Moray Schools Orienteering League 2012 - Information for schools and competitors

MORAY SCHOOLS ORIENTEERING LEAGUE 2013

INFORMATION FOR SCHOOLS AND COMPETITORS

The Moray Schools Orienteering League is run by Moravian Orienteering Club in conjunction with Active Schools. The aim is to provide school pupils with the opportunity to learn and develop map-reading skills while improving their fitness in a fun, competitive and challenging sport. The League provides a good progression for those schools that are teaching orienteering. The league runs from January to December 2013, including the summer holiday months.

Events and Courses. The aim is to have one event each calendar month. The date and details of each venue will be advertised to schools in advance and will also be available on our web site. Venues will be spread throughout Moray and will use a variety of terrain ranging from urban parkland to forests. Each event will offer two courses. The short course will be approx 2 km at British Orienteering Technical Difficulty 2 (equates to yellow standard on the colour–coded system). In parks, some legs might require runners to cross open spaces which does not entail following line features. Hence such courses fall strictly outside TD 2 criteria, but every effort will be made to ensure that controls are easily located. The long course will be between 3.5 and 4 Km at technical Difficulty 3. The planner may, at his or her discretion, include a small number of legs at technical Difficulty 4, or vary the length slightly depending on the terrain.  Events are normally on Saturday mornings, but may be on Sundays, or even midweek evenings depending on events elsewhere in the North East. Weekend events have registration at 10.15 am to 11.30am, and start times from 10.30 to just after 11.30 am. Courses close at 12.30.

Cost. Schools are not required to pay any fees to enter the league. Costs will be covered by each individual paying £4 on the day. This will include the cost of event levies to the national governing body, trophies, map production, map printing and equipment costs. The map can be taken away afterwards. Anyone who is already a member of Moravian Orienteering Club, or who commits to joining on the day, will get a £1 discount.

Teams. Four pupils to count. There’s no need to arrange teams beforehand, or for any form of team co-ordination. All pupils can enter independently, but it will be just the fastest 4 from each school whose results counts for the team score from any event. There’s no limit to the number who can enter.

Entries. Pupils should enter as an individual, but they are welcome to run with a friend. However, both must register separately and the time for each runner will count, even if they stick together throughout the course. Schools competitors who are members of Moravian Orienteering Club will also score points in the club's Saturday League (see Sat League Rules for info).

Primary Competition. There will be two competition classes called "Primary Schools Long" and "Primary Schools Short".  Primary school pupils can enter either class depending on their ability, fitness level and confidence. The primary pupil with the fastest ‘clear round’ on the long course scores 100 points, with subsequent runners scoring 1 point fewer per place behind (eg 5th place scores 96). The pupil with the fastest time on the short course will score one fewer point than the slowest one with a clear round on the long course. Pupils who fail to complete the course (“DNF”) can still score points, and positions will depend on how many controls they find. Long course DNFs are scored above short course DNFs, but all will scorer fewer points than the slowest clear round on the short course. Boys and girls are not scored separately.

Secondary Competition. Secondary pupils score points in exactly the same way. Their competition classes are called "Secondary Schools Long" and "Secondary Schools Short". Please note that primary pupils moving up to secondary school in June will continue to represent their former primary school until after the summer holidays.

Parents Competition. Orienteering is renowned as a family participation sport. Other family members are welcome to take part, and those who are members of Moravian Orienteering Club will score points in the club's Saturday League (see Sat League Rules for info). The cost for adults is £5 (£4 for members of British Orienteering).

Assistance out on the Course. Parents, guardians etc are encouraged to accompany beginners on the course. In orienteering this is called “shadowing”. Anyone shadowing a child should avoid ‘doing it themselves’ with the child in tow in an attempt to get a fast time. This achieves nothing as the child gets no sense of achievement and learns very little. Instead, shadowers should allow the child to do all the navigation themselves, and only help out where a mistake has been made or the child asks for help.

Safety. Seriously lost children are a rarity in orienteering. However, anyone getting disorientated should not wander about aimlessly. Instead, get on to the nearest track or path and remain where you are and you will be found! If you see a control marker not on your course, remain with it and ask another passing competitor for help. Carrying a whistle is recommended.

Timing. Each participant is given an electronic timing chip at registration. This is used to record the time taken and to show that each control has been visited. The chip is downloaded to a computer back at registration after completion of the course.

League Table. The league table will be updated after each event. Schools will accumulate points from all 12 events and a trophy will be presented to the primary and secondary schools that have accumulated the most points after the last event in December 2013. There will also be an individual league for members of Moravian Orienteering Club where the best 7 results from each competitor will count to their overall standing.

Results. Results will be published on the Moravian Orienteers Web Site after each event, along with detailed ’split times’ for each runner showing the time taken for each control. This makes it possible to work out how much time you might have lost through either getting lost or making a bad route choice.

Enquiries. More information can be obtained from your Active Schools Co-ordinator or from the League Organiser Mike Rodgers (01309 641413 or mrodgers506@hotmail.co.uk).

Please see our fixtures page for details of forthcoming events.