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If you were able to bring about one change to NIOA / NI Orienteering events next year, what would it be?
#Response DateResponse Text
1.4/27/2008 8:23:00 PMChanging some events to be run on a Sunday - i'm sure i'm not alone in saying that some NIOA members enjoy participating in other sports which tend to fall on a Saturday and opening up Sunday events like the rest of the UK would allow a greater participation at some events that have to be missed because of clashes with other sports.
2.4/27/2008 9:41:00 PMFind the magic that increases our membership - and active ones at that.
3.4/27/2008 9:53:00 PMLonger period for registration. Earlier starts.
4.4/27/2008 10:00:00 PMNI orienteering should not run a competition on a colour series they should be run on a class basis
5.4/27/2008 10:40:00 PMA wider understanding and application of the principles of planning fair orienteering courses to provide an appropriate technical challenge for all levels of navigational proficiency.
6.4/28/2008 7:14:00 AMMore events if possible
7.4/28/2008 7:55:00 AMMore people needed, the problems are not with the types of competition,or regularity or quality, it is with the lack of volunteers to put them on. Membership drive across NI needs to increased dramatically. Many of our problems would disappear if this happened.
8.4/28/2008 8:47:00 AMI feel that one of the biggest areas where Orienteering is let down in Northern Ireland presently is that success in any competition is not published in local press, firstly to give encouragement and recognition to the successfull competitors and secondly so that members of the public are aware that this sport exists and that some local competitors are good at it, both at home and further afield.
9.4/28/2008 9:01:00 AMMake the events cheaper.
10.4/28/2008 9:28:00 AMunsure
11.4/28/2008 9:33:00 AMSome kind of handicap system so that everyone can be competitive. ie Like a golf handicap.
12.4/28/2008 12:51:00 PMexpand our base of planners/controllers/organisers to ensure quality events on Saturdays
13.4/28/2008 2:03:00 PMMore opportunities for socialising, as for newcomers to the sport, and the area, it is difficult to penetrate existing social circles.
14.4/28/2008 4:40:00 PMPlease consider investing some time &amp; effort in updating those maps that need it for NI colour series events!
15.4/28/2008 7:32:00 PMGet the clubs to generate the fixtures early and stick to it.
16.4/28/2008 9:05:00 PMvery little but promotion through the press would help but yet again it needs to be someone with a wordsmith attitude and willingness to take it on. BAOC have tried it and had local TV stars put a short programme together - maybe Julian Simmons! The Army in NI are untapped source and with normilisation in place an avenue to push further atboth a NIOA level and local scence.
17.4/28/2008 9:26:00 PMMaybe a new twist on the social side with a few barbeques after events
18.4/28/2008 10:23:00 PMKeep up the good work.
19.4/29/2008 10:44:00 AMa proper definition of course lengths and comptitions. Sprint races have a winning time of 13-15mins.- the lvo sprint-o were middle distance races but this has been recitified. Long races like the borwn for the colour series need to be 10km. Teres little value in having 6km on ballykinlar in preperation for BOC whenever BOC has 16km, so why not make the brown 10km and then everyoes happy. Reduce the amount of courses and then theres more compeititons. If people complain and say they dont have distances they want, well tough! this is a running sport! If people are on the blue let them run either green or brown, cut down on the planners work
20.4/29/2008 10:52:00 AMTo make them all more productive in increasing participation from existing and new orienteers
21.4/29/2008 1:47:00 PMI realise that some of the gaps in the programme were to allow competitors to travel to national and international events, but it seems to me that we used to manage events in NI at a rate of about two per month, except for July, August and December. Perhaps a series of score events could fill the gaps for those who are not able to travel outside NI. These could be spread out among the 3 clubs, 2 each per year?
22.4/29/2008 2:48:00 PMOne or two Sunday events but not too many!
23.4/29/2008 3:01:00 PMEarlier starts
24.4/29/2008 9:11:00 PMPossibly more local events, greater publicity, maybe a greater link up with local athletic clubs to try and link up with their running calander and get to colour series included in same.
25.4/29/2008 10:57:00 PMRestructure colour series.
26.4/30/2008 9:57:00 AMA little broader start times. We orienteer as a family. One of us does a longer colour course while the other takes the children on a shorter course. Then we swap. This requires us to go on the dot of the first start time - which is fine but if the first out is going to overrun on time they have to abort the course or the second one misses out. A two-hour window for starting would be good.
27.5/1/2008 6:53:00 PMTechnical committee
28.5/1/2008 9:10:00 PMIncrease Colour Series to 8 events
29.5/1/2008 9:19:00 PMI would like an event with colour courses for training and for which being timed is an option and which did npt count twoards a competition. This would create a chance for practising technical skills without pressure of competition. eg could redo a leg more than once to improve map skills etc.
30.5/2/2008 8:20:00 AMfewer colour series (but on the best maps) and a score series alongside (on the less technical but possibly more runnable!) maps
31.5/2/2008 8:36:00 AMMore consistent planning
32.5/3/2008 2:17:00 PMMore score events, no sunday events
33.5/3/2008 7:20:00 PMTo return to the friendly accomodating sport it was until summer 2007.
34.5/4/2008 10:46:00 AMColour series to be fairer with regard to the different ages involved.
35.5/4/2008 10:57:00 AMA technical committee to oversee event rules, standards etc.
36.5/4/2008 3:01:00 PMMore night training events and a better atmosphere at events.
37.5/4/2008 6:04:00 PMReduce the work load on all event organisers - Buy a van both to transport all the equipment and provide a set-up registration space for computers etc.
38.5/5/2008 4:29:00 PMSmall events throughout the year to minimise organisational load.
39.5/6/2008 11:30:00 AMCommon club / NIO calendar to avoid conflicts. Set Championship events, and fit others around it.
40.5/6/2008 12:15:00 PMLonger and more technical races for the Brown course.
41.5/6/2008 3:12:00 PMCompetitive Sunday Orienteering Events
42.5/6/2008 3:55:00 PMA couple of events in the summer months (avoiding major multi-day events elsewhere). Surely not everyone is on holiday for 2 months.
43.5/6/2008 4:16:00 PMMake the brown course harder
44.5/6/2008 4:26:00 PMIntroduce some Sunday events.
45.5/6/2008 4:50:00 PMGreater variety of events (Sprint, park, bike etc) over both saturdays and sundays so that the next few years could be used to review orienteering &amp; ensure that NIOA take the correct steps in an attempt to move orienteering forward and increase participation.
46.5/6/2008 5:54:00 PMI feel that there should be some orienteering events held on a Sunday. It is for one simple reason. I think you would attract more families who possibly have other sport committments on a Saturday. LVO has a very high family membership and some of the children forfeit the opportunity to try out other sports as they are held mainly on a Saturday as well.
47.5/6/2008 9:38:00 PMMore Events
48.5/6/2008 10:27:00 PMOpen the calendar to include some Sunday orienteering. The conflict with school team games is very difficult to manage and is a barrier to enrtry for newcomers into the sport.
49.5/6/2008 10:41:00 PMLess clashes with rugby.
50.5/6/2008 10:47:00 PMI play soccer on a Saturday and it is often not possible to go with my family to events ( although I only run occassionally).
51.5/6/2008 11:09:00 PMsome sunday events to accomodate sat school activities
52.5/6/2008 11:17:00 PMIf some of the events were on a Sunday some of my friends who do not orienteer at the moment would come with me.
53.5/7/2008 7:04:00 AMmove from Saturday but I play a winter sport so am limited as to when I can run. If orienteering was my number one sport I would be happy to do it on a Saturday!
54.5/7/2008 5:02:00 PMSpread events out more. Avoid clashes with Mountain Running. April, May and June are busy O months for those attending JK, IOC, SOC etc..
55.5/7/2008 9:14:00 PMI'd like to see events spread more evenly throughout the year.
56.5/7/2008 9:33:00 PMFewer high standard
57.5/8/2008 8:19:00 AMA one-day Long-O in the mountains, run as a classic and/or score event (similar, eg to the Capricorn).
58.5/9/2008 2:27:00 PMWebsite is a bit confusing, needs made easier to navigate.