2012 Blue Sparks Training Camp - 70 Bodies Bash about the Bush, Mud and Map Landscapes, Camp Champs, Icecream Delights in the Woods!
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
The 6th
Annual ACT Blue Sparks 2012 training camp was again a
resounding success. And what a fantastic weekend it was! Along with our invited
guests the NSW Wildfires, 33 adults and 34 children and 5
elites all came together for serious training and lorry loads of fun. This is
around a 100% increase on former years – look out……. the word is getting round.
 Starting
out with a training session on Saturday morning with Jock Davis
(Big Foot) on the Snow Hills maps, the under 12's (and their parents)
from both States learnt how to read complex mine diggings. For some this
was their first time they have been shown the technical aspects of bush
orienteering on a highly technical map. This exercise proved of great value to
the novice parents as well, many of whom have showed a strong interest in
supporting their children into the sport. Our advanced/elite orienteers, in
preparation for the upcoming World Cup races, also took advantage of access to
this interesting terrain for training; Australian Internationals Mace
Neve and Lachlan Dow, Australian Junior
International Olle Poland and NZ International Lizzie
Ingham. A couple of the NSW Junior Squad members were also seen out
enjoying the technical training.
After a
bush picnic set amongst scratchy scrub and flies, we ventured onto the private
bush block owned by the Polands and cooled off with a dip in the pristine but
chilly waterhole. Training recommenced at around 5ish with David
Poland running a series of training exercises around the main
site to practice map thumbing skills, how to understand map legends and IOF
descriptions, and even how to draw a map where a series of unusual objects were
masquerading as map symbols. Delegating many roles to the more confident older
juniors Zac Needham, Patrick Miller and Matt
Hill, the training sessions were conducted in a round-robin format to achieve
just the right balance between depth and variety. Parents both new and old, all
joined in and contributed both to leading and completing the activities.
A BBQ
supper and lots of contented map chat was had into the evening. The night
wrapped up with a thrilling “Spot O” headlight enhanced night of fun.
Stationary and roaming controls and flashlight spotters ensured excitement
in the dark and that the children were happy to crawl into their tents satisfied
with the day
And to be
ready for a 7am start the next day.
Sunday
started with further technical training - another round robin and a fresh set
of exercises as well as a mini sprint course where everyone had the chance to
test a formal start format and full SI course. Very popular indeed!
The
final activity for the weekend was an hour long rogaine with the Hash House
strategically located at the cool wet waterhole. The course set by Noah
Poland and the Miller brothers, Patrick and Tristan
covered the entire 160 acres of the bush block. The adults were as keen
to get out into the field for a run as the children. With bright coloured and
shaped stickers set to create a kaleidoscope of colour on the control card, all
were keen to have a go!
So
with careful map planning, kids and adults set out in pairs and groups to pick
up as many or as few controls as they felt inclined. NSW Matt Hill
and Ian Jones showed the way picking up all the controls in
the hour. Catlin Young, Noa Millman and
Zac Needham put in some impressive form. At the end of the hour everyone's
score was evened up with the final control, set right in the middle of the waterhole,
scoring a massive 10,000 points for all those hot and dusty runners who fancied
a dip. Scores were then rounded up to the nearest 1,000 ensuring everyone
came equal first
Thanks
to the many volunteers who contributed to making this weekend the success that
it was, to the Poland family for continuing to make bush block available to
Blue Sparks as a training venue, to Jock Davis and the other NSW parent support
crew (Mark Shingler, Barb Hill and Maggie Jones) for their inputs into the training
session and to all the ACT youngsters
who helped to lead the individual training activities over the weekend.
For
any other groups wanting a “training session”, the rogaine controls will remain
in place until Christmas to be used again.
The
date has already been set for next years Blue Sparks Training Camp 23/24
November 2013 - put it in your diary and don't miss out next
time!
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