Category: O-Forums

January Forum: OUSA Coaching Program

OUSA’s next O-Forum will be held January 14th at 8:30pm ET and will discuss the evolution of the Hybrid Level 1+ Coaching Certification Course and how OUSA’s older youth and those supporting them are using this process to grow our coaching capacity nationwide. Hear from some of the coaches about their experiences and how they’re using what they’ve learned. Along the way, we hope you’ll find some inspiration for how this resource might benefit orienteers of all ages in your community.

Learn from the Coaching Committee on January 14th at 8:30pm ET on Google Meet.

Add to your Google Calendar.

December OUSA Forum: Getting started with mapping!

Are you interested in mapping? Already have some mapping experience and want to learn more?

Join us December 19th at 8:30 ET for the December O Forum on Mapping, presented by Jeff Teutsch of Navigation Sports! Jeff has over 10 years of experience in making orienteering maps, from basemap creation to the final product. His work includes everything from schoolyards to the giant wilderness area used in the North American Championships this summer. Through his orienteering venture Navigation Sports, Jeff has taught mapping skills to a multitude of other aspiring mappers.

This session is aimed towards those who want to get started with mapping or have just started their journey, but even the most experienced mappers will learn something new!

Learn from Jeff on December 19th at 8:30 ET on Google Meet.

Add to your Google Calendar.

November OUSA Forum: Sprints!

Please join us this Tuesday, November 26th, for a presentation and discussion about sprints orienteering. Senior team member Alison Campbell shares her views on how sprints differ in the USA to Europe, how to train for sprint races, and more! After the presentation there will be time for questions and discussion.

This presentation will be great for competitive athletes, course designers, and anyone interested in learning more about this fast and furious orienteering format!

This session is now available on YouTube.

April OUSA Forum: Youth Mapping Program

Please join us this Thursday, April 11th, for a presentation and discussion about Orienteering USA’s Youth Mapping Program (YMP).

The presentation will take place on Google Meet at 8:30pm EDT and can be accessed at: https://meet.google.com/ama-bpex-yrv

Our goals are to introduce orienteering to as many youth as possible, to develop orienteering mappers, and to create small teaching maps to start new orienteering programs in schools and other youth-serving organizations. We aim to support the first 3 of the 4 elements of OUSA’s mission.

Who should attend:

  • Aspiring map-makers, interested in being able to make your own maps for training with friends or for your club, the YMP can provide mentorship. 
  • Small clubs without resources to adequately respond to queries from local schools.
  • Larger clubs looking to form connections with local educators.
  • Orienteers who want to see our sport thrive.

You can learn more about the YMP on the OUSA website: https://orienteeringusa.org/resources/ymp/

March Forum: Alternative Course Formats

Are you looking for new ideas to spice up your next local event? Next month’s Orienteering USA forum topic will feature Alternative Course formats and will take place on Tuesday evening, March 12th at 8:30pm EST.

Mary Jones from Orienteer Kansas will present some ideas from their Explorer course which is offered at all of their regular events and is designed as an introduction to orienteering for beginners of all ages. Joseph Huberman from Backwoods Orienteering Klub will discuss the Fox Chase format that is used at some of their events.

We are still looking for a couple more folks to round out the panel so if you have a unique twist on the standard course formats that you’d like to share with the orienteering community, please contact Joseph Huberman @ vpclubs@nullorienteeringusa.org.

Everyone including organizers and participants is encouraged to join the discussion in two weeks on Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/ama-bpex-yrv. You can catch previous monthly forums you may have missed over on the Orienteering USA YouTube Channel.

Orienteer Kansas – New Year’s Day O’ at Rock Haven (via OK Facebook Page)

Monthly Forum #4 – Replay Available

This month’s OUSA monthly forum featured Barb Bryant, from Navigation Games taking a look at the current state of teaching orienteering in schools. We look at a few successes – and failures – from around the country and the world, and do a deep dive into the approach of Navigation Games, a member club of Orienteering USA.

Click the image below to watch the replay or visit the Orienteering YouTube Channel to view previous forums.

https://youtu.be/pqXukkR6fWY

Orienteering USA Introduces Monthly Forum Series

Orienteering USA is introducing a monthly series of Orienteering Forums focusing on a wide variety of topics suggested by OUSA participants and clubs.  Our first Forum topic will be of particular interest to Event Directors, Volunteers, and Club Officers since we will be sharing best practices on how we run our local events. Did we change our procedures for Covid? Are we keeping some of these changes? What are we doing to make hosting our events easier and safer?

The inaugural Monthly Orienteering Forum will be on Tuesday, November 14, at 8:30-9:30 PM Eastern Time on Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/ama-bpex-yrv. Forum participation is open to all interested persons regardless of experience level. Whether you’re a veteran event organizer, or a newcomer interested in learning more, please plan to join us for these monthly meetings.

For our November forum, Don Fish, Sharmagh Yepremian and Beatri Bennett will get us started with a presentation on Quantico Orienteering Club’s newly updated Event Director’s Manual, reflecting changes made in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic waxed and waned.

After the presentation we will have a round-table discussion of not only QOC’s manual & procedures, but open the discussion to forum participants to share how their club makes events run more smoothly. So if you are interested in improving the way your club runs local events, plan on joining us on November 14th and feel free to bring along some ideas to share with the group.

Orienteering USA is planning to host these meetings on a monthly basis, alternating between Tuesdays and Thursdays. Odd numbered months i.e. Jan, March, May etc. will be on the 2nd Tuesday.  Even numbered months i.e. Feb, April, June etc. will be on the 2nd Thursday. 

Future forums will discuss a variety of topics with your suggestions welcome (particularly if the suggester is also up for presenting).  Suggestions can be made via ClubNet (https://groups.google.com/a/orienteeringusa.org/g/clubnet) so others can chime in.

We will always get together on Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/ama-bpex-yrv however we have also created a Facebook Event – if you want to let us know you are interested or wish to start some online discussion either before or after the forum takes place. Keep discussions civil, we will delete inappropriate or off-topic posts.

We look forward to seeing you. 

Joseph Huberman, VP Club Services
Jon Torrance, VP Competition
Clinton Morse, Communications Manager