|
|
|
|
|
Note from the President
The OUSA Board held a meeting on December 20th where we developed our proposed budget for 2019. This proposal was released for review and was approved at a special meeting called for January 2nd.
I'm excited about the funding that we are able to provide for some projects we've needed for a while now. The budget proposal includes extensive funding for technology upgrades, including an overhaul of our website and significant improvements to the OUSA Event Register system. These improvements should make it easier for clubs to use the system for local events.
In addition, we are forming a youth development working group that will be developing new materials during 2019 for coaching, school programs, and club youth programs and we've provided funding support for this work.
We also continue to fund our teams and, with the help of generous donors, provide coaching for our expanding Junior National Program and Athlete of the Year Awards.
Return to Top
|
|
Recent and Upcoming Board Meetings
- Minutes from the special meeting of the OUSA Board of Directors, January 2, 2019, including a discussion of OUSA's 2019 budget
- Minutes from the OUSA Board of Directors, December 20, 2018.
Next OUSA Board meeting: Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Junior Nationals in Virginia. The Board meeting agenda will be available here.
Return to Top
|
|
Call for Volunteers
Orienteering USA is looking for volunteers to help with a number of key initiatives.
Call for SafeSport volunteers
OUSA is seeking Compliance Officers and Administrators for its Safe Sport program. We would like to have more than one of each role, in order to share the burden and ensure coverage. If you are interested in either of these roles, please send email to safesport@orienteeringusa.org
- Responsibilities of an Administrator
-
Create SafeSport accounts in response to applications
-
Track completion of the course
-
Determine cost based on the individual’s role with OUSA and orienteering, and track payments.
-
Provide reports to the OUSA Compliance Officers
- Responsibilities of a Compliance Officer (who may also be an Administrator)
-
Proactively determine who needs to take the SafeSport training
-
Reach out to those persons with information about how to take the training
-
Report quarterly to the President on the number of persons who are out of compliance with the policy.
-
Implement the consequences for those out of compliance with the policy.
-
Decide whether to grant waivers based on the content of alternative training, and report to the Board on violations of policy.
-
Receive reports of violations of the Code, and handle them appropriately.
Call for Youth Coaching Working Group volunteers
OUSA is excited to announce the formation of a youth coaching working group. The focus of this group will be to generate materials to support the large goal of getting more kids and families involved in the sport through schools, clubs and other youth oriented programs. In order to accomplish this goal there are a few methods that seem to be most effective in attracting more kids to the sport which primarily include fun experiences, age-appropriate activities, and good coaching. In 2019 this group will have four goals
-
Review the current coaching system, integrate it into current best practice models, define 3 levels of development and have a finished 3-level course by the end of 2019.
-
Put together materials that offer a basic tutorial course for anyone interested in teaching kids that can be widely disseminated to clubs, schools. and organizations that are interested in starting orienteering.
-
Create, test, and provide a basic kids' program for clubs to use to introduce the sport widely in their area, that is fun, developmentally appropriate, and game-based.
-
Create, test, and provide a basic curriculum that schools can adopt to teach orienteering, linking it to the national standards in both PE and other relevant subject areas, using basic materials like simple maps and activities that don’t require expensive equipment.
Return to Top
|
|
|
Applications for the $1,000 Wilson Community Growth Grant are being accepted today at www.orienteeringusa.org/wilsongrant. This grant helps to “develop and implement programs aimed at expanding access to orienteering for youth.” Applicants of all ages partner with a local club or nonprofit to build creative, sustainable programming. Funds may be used for equipment, transportation and other appropriate uses. Applicants partner with an Orienteering USA-affilitated club, Orienteering USA, or a registered nonprofit organization, which will disburse and administer funds.
Now entering its fifth year, the $1,000 Iain Wilson Character Through Competition Award is also accepting applications at www.orienteeringusa.org/wilsonaward. This award recognizes junior athletes who demonstrate a competitive spirit, friendship and qualities that leave others feeling good about the world. Funds may be used to support travel and training opportunities.
Pictured: Iain Wilson
These awards honor the memory of Iain Wilson. Iain was a dedicated orienteer whose spirit and dedication inspired those around him. Applications for both awards are due by February 1, 2019. Visit the links above for additional information.
Return to Top
|
|
2019 Junior National Team Announced
2019 U.S. Junior National Orienteering Team Announced
Return to Top
|
|
2019 JWOC Team Selection Criteria
The process used to select the team that will represent Orienteering USA at the 2019 Junior World Orienteering Championships that will take place July 6-12 in Denmark has been updated. See the changes and the complete description of the selection process here.
Return to Top
|
|
2019 WOC Team Selection Process and Team Trials
The Team Trials to select the team that will represent Orienteering USA at the World Orienteering Championships in Norway, August 13-17, will take place at the West Point National Event in West Point, NY, April 26-28.
The full WOC team selection process, revised for 2019, can be seen here.
Return to Top
|
|
Mapping Workshop at Georgia Navigator Cup
Attend an OUSA Mapping Workshop at the Georgia Navigator Cup January 19th, 2019! You can orienteer and learn more about mapping, too.
There will be two workshops:
1) 1:00 to 5:00 PM Saturday afternoon: Field Checking Maps Using LIDAR
2) 8:00 to 9:30 PM Saturday evening: “How to Get and Use LIDAR,” an Introduction.
Saturday Afternoon, January 19th - Workshop on Using Basemaps for Making Orienteering Maps (1-5 PM)
This workshop will be in the afternoon so you can run in the morning and still participate in the workshop.
Saturday January 19th - Evening LIDAR Workshop at Event Hotel (8-10 PM)
This will be an introduction to what you can get from LIDAR to use in map making. The goal is to allow prospective mappers to see what can be obtained through a LIDAR mapping program and then how to use that in the field.
There will be no charge for the workshop, although you must pre-register so there are enough materials for all the participants.
Return to Top
|
|
noname Uniforms
noname is a genuine Scandinavian sports  brand specializing in the design, production, and sale of custom-made sport textiles for clubs and companies for Nordic Skiing, Orienteering, Track and Field, and Cycling. In addition, noname offers an expanding retail collection with delivery from stock.
The noname head office and warehouse is located in Vaasa, Finland, while national offices are situated in Borlänge, Sweden; Halden, Norway; Moscow, Russia; and Tartu, Estonia. During 2009, noname opened its first brand store in central Tampere, Finland.
 At noname, we live and breathe running, skiing, and orienteering. It’s in our veins and it’s built into our textiles. noname sports gear lives up to the highest standards of every aspect in sports textiles. The excellent function and style is designed by people who love their sport. No matter if you are a world-class athlete or just exercise for fun, we have the products that will help you go all the way. The rest is up to you. Blood, sweat, and tears—that’s all it takes. |
Orienteering
noname offers a complete collection of orienteering textiles. Our collection includes several training and warm-up suits, four different racing shirts, and a huge selection of trousers and pants for every level of orienteering. For many pieces, we use digital printing techniques since it is a superior technology for profiling the club with a great design and high quality sponsor logos.
|
QualityNordic
QualityNordic is a Park City, Utah-based clothing distributor that sells noname sport textiles in USA and Canada. All of our products are made with the highest quality materials and available for the lowest prices possible. Shop online (no minimum) or contact us for custom made design for your team/club.
noname is the proud partner of Team OUSA since 2014.
|
Return to Top
|
|
US Ski-Orienteering Team to the World Championships!
Ari Ofsevit at the Ski-O World Cup in 2018
The U.S. will be sending a full men's ski orienteering team to the World Championships in Pitea, Sweden, March 19-24, 2019.
Ari Ofsevit and Adrian Owens are members of the National Ski-o Team, and Carl Underwood has been named to the National Development Team, given his strong foot-o performance but only recent skiing experience. All three members will race all the championship events, and receive equal financial support.
Congratulations and good luck to all!
Return to Top
|
|
|
The Future is Fun
U.S. Junior Team Coach Erin Schirm recently attended the 2018 U.S. Olympic Committee American Development Model (ADM) and Youth Sports Symposium in Colorado Springs with Barb Bryant. The conference brought together a mix of people ranging from youth sports initiative leaders to people heading up national sports governing organizations. There were two and a half days of presentations and conversations focused on improving sports and making them more kid-friendly. The ADM highlights stages of development similar to the Canadian Long Term Athlete Development Model (LTAD), which suggests how to approach children at various ages and/or starting out in the sport. It was interesting to note that orienteering is not the only struggling sport and many of the other national governing bodies are having similar issues. Throughout the entire conference, there were a number of themes that continued to resurface.
The four big ones include:
(1) children are the future;
(2) great coaching is key;
(3) picking focus areas to develop rather than trying to do everything, and;
(4) marketing and presenting the content of your sport well.
You can see Erin's full article here.
Return to Top
|
|
|
MTBO Training and Racing Opportunities!
The annual Danish Mountain Bike Orienteering Camp takes place April 17-22, 2019 and is in the same region as the World MTBO Champs (July 26 - August 4) -- an opportunity to train on similar terrain and maps from the same map maker.
There are two weeks available for training. The first week is geared for national teams and the second training week is open to all categories, beginner to advanced. Click on the flyer for more info or email Sue Grandjean with any questions.
Return to Top
|
|
Senior Team Control Challenge Fundraiser
Senior Team Member and JDT Coach Greg Ahlswede (DVOA) is in the middle of a control challenge fundraiser to fund a coach for the senior team. You can follow the weekly updates on this Attackpoint thread.
Here are the details of the fundraiser and some thoughts from Greg:
Motivated by our juniors and one of the most inspiring figures in American orienteering, Peter Gagarin*, I've committed to the Gswede Control Challenge so we can get a coach who is sorely needed to guide the senior team.
Gswede Control Challenge:
1. You pledge an amount per control -- 50 cents, 25 cents, 10 cents, whatever you like -- and I am motivated to train even more.
2. Each control I punch in training and competition from November 26th until January 31st counts except for control pick exercises that count as half.
3. I will post the official count after each training session and race on my log and in this thread.
4. You support a national team with a clear goal for your donation and motivate a national team member who is training his heart out in the wintry Pocono landscape.
5. You can pledge by either commenting on the [Attackpoint] thread or sending me an email. I'll keep track of everything in an Excel sheet.
-I expect to punch between 700-800 controls through January 31st.
-As I see it, having a thriving senior team is important for junior development. If juniors "graduate" from a structured program to one where they're suddenly responsible for training, travel, logistics, paying for everything, and figuring it all out on their own, it can be daunting to say the least.
* Peter Gagarin has just finished his own fundraiser, MF2, to benefit the U.S. Junior Team. This is the second time Peter organized such a fundraiser. The first version netted a whole $23,000 for the U.S. juniors! Learn more about Peter's fundraiser and contribute here [note that donations to MF2 made through the end of this week will be matched].
Return to Top
|
|
Highlight Your Club/Event!
Every club is unique and can contribute to the growth and health of orienteering in the U.S. Whether your club had an extraordinarily successful event, is planning something unique or special, or simply wants to advertise quality events that it puts on, we want to highlight it here!
Please contact the editors at newsletter@orienteeringusa.org to add content to the next newsletter!
Return to Top
|
|
December NREs
Two clubs hosted single day NREs earlier this month. Our thanks to QOC and BAOC for bringing these ranking opportunities to their members. Key volunteers at QOC's Seneca Creek Mid-Atlantic Champs included event director Don Fish and course setter Nadim Ahmed. Key volunteers for BAOC's Sprint San Francisco included event director Erin Schirm and course setter Matej Sebo. It's great to see clubs using the new single-day NRE opportunity for these types of events!
Return to Top
|
|
2019
Notes:
* = OUSA BOD Meeting
** = Pending sanctioning
Return to Top
|
|
Recap: Mid-Atlantic Championships
Thanks to JNT member Peter Zakrevski (HVO) for the write-up. See full results here.
Route Gadget for individual races and for the relay.
When it is below 30 degrees and windy most people would stay inside, likely with a cozy blanket wrapped around them and a warm drink in their hands, but not if you found yourselves at the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Championships held at Seneca Creek State Park. Despite the temperature, the event attracted many excited competitors. The first event was the classic course. The terrain consisted mostly of rolling hills and white forest meaning both visibility and runnability were good, resulting in some fast times per kilometer. The advanced courses also had a road crossing with a three minute grace period, which provides one an opportunity to recollect themselves. On this very cold day I opted to run in shorts and short sleeves and with no gaiters, you know, what any rational person would do. The course was technically simple. Since the terrain was quite open, I had no trouble staying warm on the course, except for my compass thumb which was quite numb for most of the course. In addition with the open forest were patches of green consisting of bushes and deadfall, which was only slightly less runnable than the white. Despite the course being technically simple, it was physically intense. With many hills, swampy terrain, and frozen water stops, you needed to run your fastest if you wanted to win. While exhausting, my course was fairly clean with minimal mistakes which landed me in 2nd place in the M-21 category behind Greg Ahlswede.
Following the classic course were the team relays, the anticpiated event of the day.
The winning relay team: DVOAs Peter Zakrevski, Kirsten Mayland, AJ Riley
The relay was held in near proximity of the finish for the classic courses. I was part of a team with all juniors consisting of AJ Riley and Kirsten Mayland. Both AJ and I had just finished the classic course and were quite tired, but determined to win. With a solid lead from Kirsten and AJ, I ran the third leg and our team finished first! Overall the relay was fast-paced and there was an intense vying for many of the top positions, even a finish chute sprint-off between two teams. Overall the standings had DVOA hold off the home club to take home the Broken Compass Trophy, awarded to the best club in the Mid-Atlantic region. Needless to say, the competition was fierce and the results could have gone either way. The event was very fun and I am looking forward to next year's Mid-Atlantic Championships.
Return to Top
|
|
Recap: Sprint San Francisco
Thanks to JNT member Siri Christopherson (COC) for the write-up. See full results here.
What better way to spend the weekend before final exams than catching a flight to the Bay Area for some good ol’ running around on some sprint maps? This year’s Sprint SF, although somewhat small, was a great event put on by Erin Schirm, complete with tricky maps and challenging courses by Erin and Matej Sebo. Erin kept us on our toes with a 2-person relay night-O on Friday, a three-race knockout tournament on Saturday, and two NREs on Sunday. There’s a lot to recap, but here are a few personal highlights from the weekend.
One of my first controls from the night-O was just on the other side of a marsh, but as I neared it, I saw that it was a thorn-bush-filled ravine, so I gave a “hell no” and made a last-minute decision to take the bridge across instead. As I took the long cut over the marsh, I saw Damian Konotopetz thrashing through the bushes below. There was something really amusing about hearing several swear words thrown out in the midst of splashing, and seeing Damian emerge on the other side, looking disgruntled but serious as we punched at the same time.
Saturday morning was another non-urban sprint at Paso Nogal park, fun terrain with open hillsides and trees. There were forking options where the course split for 2 controls in a row, and we chose between the “A” forking and the “B” forking (see map). This was interesting because it forced you to to analyze the faster sequence, and it was fun to discuss the best forking after the race.
A lowlight of sorts would be that I forgot to clear and check before Round 3 of the Saturday tournament. I got 8 controls in before they stopped beeping for me. The first time, I figured the control box was broken, but at the next control I heard it beep for someone before me, so I freaked out, thinking my epunch was broken, and proceeded to manually punch for the remainder of the course. I yelled to Erin as I ran through the map switch that my epunch was broken, and he told me afterwards that when I said that he had a feeling I forgot to clear and check… Yeah. Whoops. Lessons for next time.
Overall a fantastic event, lots of funny moments, good company, and quality maps and courses. Hopefully Sprint SF can grow in the next few years!
|
|
Preview: Desert Orienteering Festival
The 2019 Desert Orienteering Festival in Anza-Borrego State Park, hosted by San Diego Orienteering on January 19-20, is offering five races in two days, including an OUSA-sanctioned National Ranking Event. See full information here.
Return to Top |
|
Preview: Georgia Navigator Cup 2019
Featuring Georgia Navigator Cup and SE Interscholastic Championships
We're excited to offer 4 days of orienteering.
The Middle venue is McIntosh Reserve, a historic site on the banks of the Chattahoochee River.
Georgia Navigator Cup and SE Interscholastic Championships, both 2-Day Classics, will be held at Chattahoochee Bend State Park.
For the non-interscholastics classes we will be offering touch-free SIAC punching.
The Mal Harding Extreme-O which will also be at Chattahoochee Bend State Park.
|
|
Preview: Southwest Spring Week
Registration is open now for nine days of desert awesomeness in Tuscon, AZ, February 16-24! Come for the whole week or just a few days. There will be sun, beautiful, runnable terrain, and lots of controls to find!
Vilppu, Keegan, Ethan, and a saguaro cactus
See full information here.
Return to Top
|
|
Preview: Junior Nationals 2019
The 2019 Orienteering USA Junior Nationals bid has been reviewed by the OUSA Board of Directors, and the Junior Nationals will be held April 13-14, 2019, at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, ~35mi southwest of Washington, DC. Of note, every individual entering the base will be required to submit a passport ID number or a social security number to the Marine Corps for a background check. Registration and other information will be available soon. Save the date, and we hope to see you all there!
Return to Top
|
|
Newsletter Contributions
If you would like to send content for the next edition of the newsletter, please email it to the editors by the 20th of the month.
Return to Top
|
|
Newsletter Compiled and Edited by Allison Brown and Boris Granovskiy
Banner Photo credits: Cristina Luis, WCOC/HVO, Valerie Meyer, Facebook
Return to Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
