Startrack Programme
at Taunton Athletics Club
Can just see the kite...at B&T College
Credit:
Vikki Page
Each summer,Taunton AC run a week-long programme for those schoolchildren aged 8 to 15 with an interest in athletics. QO were tasked with introducing orienteering to those children on one of those days.
Vikki Page reports.
Andrew planned a Daisy control format* for the courses.
[the QO website says: presumably theses courses are daisy-shaped?]
Now where next? Let's work it out
Credit: Vikki Page
We used the Maze format last year, which was successful, but we needed to keep the older kids interested and also do what we want to do, which is introduce orienteering to them and give them a new purpose for their running skills. So Roger and Judy Craddock helped Andrew thrash out the finer points of the relay format.
I was stationed in the middle of the campus keeping an eye out and assisting where necessary and also to check the centre control was being visited the correct number of times! The Craddocks and Andrew did a great job instructing and setting the teams off and the whole morning flowed brilliantly.
Andrew also suggested a one-on-one punch snapper challenge which really appealed to the young athletes' competitive nature too and was embraced enthusiastically by all age groups.
All of the children certainly were a great bunch to work with and really embraced the orienteering challenge, which was lovely to see.
- Vikki Page
- This year's Startrack ran on mornings from Monday 29 July to Friday 2 August.
Field exercise
Credit: Vikki Page