O-mentum Part 2

Posted by Grant on 1. September 2009 22:40

OK, I owe a few ideas on building up the sport of orienteering in the US . . . I think it all revolves around the youth.  Adults are a lost cause, for many reasons, and the young orienteers of today will become the orienteering leaders of tomorrow.  Those of us, myself included, who come to orienteering as adults can shape the sport and lay a foundation to build on, but orienteering isn't going to "catch on" in a big way by appealing only to us in the older crowd.  By getting young people into the sport, and building familiarity amongst them and their peers, it serves to remove the "that's a strange sport" stigma and will go a long way to long term success.

I'm no child development expert, but I imagine a sport that doesn't favor big or aggressive kids would be an attractive alternative to the tried and true basketball, football, etc.  Orienteering rewards intelligence and analytical skills as much (or more so!) than fitness and athleticism.  I think it's an easy sell to an education system that bans dodgeball because it's too confrontational and struggles to bring American students up to global standards on science and math -- orienteering is a silver bullet that satisfies physical education requirements along with learning about the natural world (what are topographic lines . . . how maps are a representation of the real world . . . even specific terrain elements can accent a lesson on geology or biology).  The more I think about it, orienteering could be the cornerstone of some great multi-disciplinary curriculums!

I know some passionate teachers who are also orienteers, so leveraging their efforts into a canned curriculum for broader circulation makes sense, right?  Already on the case, USOF has an online lesson plan that looks like a great resource.  The real trick is getting a school involved with a lesson plan like this that doesn't have a passionate orienteer already on staff, and that probably requires a less "technical" orienteering lesson plan that still engages kids and meets the needs of educators.  Maybe a selection of lesson plans is in order, targeted to specific ages, facilities, etc.  I'm certain that USOF has this on their radar screen, and probably just lacks the resources to make it happen.

So, since I mention resources, this is one area we can really contribute.  It doesn't have to be money, either . . . get involved with your local club and help shoulder some responsibility.  To practice what I'm preaching, I'll reach out to the couple American orienteering clubs I'm familiar with and see if there's something a computer nerd like me can do to assist.  

Heck, maybe I can affiliate our adventure races with US Orienteering -- don't let me get into a whole USARA thing here.  I need to make some calls...

The point is, we all can play a part in building up the sport.  One could advocate for the inclusion of orienteering in local school programs, or even develop a youth program at your kid's school.  In Switzerland, orienteering is done through clubs and not the classroom -- there is after school orienteering practice with your club, just like American youth soccer teams or piano lessons or swim team.  I can see a two-pronged attack working well: a bit of orienteering in schools to whet the appetite . . . and a club system outside the schools to develop the more competitive types.

I suppose I could sum this all up in a sentence: support USOF and any clubs in your area, and look for other ways to get kids involved in the sport.

A few other ways to support Orienteering in the US (that may, admittedly, involve some financial committment):

• When shopping at those outdoor gear shops, don't be afraid to ask them about orienteering specific equipment.  They aren't likely to have thumb-compasses or any other specific orienteering items, but you'll be sowing the seeds for the future and establishing that there is, indeed, an orienteering market and community where you shop.  Don't be shy.
• Subscribe to Orienteering North America and leave back-issues in your doctors' offices or at your gym (particularly near the tread mills)
• Ask your local parks about a permanent orienteering course.  It's a good way to get land managers comfortable with the idea of orienteering, and maybe someday fixed o-courses will be as common as frisbee golf courses -- and there will be a lot less pot on the o-course, I'm certain!

And in the short-term, don't forget to celebrate National Orienteering Day later this month!