Background
Orienteering Tasmania offers a development pathway for junior orienteers looking to improve their skills and participate in a supportive squad environment. The pathway includes three squads: the Beginner Squad, the Junior Squad, and the Tasmanian Foresters, performance squad.
The Beginner Squad, caters for young novices entering orienteering until they are high school age. Activities for this squad include fun training activities at events and an email newsletter about upcoming activities and other resources. Everyone is welcome to join.
The Junior Squad caters for young orienteers aged around 12-20 years and provides an open and supportive environment for orienteers to develop their skills through a range of activities, including training activities, weekend training camps, access to webinars and other orienteering resources. Members have the opportunity to gain selection for the Tas. Schools Orienteering Team and progress to the Tasmanian Foresters squad to participate in national and international competitions.
The Performance Squad aims to develop and retain junior, adult, or masters athletes who want to compete at a national and/or international level. Activities include access to webinars and online training resources, technical training sessions, and social activities.
This chart shows that individuals can start by joining the Beginner Squad and progress to the Junior Squad. From there, if they wish to compete in elite competitions and represent Tasmania at the national or international level they can progress to the Tasmanian Foresters.
The Squads
Tasmanian Beginner Squad – The Joeys
The Joeys caters for young orienteers just entering orienteering until they move to high school (approx.12 years old). The squad aims to create a fun and supportive environment to introduce the basics of orienteering and help young athletes develop their skills at their own pace.
Activities for The Joeys will include:
- Fun training activities at events, about once a month that introduce the basics of orienteering.
- Email Newsletter about upcoming activities and other resources.
Everyone is welcome, regardless of their skill level. The focus is on participating rather than competing and being part of a supportive squad environment.
Tasmanian Junior Squad
The Tasmanian Junior Squad caters for young orienteers aged approx. 12-20, and provides an open and supportive squad environment for junior orienteers, with the opportunity to develop their orienteering skills at their own pace through a range of activities and opportunities.
The squad may at times be grouped into sub-squads for training purposes – e.g. moderate and hard navigation groups.
Activities
- Summer training camp
- Junior training camp (Winter/Spring)
- Program of regular training activities (fitness and technical)
- Webinars / virtual training sessions and access to other orienteering resources
Opportunities
- Learn and develop the skills and techniques of moderate courses.
- Learn and develop the advanced skills and techniques of hard course.
- Gain selection in the Tasmanian Schools Orienteering Team.
- Progress to the Tasmanian Foresters Team to compete in national competitions.
State Performance Squad - Tasmanian Foresters
The aim of this squad is to develop and retain junior, adult, or masters athletes who want to compete at either a national and/or international level. The Tasmanian Foresters is the state representative team for the National Orienteering League (NOL). The NOL is primarily a team’s competition, and the aims of the events are to:
- Offer elite and junior elite competitors well-organised and technically demanding races against quality fields and prepare these orienteers for international competition.
- Retain athletes who may not have the intention or capacity to perform at the international level by offering quality national events.
Activities for the Tasmanian Foresters include access to:
- Webinars and online training resources
- Training sessions
- Social activities