ORIENTEERING DEVELOPMENT

Ben Rattray, Director (Development)

Thanks for our volunteers

– can everyone start showing their support?

I have just come back from Easter in South Australia. I had a great time, and the events all ran smoothly and well. It does amaze me how well we orienteers run events. There is inevitably the odd hiccup, and the unavoidable complaints about trivial points, but we do run events well, often very well. Major carnivals require a tremendous amount of work, and to quote a fellow Board member, “the work required provides a few people with what would be equivalent to a full-time job for several months.” What makes it more impressive is that the vast majority, if not all, is conducted by volunteers. Volunteers run our sport, and it is great. It is great to see people passionate to make the sport they love happen. It is great to see that in this world of financial and time pressures, people are willing to donate their time and effort. It is great we have so many volunteers, from organisers to Board members, and start crews to coaches. Volunteers in orienteering cover a wide range of activities. There is a down side however. One of the largest issues we have in Australian orienteering is the large amount of volunteering that a relatively small group of people undertake. These people often get tired, and are too often overloaded or burnt-out. This is particularly true with our major carnivals, and even more alarming, the problem is only likely to get worse in the future with changing attitudes in society, and an increasing ageing demographic involved in the sport. Addressing this issue will include increasing our volunteer base, member and participation numbers as well as supporting our volunteers. There is a popular notion that if we increase our active membership, we will increase our volunteer base. This is true, but I believe only to a limited extent. Many people are not likely to volunteer, and the idea that you have to volunteer may actually deter people from becoming members, or even participating in the sport altogether. I don’t believe that other sports such as athletics or cycling would have the same relative number of volunteers that we have in orienteering. Athletics is a very large sport, yet I doubt every second participant has been a volunteer as seems to be the case with orienteering. There is much more we can do in terms of supporting our volunteers rather than just hoping more appear. We can support volunteers in many forms, thanking them is the most obvious. We show our appreciation regularly by thanking volunteers in person, in event write-ups, at prize-giving and the occasional award. I don’t believe that is enough. Here are some ideas on supporting our volunteers further.

Volunteer Support

Resources

Generally each State has guidelines to assist volunteers with event organisation. This may be in the form of a club guide, or individual guidelines on the different aspects of event management and coaching. I am uncertain how often these guides are used, but I suspect many people are unaware they exist so I encourage States and clubs to ensure they are continually well advertised as a useful resource, acting to reduce the load on individual volunteers. Resources should be continually updated, reviewed and developed as new issues arise (such as with electronic punching). Useful development resources are something I am working hard to develop from a national perspective as well and there is now a number of resources on the Orienteering Australia website. While we do events well, we often don’t do other aspects of the sport well, particularly promotion and advertising. As part of the development resources being established on the website, we are therefore trying to establish better resources for our volunteers in these areas. Another project that we would like to achieve is putting together a resource for organising a major carnival. All these resources are aimed to provide volunteers with a framework in which they can achieve their objectives more efficiently, and that should take some of the stress and load off our volunteers. If you have any ideas or suggestions of resources that would be useful, please be in contact.

Paid officer support

Volunteers are predominantly supported by themselves and each other in orienteering. This is great, and in some places a necessity since there is not a paid officer in every State. But volunteers need support from our professionals wherever possible. Effective paid professionals have a list of duties to fulfil as part of their employment, and these duties should be made clear to everyone. As part of these duties, tasks that assist the volunteer structure (either through policy development, administrative or direct support) should be in place. We have some great paid officers that contribute tremendously to our sport, but unfortunately not enough. States should continue to investigate the viability of a paid officer(s) bearing in mind that there is potential for them to pay for themselves through: • Membership and participation numbers • Value for money at an event – and price structuring • Commercial business – jump on the adventure sport bandwagon catering for corporate sectors • Marketing and sponsorship/grants • Running paid events and education for schools The level of support to volunteers will vary depending upon the commitments of the paid position. As for the argument: “why should we pay one (or a few) people when everyone else volunteers?” - Because it increases the professionalism and quality of our sport, and makes the volunteers job easier. It comes down to effective task allocation, prioritisation and management of the paid officer.

Gifts

Many organisations provide their volunteers with gifts as thanks for their support. Orienteering is a small organisation and struggles financially to provide volunteers with conventional gifts such as polo shirts, gift vouchers, hats etc. Gifts may include many other items that are more realistic, including event vouchers. This is perhaps the most obvious area in which orienteering could show thanks to its volunteers. Sponsorship arrangements may

be a good way of sourcing potential gifts, but this generally only applies to our major events. Small local events are a continual strain on volunteers and recognition from a club could be simply in the form of free entry into the next club event. This provides minimal cost to anyone involved but can be seen as a gesture to better thank our volunteers than at present. It would be interesting to hear if others have ideas on what simple gifts might be effective.

Awards

The Silva Services to Orienteering Award is the pinnacle national recognition for our volunteers. There is only one annual award however, and many more volunteers that deserve recognition exist than we formally recognise. For that reason, States and even clubs are encouraged to create their own service or volunteer recognition awards. The ACT for instance has its own services to orienteering award (Ed – as do several clubs). These awards should then take pride of place on websites and in newsletters and magazines. Volunteers run our sport, support them as much as possible. Support may cost money and sometimes just time and a little effort. Please continue to think and implement more ways of showing support, and tell me about it. I am a volunteer, and I need the support.

Development Tips – Catering for the next generation

1. Communications – whilst State and club newsletters have and continue to serve a useful role in orienteering – the next generation are constantly bombarded with graphic and exciting flyers from numerous types of companies. Most notably at the moment Adventure Racing companies. Make sure you adopt electronic forms of communications that have an impact. Look to see the current examples by searching online. 2. Events – time and travel is a big issue with seemingly more activities pulling on people’s times than ever before. Advertise the close events effectively, and don’t assume people are only interested in an hour’s run. Ensure the event is exciting, use loops, a sprint format or mass start when suitable. 3. Advertise events with attractive forms of the media in appropriate places. Schools, universities, other sporting clubs or events, online and in the work place. Online make sure you add your event, with some catchy introduction and graphic on websites, and internet based event calendars. 4. Event entries – make it easy to enter and pay for the event. Events that offer online entry and payment are now commonplace in other sports. Don’t give people another hurdle to entering an orienteering race. 5. Encourage an attractive event. Orienteering should create an environment in which the sport looks professional. This encompasses everything from the quality of the banners hanging up at an event to the gear people wear, and from the speed of onsite and online results appearing to the services (e.g. crèche) and shops (e.g. food and gear) on offer. If you have any tips, PLEASE email them to: oa_development@netspeed. com.au Good tips will be published with acknowledgements in subsequent editions.

Development Resources

Orienteering Australia is creating development resources. Everyone can access them through the Orienteering Australia website: www. orienteering.asn.au/promotion/devel/ Please take advantage of them and check regularly for updates.

Selection news

Blair Trewin

Australia-New Zealand Challenge

The Australia-New Zealand Challenge will be contested in October in conjunction with the Oceania Championships week. Teams of three, and reserves, will be selected in all Challenge age groups. The Challenge age groups are: M/W16, 18, 20, 21, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, and M70. (M/W18 and 20 will both compete on the 17-20E course). The selection trials will be as follows: M/W21 - the M/W21 teams will be Bushrangers teams chosen in accordance with normal Bushrangers selection criteria. M/W18 and 20 - the principal selection trials for these classes will be the JWOC selection trials, as well as performances in JWOC itself for those who are members of the team. All other classes - the principal selection trials for all other classes will be the Australian 3-Days and Australian Long Distance Championships. Nomination procedure and eligibility - to be eligible you must be an Australian citizen at the time of the event. No nominations will be required. However, the selectors would appreciate being advised if any of the following apply: • You know that you will not be available for selection. • You wish to be considered for selection in a different age group to that in which you competed in the selection races. • You are not an Australian citizen, or have recently taken out citizenship (if you have been ineligible in the past). The selection panel may be contacted through the Chair of the Junior Panel, Blair Trewin, at b.trewin@bom.gov.au. The team will be chosen by members of both the Senior and Junior Panels. It is hoped to be able to announce the team (with the possible exception of M/W21) at or shortly after the Australian Relays.

Australia-NZ Schools Test Match

There will also be a Schools Test Match between Australia and New Zealand contested during the Oceania Championships week. Teams of four will be chosen in each of the four Schools age groups (M/W-15 and M/W16-19). Subject to ratification by School Sport Australia, the selection trials will be the Australian Schools Championships individual event, and the Australian Long Distance Championships. Under School Sport Australia rules, to be eligible for selection, candidates must be a member of a State team at the Australian Schools Championships (which will have the effect of making any school-aged JWOC team members ineligible). At the time of writing Orienteering Australia is seeking to negotiate an exemption to this but may not be successful. There is no nationality requirement for this team – anyone attending an Australian school is eligible. As for the AustraliaNew Zealand Challenge team, no nominations are required, but it would be of assistance if anyone unavailable for selection could advise the selectors in advance.