Training Log Archive: barb

Had a short but thought-provoking phone call with Deb Humiston this morning. She has more business than she can take on for her orienteering-based business, Ultimate Treasure Hunts. She would love to work with someone else, but is concerned about teaching someone and bringing them on but then not having them stick around for long. She has done some work with students learning to be teachers, and made a powerful argument for that being the point where we should focus. Teachers sometimes do learn something about orienteering, but it is sort of old school, coming from the military/scouts take an azimuth, heavy on the compass. Teachers will report to her that their students love working with the compass, but Deb argues that where kids need to start is not with the compass at all - just with the map, and playing games that cast orienteering as fun. The compass comes much later. Anyway, she says that if we can get into the teacher colleges, and work with those soon-to-be-teachers on developing a fun and modern orienteering curriculum, that would have a big impact.

When she works with groups, she often has to make a map "on the cheap", but says that it is adequate for the introductory purposes she has. She generally will take GIS data from the town, trace it, and then make one visit to the location to finish it up, before the event.

We also talked about the kind of pricing that is needed in order to make a business like hers sustainable.

She learned a lot from Chris Cassone, ~15 years ago when she was getting started. I had previously had the idea of starting a series of phone/online monthly meetings to share ideas, but never made it happen - want to do that now. Chris would be a good person to hear from.

There are a lot of models for spreading orienteering.

C • ditto... 1

Had NG board meeting.

Key points from conversation with Juanma, Violeta, Ethan, Sara Mae, Dave, Vilppu:

Focus on orienteering for PE classes. Do one demo class, then provide materials so teacher can continue for a week.

Charge for elite training. Can't afford to keep paying Ethan with no return, sadly. Elite training grant would help - do they exist?

Programs like Danehy Girls in Sports Day and Madrid O Olympics are efficient: they bring the schools to you. And in a good, challenging location. Spread out different ages (or skill levels) on different days). Winners get to go on to the next day, so younger kids can stick with it if they do well. Focus generally is on participation tho.

(last board meeting, Ethan:) train teachers

Catering to both recreational and competitive is good; they feed off each other and synergize. So don't abandon teams - just balance, and try and get others to coach them.

[
Idea for posters. Two nearly identical. Complicated maze.
1. If you can solve this while running, we want you. CRLS Orienteering.
2. If you can solve this while running through it, we want you. CRLS Varsity Orienteering.
]

Tired.

Met with teacher at Morse school this morning; planned the fall and sketched the spring.

Met with 8th grade team at VLUS later this morning to talk about the program for the next 2 weeks.

In between, went to work meetings.

Met with one of my favorite IT guys in Boston today, to talk about the cloud. I found an opportunity to talk about orienteering, of course. His girls are 12 and 14, and he thinks they would enjoy it. They live in Concord and he mused that their middle schools might be interested. So, another connection to work with, this time to a new school system.

Team parent meeting tonight.
A parent has offered to coordinate rides to NEOC events.
He was at a party last night and mentioned to a fellow musician that his kid was recently running around in the woods with a map. The other guy said, oh, orienteering with Barb Bryant?
Always a good sign when the people already know about orienteering. It is a measure of how comprehensively you are raising awareness.

C • snowball effect 2

Was cc'd on this email from Ethan today:


We will be moving orienteering practice inside today. Meet in room 114 by 2:45.

Those of you who are cleared for full participation will be doing physical training with Mr. Salvi and Ms. Pearl supplemented with some basic orienteering challenges.

For those who are not yet cleared for physical participation, we will be in the classroom doing some "arm-chair" orienteering exercises, so be prepared to use your brains.