Opportunities to Improve

A : HHJOS - HH junior training sessions
B : SEJS - South East Junior Squad
C : Club training days
D : Summer tours
E : Start Squad

Are you a junior member of HH? Would you like to improve your orienteering? Would you like the opportunity to travel to events around the country and abroad? Read on!

Whatever level you’re at, there is the opportunity to get better. The table below shows what’s available and what you can aim for: read the notes below to find out more.

How old are you?

What course do you usually run?

White

Yellow

Orange

Light Green

Green +

Under 10

10 - 12

12 - 14

A - B

A - B - C†

14 +

A - B - C

B - C - D - E

A: HHJOS

Come to HH junior training sessions ( HHJOS ). These are open to all junior members of the club. They are usually held on Saturday mornings, last about 2 hours and give you the opportunity to practice the basic techniques you’ll need to get around courses such as the Saturday Series events. There are lots of helpers, so you’ll have lots of help.

The club enters various junior competitions, some of which are outside the region. If you come to club training, you’ll meet the rest of the team and you can travel together.

* If you’re under 10 years old, your parent or guardian will need to stay with you throughout the session. If you’re 10 or over, and you feel confident enough, you can stay on your own providing you bring along a parental consent form ( you can get these from the club coach – Carol Lovegrove ).

B: SEJS

Are you successfully completing the light green course? This probably means you’re going to some District events as well as the Saturday Series events.

The next step is the Regional South East Junior Squad ( SEJS ). Attendance at this is by invitation. To get an invitation you need to catch the eye of the SE regional squad coaches. Bear in mind that this is open to the whole of the South East, so the regional squad coaches need to know how you compare with other juniors in the region. The best way of doing this is to go to some Regional events. You’ll need to be doing a JM4 or JW4 course ( equivalent to light green ) regularly.

The SEJS usually has one Saturday training day per month, which lasts from 10am –3pm: can you last the day? They also have weekends away to various parts of the country, so you can practice orienteering in different types of terrain. You’ll get the chance to develop more advanced technique skills. There are also other training camps and weekends that you can go to, such as the Lakeside training weekend near Windermere.

C: Club training days

The club has one or two training days each year which are aimed at adult members of the club. However, if you regularly do a light green or green course, you’ll be able to come along; you don’t have to be selected or invited. The sessions usually last from 10am -3pm and we look at more advanced techniques. There may be fewer helpers around, but you’ll still have the opportunity to talk things through with experienced club members.

† If you’re under 14, your parent or guardian will need to stay with you at these sessions. If you’re 14 or older, just make sure you bring a signed parental consent form, or a parent!

D: Summer tours

So you’re a star and you’re zooming around the green course already? What’s next?

You could be selected to go on a summer training camp, in Scotland or Norway. These are 1-2 weeks long and you get to train in some really tricky terrain with the best people in your age group from all over the country. There are usually about 16-24 people on the Scottish camps ( Lagganlia, Glenmore ) and up to 16 on the overseas ones, for older juniors ( Halden ). There’s usually a tour O-top; you’ll see lots of them in the forest.

Current HH juniors who have been on tour recently are Tim, Graham and Rebecca.

You have to be selected to go on these camps and be a member of the British Orienteering Federation ( BOF ). There are selection races, which are advertised on the BOF website. They are Regional and National events spread across the country, to give everyone a chance to impress the selectors. This means you’ll have to travel a bit further to get to them.

Competition for places is fierce! If you want to know more about what actually happens ( as well as the orienteering ) – talk to one of your club mates who’s been on one.

E: Start Squad

OK – real stars only here.

The best juniors in the country are invited to join the Start Squad. This means an impressive set of training weekends in different bits of the country, polishing up your technique and getting even fitter. With it comes some cool kit, and you know that people will know who you are ... No pressure then!!!

After that, you’re heading for the British Junior Squad, the British Senior Squad and the World Championships ...

So what are you waiting for? Get those shoes on and start running.