and we were able to add this special area to the program for 2022. The Australian Sprint Championships venue was not a “discovery” at all, but somewhere that we had hoped to go orienteering for years. Salesian College at Sunbury occupies the old Rupertswood mansion and grounds, although there are many more buildings there now. The property is famous for the presentation in 1883 of “the ashes of Australian cricket” to English captain Ivo Bligh, and is known as the birthplace of the Ashes. The campus has a farm attached with many farm buildings, and will make a challenging and beautiful venue for the sprint.
Coaching sub committee launch
So each of the three main championships will be on an enticing new map. So much for the new. What about rediscovering the classics?
The first Orienteering Victoria coaching subcommittee was formed in September 2020, with the broad aim to improve the provision, quality, and effectiveness of coaching across for not only high-performance orienteers but also beginners and regulars.
We have selected a group of the finest existing maps in central Victoria to show off the best of Victorian orienteering and the lovely historic towns in the area. Focussing in turn on Daylesford, Kyneton and Castlemaine, and with an eye to maximising the spectator potential for each event, we will be revisiting the Musk Vale map, Mt Alexander, Wattle Gully (twice!) and joining the existing sprint maps of Kyneton Community Gardens and Sacred Heart College together. Mt Alexander was a bit of a challenge to find a good assembly area, but after a couple of false starts, we have landed the most spectacular arena you could want.
Led by Brodie Nankervis, the Orienteering Victoria Coaching Coordinator, this committee has already; provided feedback on two national coaching development projects, developed a draft participation framework for orienteering in Victoria, accredited and reaccredited several orienteering coaches, ran an education session for coaches on the use of Purple Pen for course setting and more! In May 2021, members of the coaching subcommittee will be piloting a new “Learn to Orienteer” coaching program, a consecutive five-week orienteering program designed for beginners. Participants will learn about an orienteering map, skills for navigating, how to use a compass and the different types of orienteering courses. It will use small, scaled maps and SI electronic timing, partly in conjunction with Saturday Park and Street.
Which left us thinking that perhaps we needed to bulk out the first weekend a little bit. We had the Victorian Middle Distance Championships at Musk Vale on Saturday, and the Australian Middle Distance Championships at Blackwood on the Sunday. What to do? Well, we have slipped in an extra short course event on the Saturday afternoon in Daylesford on yet another new map. Starting in the bush, passing around the famous Lake Daylesford and finishing in central Daylesford. Another of Warren’s lateral thinking masterstrokes, this will bring our traditionally reclusive sport into full view.
The aim of running this pilot program will be to turn it into a package that can be replicated by coaches/clubs around the state, and even the nation! Looking forward to the rest of 2021, the coaching subcommittee plan to run the new “Session Coach” accreditation (previously Level 1), organise a group to attend the national junior development camp, run a development/schools camp in Victoria, publish the Victorian Participant Pathway and develop more coaching resources that can be used across Australia. Words by Brodie Nankervis
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