Schools Championships

School Championships occur throughout the year in Victoria. These events involve students competing against each other in local parks and forests. Typically in each event between 100 and 900 students (from 5 to 15 schools) participate.

The Victorian Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships (VSSOC) 2021

Friday 7 May 10am
Hawkestowe Recreation Reserve, South Morang, VIC

START TIMES:
Students will start at 1 – 2 minute intervals, starting at 10:30am.

FINISHING TIME:
If held, the Award Presentation will be held at approximately 1:30pm

Further information including car and coach parking information, individual start times and sample maps will be sent out at the end of April. 

CATEGORIES:
There will be a separate age category for each year level. For state selection purposes, junior year levels (7, 8 and 9) and senior year levels (10, 11 and 12) will run the same course.

For each age group there are two categories: beginner and championship.

1. Beginner courses will all be set at ‘easy navigation’ difficulty and can be completed by those who have never experienced orienteering. They can be completed in pairs.
2. Championship courses will be set at ‘moderate navigation’ difficult for both junior and senior categories. Courses are set along handrails such as tracks and fences but include the option to navigate “across country”. Route choice will be a feature, with participants choosing from a range of possible routes between controls. Controls are located either on or adjacent to handrail features.

The expected winning time for each course is 25min

ENTRIES:
The entry form can be found HERE. Please download and fill in for all the students from your school, then send to [email protected].

Once your entry has been received you will be sent an entry invoice. The entry fee is $11 per individual student, $16.50 per pair (beginner category only). Entries are due by Thursday 29 April, 2021 at 5pm. Payment is due by no later than 30 April, 2021. A “no payment, no map” policy will be followed.

SCORING:

• The top 3 finishers in each championship age category will receive an award
• The top 10 finishers in each championship age category will score points towards the “Champion School” competition: 1^st place 10pt, 2^nd 9pt, etc.
• A maximum of 5 finishers from a school may score points in each age category (only the top 5 finishers from each school are counted).
• A “Champion School” will be awarded for each age category and as well as for all the age categories combined.

Preparation For VSSOC 2021

In 2021, Orienteering Victoria is providing further opportunities for schools and students to prepare for the event:

• A coaching session at 10:00 am on the event day to provide some basic tips – free of charge.
• Prior training or coaching at your school earlier in Term 2 – costs negotiable with OV.
• Access to the new national secondary school resource kit that you can use to prepare attendees prior to the event – free of charge.

If your school is interested in any of these options please contact the OV Schools Officer at [email protected] or 0498 008 392

Victorian Team Selection For National Schools Championship:

Held in conjunction with the Australian Orienteering Championships, Orienteering Victoria supports a full team of both junior and senior secondary school students to compete at the Australian schools champs. The team will comprise of up to 6 competitors in each of 4 age categories up to a maximum of 20 students. The 4 categories are:

1. Junior girls and boys: 15 or younger at 31 Dec 2021.
2. Senior girls and boys: 16 or older at 31 Dec 2021.

The 2021 Victorian Secondary Schools Championships is the first selection race for this team. more information about the other races and selection criteria will be shared at a later date.

COVID-19 RETURN TO SPORT PLAN:

The 2021 Victorian Secondary Schools Championships will follow Orienteering Victoria’s COVIDSafe Plan. More information and both organiser and participant guidelines can be found at https://www.vicorienteering.asn.au/return-to-orienteering/

More information re: event specific COVIDsafe protocols will be provided closer to the event, pending any changes to the current COVIDsafe Settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

“What happens on the day?”

Each student is allocated a start-time. As they start, students are handed a pre-marked map to navigate to all the control points in sequential order until they reach the Finish. The winning time for each course is expected to be 25min. Most competitors will take around 45min to complete the course. Results for each student are calculated and then displayed in the arena.

“My teaching schedule is tight – will I be required to do much preparation for the day”?

All orienteering requirements will be prepared by Orienteering Victoria. This includes allocation of start-times, preparation of competition maps, control descriptions and results. Your responsibility is to enter your students and then get them safely to and from the event! Familiarisation with the map and basic orienteering procedures will assist your students in approaching the day confidently.

“What are the basic map reading skills required”?

Students should know how to orientate their map to north. Know that the triangle shows them the START and the double circle the FINISH. The controls are found in the centre of the circle drawn on their map. Controls must be visited in order.

“Will there be presentations?”

The Award Presentation will be held at approximately 1.30pm.
1st, 2nd and 3rd place-getters in each age category will be presented with an award.
There is an award for the “Champion School” (overall), as determined by points which are allocated to the top 20 place-getters in each age category.

“Can I take photos of my students?”

You are welcome to take photos of your own students on the day (assuming you have received permission from parents and guardians). Orienteering Victoria may take photos or video of competitors to be published on the OV web page and in the media to celebrate their achievements. OV will publish the names of individual place-getters with their school names on the OV website. If you wish to have a student’s name and/or images withheld, you can inform OV via the comment box provided on the entry form. This is an opt-out process as is consistent with School Sport Victoria policy.

To find out more about the above contact the OV Schools Officer at OV Schools    or 0498 008 392

Schools Park Street Orienteering Championships

Schools may compete in a Park and Street Orienteering Championship every February, as part of the Tuesday and Wednesday Summer Series.

Camberwell Grammar, Scotch College, and Trinity Grammar contested the 2020 Championship, with Camberwell Grammar taking the Roger Slade Trophy after the 4 week competition.

If your school would like to be part of this exciting competition for all levels of secondary students, contact [email protected]

Park and Street Schools Competition 2020 Results