Junior Orienteering
Junior Orienteering is supported at a range of levels in Scotland – through schools, clubs, regional squads
and national squads, allowing juniors the option to participate at a level which suits them. Whatever your level of ability, as a junior orienteer there are groups you can join to enjoy orienteering and push yourself further to explore new places, make great friends and have fun!
Most juniors start orienteering with families at local events and the clubs running these events will have
junior training available and there will be regional junior training ( East, North or West). As ever with orienteering, it can be difficult to navigate the minefield of acronyms and jargons and to find out more about pathways for junior orienteering. This attempts to explain some of this jargon and show the opportunities available to juniors.
Junior orienteering in Scotland can also be summarised within these levels.
Level 1: Clubs and Scottish Area Squads
Within Scotland due to the sizes of clubs, the clubs group together into areas – North (MAR, MOR, INVOC, Gramp), West (FVO, ECKO, Clyde, STAG, SOLWAY, AYROC) and East (ELO, ESOC, INT, RR, Tay, KFO) to offer specific junior training opportunities, as well as training offered within the clubs. These 3 area squads are open to anyone, whatever your ability and whether you want to be an elite in future or you just want to enjoy orienteering and improve your skills and fitness!
The aim of the squads is to give juniors in Scotland more opportunities to enjoy orienteering. Training days are held throughout the year and you have the opportunity to meet others from nearby clubs and access additional coaching from coaches outside your own club. You’ll also be able to orienteer in new areas away from your local ones.
Scottish Junior Competitions
Scottish Junior Inter Areas – Each autumn sees the 3 area squads battle it out to be crowned the Scottish Junior Inter Area champions. There are normally relays on the Saturday and individual races on the Sunday with the juniors all staying together, in a Youth Hostel or similar accommodation, to enjoy a night of fun and games. This competition is open to every junior in Scotland and information is published by SOA each year
The Jamie Stevenson is an inter club based competition for juniors held each June. This time the battle is between the clubs with individual races – and a parade, fun and games. This competition is open to every junior who can run a yellow course or above independently. Entries are coordinated by the clubs.
Scottish Schools Orienteering Festival is held at the beginning of June to encourage school based orienteering. Juniors enter via their schools rather than their clubs, but the competition is open to everyone from Primary 5 up to S6.
Level 2: Scottish Junior Orienteering Squad (ScotJOS)
The Scottish Junior Orienteering Squad (ScotJOS) exists to provide a coaching and development programme for young Scottish orienteers, M/W14 – 18, who show talent in the sport and commitment to improve their performance. It fits within Level 2 of the British Orienteering Performance Pathway summarised below. The squad is selected each September and aims to focus resources on those who show potential to be top performers at national level in the future. The squad is managed and run by volunteers and the size is limited by practicalities.
The squad provides 6 residential weekends of training each year, as well as a biennial camp to Scandinavia.
How do I get selected for ScotJOS?
The squad is selected each autumn taking juniors who are current 1st year M/W 14’s to 18’s. The aim is to
select a squad containing juniors who have performed at a high level at top races in Britain and have shown a commitment to the ethos of consistent training and striving for improvement.
Selectors will consider performance of juniors over the season and all known form. They will look at
performance at a range of events, placing most emphasis on results achieved at major national events.
Events which will be considered are:-
JK, Scottish Champs, Scottish Orienteering League events (SOLs), Jamie Stevenson, Scottish 6 Days
You do not need to apply, the selectors will look at the performance of all Scottish juniors who have competed at these events. If you are interested in becoming part of ScotJOS, simply start participating in larger Scottish events rather than just local club based events. At these events ScotJOS will often have a fundraising cake stall – so come along buy some cakes, support the squad and find out more about the squad.
What if I’m not selected at age 14?
Don’t give up – keep orienteering and make the most of any training opportunities with your club/area – as the selections take place each year, you will be considered again the next year. Late starters and late
developers who are deemed to have a high potential may be selected despite results not being as good as others in their age class.
Representing Scotland at Junior Competitions
ScotJOS also manages and coordinates the teams to represent Scotland at the Junior Home Internationals (JHIs) and Junior
Inter Regional Championships (JIRCs), although you do not
need to be a member of the squad to be selected as part of
the Scottish team. Selection is based on performance at major
national events. Scotland aims to take the strongest possible
team to the Junior Home Internationals (Top 4 juniors in each
age class) but for the Junior Inter Regionals will spread the
selections where appropriate to select the top 2 juniors, plus 5th and 6th in each age class.
JROS Camps/Tours
So how does ScotJOS fit into JROS?
Junior Regional Orienteering Squads (JROS) is the umbrella organisation for the 12 regional squads from the 12 British orienteering regions. ScotJOS is the regional squad for Scotland – which is one of these 12 regions.
JROS Camps/Tours
JROS organises a series of training camps each summer, each of which focusses on a specific age group
- Lagganlia – M/W14
- Deeside – M/W15
- Czechia – MW/16
- Stockholm – M/W17
- Gothenburg – M/W18
These camps are all run by volunteers and have a limited number of places available. A range of national
competitions are used for selection each year – with the exact races determined each December depending on the British Orienteering calendar. More details about the selection races and the camps are available on the JROS website.
Level 3: Talent Squads
The Talent Squads are the next level of the Performance Pathway and are managed by British Orienteering.
There are three Talent Squads within the programme: Talent Scotland, Talent North and Talent South. Athletes in the Talent Squads are 15-18 year old junior athletes.
The core aims of the Squad are to develop junior athletes with a
programme of training, education and coaching which takes a holistic view of their development as athletes, orienteers and individuals. Encourage the athletes to take responsibility for their own plans to improve their orienteering. Squads act as a source of motivation and enjoyment for athletes.
What is the difference between Talent Scotland and ScotJOS?
As would be expected there is an overlap between ScotJOS and Talent Scotland. The 2 groups have much of their technical training together through the ScotJOS weekends, but for Talent Scotland this is further
augmented by a sports science based camp; a race preparation camp; workshops and talks and mentors to support the juniors.
If I’m in ScotJOS – will I be in Talent Scotland?
Not necessarily as the Talent Squads only select 16s and 18s, and those who demonstrate the most
commitment and desire to progress on the performance pathway, with the potential to be selected to
compete for Great Britain at EYOC (European Youth Orienteering Championships), JWOC (Junior World
Orienteering Championships) or with the potential to develop as an elite senior athlete
For reference, ScotJOS currently has 37 juniors and Talent Scotland 18.
Selection for Talent Squads
Selection for the Talent Squads takes place nationally, and compares all juniors orienteers in those age
classes across the whole of the UK, to ensure that selection is national and the chances of selection are not influenced by location. Again juniors do not need to apply, selectors will look at the performance at major national events (typically those events used for GB team selection for EYOC/JWOC and JROS tour
selections).
Level 4 and 5
Levels 4 and 5 of the Performance Pathway are for those over the age of 18, and are supported by the
British Orienteering Performance Pathway and the Scottish Elite and Development Squad (SEDS).
Questions:
What if I don’t want to be an “elite orienteer” focussed on performance?
We just want juniors to enjoy orienteering and have fun – the sport welcomes everyone. Orienteering
events are open to all – it’s all about the participation.
The majority of orienteers will never become elite orienteers (just like most juniors kicking a football will never play for Celtic or Rangers), however we want to give every junior the opportunities to improve their
skills and take part at the level they wish. As well as opportunities to improve their own orienteering,
Scottish Orienteering offers Young Coach Assistant, Junior Planner and Young Organiser workshops for
juniors, to enable everyone to participate and support orienteering.
Where can I find out more about selection criteria?
All the information about selections for JROS camps, GB teams, ScotJOS and Talent Squads are summarised here
Contacts:
Queries about Area Squads/ ScotJOS and Talent Scotland:
- West Area (SWAT): Jason Inman jason.inman99@gmail.com
- East Area: Heidi Ross heidi@scottish-orienteering.org
- North Area: Heidi Ross heidi@scottish-orienteering.org
- ScotJOS: Judy Bell/ Roger Goddard scotjos@scottish-orienteering.org
- Talent Scotland: Judy Bell/ Roger Goddard judy.esoc@gmail.com
Queries about Young Coach Assistant, Junior Planner and Young Organiser workshops
- Coach and Volunteer Development: Judy Bell learning@scottish-orienteering.org
Information about British Orienteering performance programme and its selection policies
- British Orienteering Performance Programme https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/gbprogramme
- British Orienteering Selection Policies https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/selection