Orienteering NSW is delighted to announce that Newcastle's Rob Bennett has been appointed NSW Junior Squad coach for 2017.
At just 24, Rob takes on a crucial task with the added pressure of the Australian championships being held on home turf next year.
"My aim as coach is firstly to create an atmosphere of fun in our team camps and competition that kids look forward to experiencing," said Rob.
"A growth in numbers at squad level will inevitably lead to an improvement to the quality of athlete selected for the team as competition drives improvement.
"My secondary aim is to prepare the kids for competition; through mental, technical and physical training. I plan to create a central forum to improve co-ordination and communication across the squad. The Moodle page will also allow for orienteering news as well as weekly armchair orienteering activities to be sent out to keep them thinking about orienteering.
"I also plan on improving their knowledge of physical training and conditioning as this aspect of the sport is often neglected. This knowledge will arm them with the fitness to reach elite levels if they choose to."
ONSW sincerely thanks Jock Davis (Big Foot) for his huge efforts in coaching the junior squad for the past three years.
Sally Devenish (Western Plains) will remain as squad manager for 2017.
Rob's passion for the role was ignited when he returned to O after a three-year hiauts.
"I took a couple years off from orienteering from around 2013-15, but at the end of 2015 I entered in the Xmas 5 days which was the catalyst I needed to re-enter the sport and give it a proper go. I got flogged in every single race at the 5 days. I was incredibly unfit and my navigation had fallen apart after years of not orienteering at all. I started going out to maps by myself and doing training exercises to improve my navigation with the aim of becoming competitive at the sport."
