.04.16 Paisley CLYDE 4 SOUL 4 09.04.16 Livingston INT 4 SOUL 5 25.06.16 Aberdeen Westhill GRAMP 4 SOUL 6 16.07.16 Hallglen, Falkirk GG 4 SOUL 7 17.07.16 Grangemouth FVO 4 SOUL 8 10.09.16 Kingussie BASOC 4 SOUL 9 13.11.16 Lanark TINTO Vol 36 Issue 5 October 2015 £5.00

Know Your Class Leader World Masters MTBO Training Format Informal Format SprintO Puzzle World Champs Scottish 6 Day PhotoO Comp WOC Review Competitions Tuscany 5+5 Fixtures RC#5 The UK’s Orienteering Magazine

Packed with maps, event reports, coaching tips and advice, MTBO, Mountain Marathons/, Competitions Var. 05 and much much more. Britain’s National Orienteering Magazine Britain’s National Orienteering Magazine www.CompassSport.co.ukCompassSport CompassSport Vol 36 Issue 6 December 2015 £5.00 Vol 36 Issue 4 August 2015 £5.00 Subscribe online using all major credit cards at www.CompassSport.co.uk

52 pages, full colour, 6 times a year £29 for BOF Members and £30 for Non BOF Members. RC#5 Jukola Fixtures RC#5 JWOC 2015 Fixtures Pedal Power Competitions Competitions Training Format WOC Preview Informal Format Club Rankings Product Reviews Egypt Sprint Champs Training Format Holiday Event Calendar Informal Format Lagganlia Remembered Product Reviews Know Your Class Leader Harvester Relays CompassSport Cup Final World Masters Champs JEC, JIRCS & JHI Reports Know Your Class Leader Saunders www.CompassSport.co.uk ...and much more.... ‘A luxury you can afford.’ www.CompassSport.co.uk