 Michael
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Posted: 12 March 2014, 3:41 PM
The Auckland Secondary School Sprint Series looks fantastic. 200 kids times 4 zones each week. Of course HB is probably doing as well per capita but I'm wondering if there's a formula we can emulate. Tell us more (if you have time:-))
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Dwayne
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Posted: 14 March 2014, 3:47 AM
Actually 5 Zones this year x 200 each week
West, Central, North - NWOC
South, East - CMOC
Plus another 200 at the AOC SummerNav each week 
I'm not involved directly but...
Some schools have increased numbers dramatically this year after a number of years establishing teams. I think the biggest driver of school numbers is parents with children in clubs that get involved with the school teams.
Also, the series is well established on the calendar now so teachers know it's coming and are mostly prepared for it.
Auckland Grammar went from a handful of runners to about 30 this year. Dio has 50 girls now at each race, with an even spread through all the grades. The North zone is getting more runners now because they have their own division and don't have to cross the bridge - traffic is a big issue for after school sport in AK, especially with a different venue each time.
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JohnR
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Posted: 14 March 2014, 2:43 PM
As you will note Michael its getting late but this is the only time to respond. These events are very time consuming.
In our area Counties- Manukau we have two regions Eastern (Howick) and Southern (Manukau)
There has been a lot of work within the schools to establish the promotion of the event and get a network of key personal at each school. You need to have contact with someone who will take a school team also the caretaker of the school is important.
We are lucky with funding. The north region where Mike Beverage is involved does not have the same funding that we have and has a $6 charge per entry. Our is free to students through the Kiwi sport funding.We are also able to pay organizers.
Our first grant was for three years and because the program has been so successful we have a three year extention. The kiwi sport funding is for mapping in schools teaching in schools and competition.We have now mapped over 100 schools in our area (primary,intermediate and secondary) and orienteering is being now taught in these schools. This has a lot to do with the increased numbers.
We do have record attendance this year and in fact we have had increased numbers every year over the last three years.
Each Monday the event is run by 4 to 6 organizers and we use ident with schools pre entering.
The competition is run in grades y7/8 junior intermediate and senior.
I have the full stats of numbers for each year and even numbers for each grade. if there is any interest i can email these to whoever.
Michael there is a lot more to this and it needs a seminar to get the full story.
All clubs should be into the kiwi sport system of funding
I need to go to bed Im getting real tired
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mcroxford
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Posted: 15 March 2014, 4:45 AM
Can I suggest a workshop on the Friday evening at the Nationals immediately after the AGM to discuss the Schools Sprint Series Concept. Nelson is now into its fourth year. We get about 40-50 kids a week.
I have said before the need for an NZ Orienteering Conference to share excellence and innovation in a range of orienteering related matters.
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Dwayne
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Posted: 25 March 2014, 3:50 AM
Those who aren't on FB may not have seen this. Some top level competition from the Auckland Secondary Schools Sprint Series. Race 5 - Central Zone - Seniors Girls Kayla and Alice head to head.
http://youtu.be/CzR_lnI0ntM
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nick
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Posted: 25 March 2014, 9:35 AM
A workshop is a very good idea. Sometime/whenever at Nationals, just take the opportunity of all the clubs being together.
A couple of worthwhile points to note:
1) WRT Kiwisport: Each of the three Auckland clubs has approached Kiwisport in slightly different ways, targeting different age groups. NW (Sec school), AOC (Primary) & CMOC (Intermediate). All three have been successful projects and well received by schools. Each club probably has a different story with valuable learning to be downloaded/saved.
2) The fortuitous timing of SSSS: Most secondary schools have, in some shape or form, a sport coordinator. It is this persons job to organise teams, coaches, uniforms, rosters, travel etc etc etc. It can be a struggle to get new sports established when SC's are stretched, schedules are rammed, kids are already committed to other sports. BUT!!! SSSS is good for sports coordinators because the first few weeks of Term 1 is about the only time in the year not already jam-packed with existing sports. SC's bump their numbers up, especially when O appeals to a kid who might not otherwise play.
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nick
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Posted: 25 March 2014, 10:05 AM
shot Dwayne
they are intimidating
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fraser
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Posted: 25 March 2014, 12:57 PM
nice work on the video Dwayne, well done.
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JohnR
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Posted: 25 March 2014, 1:33 PM
Not quite right Nick
Counties works with all three school groups
Our program has three parts.
Mapping the schools
Teaching staff and students
Competition
A workshop would be good but where it fits into a National with an already packed program?
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nick
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Posted: 26 March 2014, 3:37 AM
Sorry, Robbie perhaps I misunderstood you when you wrote: "The competition is run in grades y7/8 junior intermediate and senior. "
Well whatever, the point is that clubs have tried different projects and it would be valuable to distill the best models for application at primary/intermediate/ secondary levels and in different areas of the country.
The SSSS model is particularly important, I think, as a pathway into NZSS O Champs and hopefully ongoing participation & even club membership. I'm a bit out of the loop, and it may already be happening, but I'd hope we could develop this pathway with a national "big-picture" in mind.
As for a workshop at Nationals... I'm not even gonna be in the same hemisphere so I can't get too pushy! But, push comes to shove, its a relatively small group so you won't have to book a convention centre. If you had to meet at a cafe or a pub or in a park or in someone's living room - you could.
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Michael
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Posted: 26 March 2014, 5:44 AM
No Robbie is right, people are at the nationals for competition reasons, the AGM suffers from this time pressure and has become a formality with people getting fidgety and sneaking away whenever there is anything substantial on the agenda. I'm pleased that people recognise there is some expertise here that should be shared and there should be a project to do so.
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nick
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Posted: 26 March 2014, 9:22 AM
lol - classic maptalk: "there should be a project"
we're all guilty of it...
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mcroxford
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Posted: 26 March 2014, 12:35 PM
Thanks Nick for trying. I just see this as one of the essential tools in a clubs toolkit for success.
Nelson has just finished our 4th year of schools sprint orienteering. 5 races in 5 weeks on monday nights with a champs the following Monday night complete with sausage sizzle. We have mapped all secondary schools to 1:2500 and almost all primary to 1:1000. We have a good excited team who are starting to think about our strategy for 2015.
we get about 40-50 kids a week running around enjoying themselves often doing all the courses on offer all for only a few bucks. My aim is to reach 100 kids by 2016. We'll get there.
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JohnR
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Posted: 26 March 2014, 12:52 PM
800 students a week have taken part in the sprint series
BUT
Do we have a problem?
TONIC mens grade
m10 1 entry
m12 1 entry from wellington none from auckland
m14 4 entries
m16 4 entries
And all the above there are none from our club
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mcroxford
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Posted: 26 March 2014, 1:26 PM
Interesting. We've focused hard on supporting the mums and dads who come along too. If they aren't keen then the kids won't turn up to the weekend or big events. What's different about the culture of the schools event against the culture of a club event? I think the environment is different, kids like the familiarity of a school or park. Forests can be unforgiving and big events are just at weekends which need mum and dad to take you. We are converting our regular kids to regular weekend navigators. Converting them into big event kids is another big step. In saying that Nelson will have 7 under 12s at the nationals.
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nick
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Posted: 27 March 2014, 7:48 AM
It's a very good question Robbie - how to convert the school participants into long-term orienteers. What have other clubs done? HB? I think NW has done ok but I'd need Mike B or someone closer to the scene to provide details.
You could argue that getting a kid to compete for 5 years inside the school sport bubble is a good outcome, regardless of whether or not they join the club scene. Considering the competing demands on their time... Plenty of codes suffer the same dynamic. Post-secondary school drop-off etc... I don't mind the argument provided that the kid is not a net drain on the clubs/people providing the schools O events. So, he or she needs to be paying, or funded, or be offering some other value back to "us".
One possible value of the schools-only kids is en masse they provide a nursery for the genuine orienteering kids to discover learn and get hooked by our sport. If we are converting the kids who can be seriously good at O, then maybe thats sweet? How many school-only kids would you swap for say, Alice & Kayla? Or Nick Hahn? Or Matt Ogden for that matter? Or look at it another way... Even if he's never gonna make the NZ team, he'll be a active member for the next 60 years simply because he loves it. Aren't these the sort of people we should target?
Another value is parents and siblings. Sometimes it turns out Dad (for eg loves O and will continue participating once his kids have moved on...
Another value is statistics. High participation stats strengthen our claims with funders.
Having said all of that... I think we do need to focus on initiatives that directly enliven the clubs that make O happen. This could be through increased revenue, sponsorships, memberships, coaches or volunteers... Access to new maps... the type of pay-backs that ensure the club can keep making O happen. Oh yes... I mean the S word.
I'm sick of typing this on my phone.
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