Junior and Schools Orienteering

OASA supports a program of junior orienteering and a series of events run specifically for schools.  The school program of events is listed on the Schools Orienteering page.

All events on the main event program are also open to juniors with courses always available for junior age groups.  In addition the following junior activities are held:

  1. Fitness Training
  2. Training camps (see details below). 

Each year the following schools championship events are held:

  1. Schools Orienteering Individual Championships
  2. Schools Orienteering Relay Championships

 Entry to these events is through schools or the OASA Schools Coordinator.  Both events include age classes for both Primary and Secondary school age students.

SA also participates each year in the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships.  Details of this event, the selection process for the SA team and how to nominate for the team are included below. Participation in a number of selection trials is part of the selection process.  These are listed in the main program of events as SST.

Beginner & Newcomer Series

A program of Saturday afternoon orienteering for juniors will be held  held in Term 2 of 2010 similar to the 2009 program run by Onkaparinga Hills.  This year the events will extend to the northern suburbs, with a Northern as well as a Southern series.  A full program will be available here in late Term 1, however all events are listed in the downloadable 2010 program on the Events page.

Results for the 2009 program is under Results

SA Sub Junior Squad

Sub-Junior Squad  - For all interested Primary School aged children

Belair training event – 13/14 April 2010

A two day coaching event designed for sub-junior orienteers (9-12  years old) and younger, inexperienced junior orienteers (13-14 years old) will take place in the second week of the April school holidays (Tues 13 & Weds 14 April 2010) at Belair National Park. This coaching event will focus on teaching basic orienteering skills to younger orienteers (eg. safety in the bush, map reading, understanding contours, how to use a compass, taking a bearing, estimating distances, navigating while running, planning how to get to the next control, what to do if you are lost etc.).

Pre-registration for this coaching event is essential and must be done by 9pm on Weds 31 March 2010 to guarantee a place. For more information and details about how to register please contact Anna Hazell, OASA Junior Squad Manager (contact details provided below).

SA Junior Squad

Training in terms 1 and 2

Junior training for 12-18 year olds will be held of the following dates leading up to selection of the SA Schools Team in August 2010.

  • Saturday 20 March – Belair National Park – start at 1.30pm, finish by 3pm (approx)
  • Sunday 25 April – Para Wirra North – start at 10am, finish by 12pm (approx)
  • Sunday 9 May – Lucky Hit (near Birdwood) – start 1.30pm, finish by 3pm (approx)
  • Saturday 19 June – Pewsey Vale (in the Barossa Range) – start 1.30pm, finish by 3pm (approx)

More details on how to get to these locations and what type of training will occur at these training events will be provided closer to the date. Junior orienteers are encouraged to contact Anna Hazell, OASA Junior Squad Manager (contact details provided below) early in the week prior to each of these training events so that the numbers of maps needed for printing can be confirmed and any assistance with organising travel to and from events can be given.

Broken Hill Junior Training Camp - Monday 12 July -Friday 16 July, 2010

This training camp is designed for boys and girls in Years 7 to 12 who regularly run in moderate or hard navigation standard orienteering events but will be particularly focussed on children trying out for the 2010 SA Schools Orienteering Team. As training will occur on the four maps used for the 1997 Australian 3 Days Easter orienteering carnival, all of which are quite complex and have few tracks or fences, the organisers may need to reject nominations from junior orienteers who do not have the prerequisite experience and/or orienteering skills. The approximate cost of this training camp is $250 per child.

More information about this training camp will be available closer to the date.

Pre-registration for this training camp is essential and must be done by 9pm on Monday 21 June 2010. For more information and details about how to register please contact Anna Hazell, OASA Junior Squad Manager (contact details provided below).

SA School Team

This year’s Australian Schools Individual and Relay Championships will take place in South Australia on 28 and 29 September 2010 respectively in the Mt Crawford area. These events form part of the Australian Orienteering Championships Carnival which runs from Saturday 25 September until Sunday 3 October 2010 (refer to Aus Champs 2010 page on this website).

The SA Schools Orienteering Team is selected each year and consists of four junior girls and four junior boys (between 13 and 15 years old in 2010 – born between 1995 and 1997) and four senior girls and four senior boys (16 years and older – born in 1994 or earlier) in the State. 

In order to be considered for the SA Schools Team potential candidates need to complete the OASA SA Schools Team Selection Nomination Form (copy provided below) and send it to Bec Davill, SA Schools Team Manager (contact details provided below) before they compete in the first SA Schools Team selection trial (SST) event as detailed below. Please read the OASA Schools Team Selection Policy 2010 prior to completing the Schools Team Selection Nomination Form (copy provided below soon).

The SA Schools Orienteering Team will be chosen on the basis of performance at the following five SA Schools Team selection trials (SST) and an accordance with the OASA Schools Team Selection Policy 2010 (copy provided below):

  • Sunday 16 May – Mt Pleasant, 10am-12.30pm start
  • Sunday 6 June – Craigburn, 10am-12.30pm start
  • Sunday 20 June – Keynes Gap (Barossa Range), 10am-12.30pm start
  • Sunday 4 July – Gumeracha Goldfields, 10am-12.30pm start
  • Friday 16 July – Camp champs at Broken Hill (on the last day of the Junior Training Camp)

Attendance at all SST events is strongly recommended to give nominees the best opportunity for good results. However, as a minimum, city-based nominees are expected to attend at least four SST events while country nominees are expected to attend at least two SST events. If travel to Adelaide is necessary for country nominees, financial help may be available from OASA on application prior to any SST event (contact Jennie Bourne, OASA Treasurer). If injury, sickness or other special circumstances prevent attendance, written notification must be provided to Anna Hazell (contact details provided below) within seven days of the SST event.

 

Nomination form for 2010 SA Schools Team

   OASA: School Team Selection Policy

  OASA: 2010 SA School Team Selection Nomination Form will be available soon

 Please note: It is essential that both of the above are read before nominating.

Contacts and further information

If you want more details about junior and schools orienteering please contact the most relevant person from the following list:

SA Junior Squad Manager, Anna Hazell, ph. 8363 6525 (h), 0410 533 158 (m) or philhazell@internode.on.net

SA Junior coaches: Phil Hazell, ph. 8363 6525 (h) or philhazell@internode.on.net and John Nieuwenhoven, ph. 0410 312 592 or john.nieuw@hotmail.com

SA Schools Team Manager, Bec Davill, ph. 8367 7786, 0423 030 108 or bec.hatcher@gmail.com

SA Schools Team Coach , John Nieuwenhoven, ph. 0410 312 592 or john.nieuw@hotmail.com

Schools Coordinator, David Tilbrook, ph. 8431 3256 or dtilbrook@adam.com.au