Latest ONSW News
Inter-regional sport is permitted once again after the NSW government relaxed restrictions imposed in August.
You can read the advice from NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant here, issued on Thursday September 24.
The important paragraph states: "From Saturday 26 September, inter-regional community sporting competitions may recommence without restricting these activities to regions or zones, where there is a COVID-19 Safety Plan for the school or community sport activity in place."
Sadly, these changes come too late to revive our State League competition.
However, Big Foot are putting on an event on Sun Nov 1 at Falnash where courses will be of State League quality. Stay tuned for details.
In the meantime, enjoy our club events and please continue to social distance and stay away from events if unwell or you have visited a hotspot.
Orienteering Australia is looking for qualified candidates to fill its two main High Performance roles: Head Coach and HP Administrator.
These positions have operational responsibility for OA’s HP program. The roles work closely together, and the precise division of duties between the two can be tailored to the particular skills and preferences of the individuals.
The positions are for 2021-22, with the option to continue in each role for a further two years by mutual agreement.
The Head Coach position description can be found here, and the HP Administrator position description here.
Applications close October 25.
Orienteers are indebted to Jim Russell and Ian Prosser for their fantastic work in these roles.
This week we finished a great 3-week program with Mackellar Girls Campus Year 9 PASS classes.
Session 1 was a score course around the school to familiarise the girls with reading a map, Session 2 was a compass-bearing activity above Manly Dam to show how to "bush bash" with confidence, and Session 3 was a score course also above Manly Dam incorporating all they had learnt.
We were thrilled that some girls got all 15 controls for the finale given the intricacy of the bare rock and the fact some controls were off-track.
Thanks to coaches Ian Jessup, Tshinta Hopper, Peter Hopper and Sharon Lambert for delivering some memorable lessons.
The feedback from teachers and students was very high.
"We all love your passion and enthusiasm. The students also love the chance to experience a new activity, connect with nature, and achieve new skills," wrote one teacher.
"Great course, straightforward instruction allowed the girls to get straight into it," said another.
Curiously, for the final session each coach walked about 3.5km - putting out controls, roaming as a coach/marshal, then collecting controls.
This is the sixth year we have delivered the program to Mackellar and it looks like we'll be back next year!
Are you looking to challenge a scout/guide group or a school class? Get in touch with us!
Big Foot confirmed their favouritism for another MetrO League quinella with crucial victories in Divisions 1 and 2 on a new map at Scheyville National Park on Sunday.
Scheyville was not what we expected - generally flat open farmland with pockets of dark green - which resulted in fast running.
But the trap for the over-eager was getting your bearing slightly out or not paying attention when looking for controls in the long grass. So easy to lose time while over-confident!
Division 1 was 7.8km and Alastair George covered the ground in 36m10s to lead the Feet to a comfortable semi-final victory over WHO. Garingal downed Bennelong in the other semi.
In Division 6, Garingal will meet SHOO-IKO in the final after a close win over a WHO side that featured two primary schoolers.
Lachlan Coady, 12, was fastest in the division while Justine de Remy de Courcelles - aged just 8 and in Year 3 - had her very first outing on a Moderate course and finished. Wow!
Justine (pictured) has been doing the MINI courses at the Sydney Summer Series for several years now with mum in tow and today had her first crack at a 'real' course.
In the other divisions it's first past the post and in Division 2, Big Foot beat Garingal 28-27 to be in the box seat for the trophy in the final round at Lansdowne next month.
In Division 3 we could end up with five teams level on six points, while in Division 4 Garingal are unbeaten and can even afford a modest loss in the last round.
Division 5 is another close one, with four teams still in the mix.
A big thank you to mapper and course setter Carol Jacobson, and all the Garingal helpers.
All the results and tables can be found on our ML web page.
