Junior Orienteering Opportunities

Are you a junior member of DVO?  Would you like to improve your orienteering?  Would you like to go to events around the country and abroad?  Read on!

Whatever level you’re at, there is the opportunity to get better.

1. DERWENT VALLEY ORIENTEERS JUNIOR SQUAD

Come to DVO junior training sessions.  Open to all junior members of the club, they are held either on Saturday mornings or in conjunction with Local and District Events and give you the opportunity to practice the basic techniques you’ll need to get around courses. They last for 1-2 hours.

Plus, there’s always the chance to talk about your course after a DVO event – just bring along your map to enquiries.

The club enters various competitions, some of which are only for juniors (the Yvette Baker Trophy) and some are for the whole club (Compass Sport Cup). You will be able to come to these with the rest of the squad and represent the club.

·         If you’re under 10 years old, your parent or guardian will need to stay with you throughout the session. ) If you’re 10 or over, and you feel confident enough, you can stay on your own providing you bring along a parental consent form (download from DVO junior page on the web or contact Val Johnson

 

2. EAST MIDLANDS JUNIOR SQUAD

 

Are you are successfully completing the light green course?

The next step is the Regional Squad. This is open to the whole of the East Midlands. Membership is by invitation. You’ll need to be doing a JM4 or JW4 course, (equivalent to light green), regularly to join. The EMJS organise training sessions, they also have weekends away all over the country so you can practice orienteering in different types of terrain. You’ll get the chance to develop more advanced technique skills.

The highlight of the year for the squad is the annual Inter-regional competition for which a team is chosen (and you get to wear the EMJS O top!).

 

·          Once again you’ll need a consent form – squad coaches provide these.

 

3. CLUB TRAINING SESSION

 

The club has training sessions, which, are aimed at adult members of the club. However, if you regularly do a light green or green course, you’ll be able to come along; you don’t have to be selected or invited. The sessions vary in length and we look at more advanced techniques. There may be fewer helpers around, but you’ll still have the opportunity to talk things through with experienced club members.

 

 

·          If you are under 14 a parent or guardian will need to stay with you at these sessions. If you’re 14 or older, just make sure you bring a signed parental consent form, or a parent!

 

4. SUMMER TOURS

You’re doing OK now – zipping round around the green course ….. so, what’s next? You could be selected to go on a summer training camp, usually to Scotland or Scandanavia and get to train in some really tricky terrain with the best people in your age group from all over the country. There are usually about 16-24 people on the Scottish camps (Lagganlia, Glenmore/Badaguish ) and up to 16 on the for older juniors (Halden/Uppsala). There’s usually a tour O-top - you’ll see lots of them in the forest.

You have to be selected to go on these camps and be a member of the British Orienteering There are selection races, which are advertised  through the BO website and EMJS They are Regional and National events spread across the country, to give everyone a chance to impress the selectors. This means you’ll have to travel a bit further to get to them.

·          Competition for places is fierce! If you want to know more about what actually happens talk to Val Johnson.

5. START SQUAD

For the real whiz kids of Junior Orienteering.

The best juniors in the country are invited to join the start Squad This means a set of training weekends in different bits of the country, technique and fitness training. With it comes some kit, so people will know who you are ... No pressure then!!!

After that, you’re heading for the British Junior Squad, the Junior World Championships, the British Senior Squad, the World Championships ...

 

So what are you waiting for?