Juniors
Promising Junior Orienteers in the YHOA area are invited to become members of the YHOA Junior Squad where they can receive training and development support and may be selected for regional representation.
About the YHOA Junior Squad
The YHOA Junior Squad holds training sessions approximately once a month. These are a mixture of one day training and full weekends as well as online sessions whilst in “Lockdown”. Our one day training sessions and online session are open to associate and full squad members. Our 2 day training weekends are normally open to full squad members only. Full squad members are Yorkshire juniors who have met the criteria below and have received an invitation to join the squad.
Juniors who are bottom year M12 or W12 and above who show the potential to reach the ability level for full squad membership are invited to join the squad as associate members. Usually this will follow a recommendation from their local orienteering club. Associate members are helped to develop their orienteering skills before these juniors are ready to join the full squad.
Eligibility for full squad membership
(Updated 14 Dec 2021) To be invited to join as a full squad member, the criteria which need to be met are:
| Age | Juniors must be a top year M12 or W12 or above |
| Membership | Juniors must be a member of one of the six YHOA clubs and a member of British Orienteering |
| Ability | You should be regularly reaching a high standard at Light Green or M14A/W14A events. As a guide, this means achieving a time which is within 25% of the relevant winner’s time, assuming the event is well attended. |
| Competition Experience | Eligible juniors would be expected to be competing in at least 6 level C or above events during the year, including one championship event. |
The YHOA Junior Squad Committee will make the final decision on whether juniors have met the required criteria. Juniors aiming to be invited to be a member of the full squad who are not sure what they need to do to meet the criteria should contact the Squad Co-ordinator who can provide advice on this.
Training camps and inter-regional competitions
In addition to the weekends away, the Junior Squad aims to organise a week long training camp every two years. This is open all the full squad members and usually held abroad (the last two have been in Stockholm, Sweden). It gives squad members a chance to experience new types of terrain, compete against a some top orienteers and, importantly, have fun.
Junior squad members may be nominated to attend the following national training or inter-regional completions during the year:
– Junior Inter-Regional Competition or JIRCS – for M/W14s through to M/W18s – this weekend competition is held in September and comprises an individual race and a relay for regional squad teams
– Hawkshead Weekend – for M/W16s – this is a training weekend in the lakes, usually held on the last weekend of November
– Lagganlia Training Camp – for second year M/W14s with an opportunity for first year M/W16s who did not qualify in the previous year – this is a full week of training in Scotland, held over the summer school holidays, and is organised by the national Junior Regional Orienteering Squads (JROS)
JROS also organise other training camps for older juniors from M/W15 (First year M/W16) through to M/W19 (First Year M/W20). Selection for these camps is not through the regional squads and is directly based on results in nominated selection races. For more information see the JROS website.
Key contact
For any information or to nominated juniors from your club to be considered for membership of the squad please contact the Squad Coordinator yhoajuniorsquad@gmail.com
Grants
For junior athletes selected to represent one of the home countries or the UK in orienteering competitions, the YHOA will fund up to 33% of the personal contribution requested by the selectors up to a maximum of £100 per annum. The YHOA does not make grants towards British Orienteering or JROS coaching tours or personal kit purchases.
To apply, download the application form from the link below and complete it in accordance with the instructions on the form.
YHOA-Grant-Application-Form-v5
YHOA Junior Squad Constitution Sep 17