WIOL Coaches and Team Meeting
October 27, 2022 by John Brady
MEETING THURSDAY OCT 27th
Thursday at 7PM on ZOOM for Coaches, team leaders, and parents. Password is COC
Students sign in at 8PM using the same Link for a Student athlete meeting. Password is still COC.
WIOL#1 Pre-Training: Running Wild
Each of these links will take you to a computer simulation video game. The simple object is to click on the screen the route you would take to get to each checkpoint. However, if used as a visualization and route tool, you will see it can be much more useful. I challenge you to consider this as you do each of these levels. Do not click just to get it over with quickly, but rather ensure that each thing you click on is a fundamental stepping stone you want to see on or near your path. Don’t be so focused on shortest path either. Get the most out of your training. Do it twice: once with urgency and once with specificity. Then compare! Password for each course is COC
- Beginner: How can you tell if you are facing the same way as your map? How do you know you are going the right way? What big things will you see along the way. What does each color mean and what will it look like in real life? Was there more than one way to get to the control? When I clicked, did I just click the shortest route or did I click on every big stepping stone along the way?
- Intermediate: Every symbol you pass, make sure you know what it means. What are things you “might see” vs things you “will see”? Was it possible to work ahead using the 1-2-1 method (1: get the route to next control. 2: Find the next two stepping stones you will be looking for. 1: Peek ahead to the next leg route if time permits to allow you to flow through the following control. Ask yourself as you are doing this, what would I be doing with my map? Where would I be confirming with my compass? Where could I make a route choice error? Where would I lose 20-30 seconds in real life?
- Advanced: Focus on the little things that kill time. The park is easy navigationally speaking. However, seconds here or there can be lost. Where would you lose time? Where should you control speed and where should you simplify by using things like backstops to allow full speed? Where are the areas of confusion and clarity? What is the feature on and how might you miss finding the feature when in the control circle. Do the game twice. Really focus on max urgency on the first time, then max safety the second time. Decide what you would do a third time using a combination of the two and then see if you can keep a visual flow of items you expect to see, all while using the confirmation tools appropriate for a course at this level of difficulty (easy). Take what you learned to your route-determination and speed control mindset at the start line. When you are done, use the RW analysis tool to compare to others.
Also, here is a link to a Pre-Race checklist. Cut it out and put it in your orienteering control code sleeve to prevent you from forgetting something important. Or, save it and modify it to make it your own. If you have something better, send it my way:)
Here is a document that will be useful as you learn more about maps. We will discuss control descriptions at a later point:)
-John Brady