ESK VALLEY WINS AWARD

Esk Valley Orienteering Club wins Minister’s Award for Excellence

TASMANIA’S Esk Valley Orienteering Club recently received recognition for its primary sport Orienteering program as the recipient of the Minister’s Award for Excellence at the Tasmanian Sports Awards held at Wrest Point in Hobart on March 13. The program is a partnership between the Launceston State School Sports Association, a group of mainly physical education and classroom teachers responsible for a Friday afternoon primary school sport program which includes basketball, super 8 cricket, softball etc, and Esk Valley Orienteering Club members. Initiated in 2003, ten schools participated in 2008, involving a total of up to 250 students each week in a Mike Dowling, Miriam Whittington, Valerie Brammall and John Brammall at awards night. series in Launceston parks and reserves over a ten week period. In accepting the award as both the President of EVOC The real improvement had been seen in the attitude to the and a key organiser of the program, together with Valerie sport. Initially teachers chose students who didn’t fit the Brammall and the secretary of the LSSSA Justin Cudmore, mould for the other sports on offer, the not‑so‑fit or turned‑ John Brammall recognised that the nature of Orienteering on by sport. Now the students were asking to be selected events, requiring course planning, setting up and collection of for Orienteering and teachers in some instances weren’t able controls, maintenance of maps etc, was beyond what could to bring all who wanted to participate. And for the first time, be expected of teachers in the time available for conducting following an incentive scheme and a talent identification such an event. recognition initiated during the 2008 program, an influx of He explained that the successful partnership between the students from the LSSSA series have appeared with their teachers and the club was responsible for the development of families at the introductory club events in the new year mid‑ childrens’ skills and their enjoyment of the program. week program run by the club. On the one hand there was the technical expertise and The club was represented at the Sports Awards dinner by ongoing professional development through weekly updates to John and Valerie Brammall and two of the more long‑term the teachers by the club’s coordinator of the program, Valerie volunteers assisting with the program, Peter Hoban and Ken Brammall and, on the other, the instruction and management Saunders. Also attending were the president of the LSSSA of the children by the teachers. Malcolm Hales and co‑ordinator Justin Cudmore and past In addition a number of regular volunteers from the club assisted the children out on the courses and the increasing knowledge and enthusiasm of the teachers contributed to the success. and present presidents of Orienteering Tasmania, Miriam Whittington and Mike Dowling. Mike relished the opportunity to celebrate the winning of the award as his first official duty as President.