Squad Email

Below is the latest squad email, this went out to the squad email list and the high performance email list (people on the periphery of or associated with hp orienteering). If you didn't get this email and should of, or would like to be on the high performance list just let me know.

Hey people,

First update of the year from me, lots of important stuff (yeah right I hear you say), and possibly some general ramblings and trash talk I'll just see how the email flows.

This is going out to National Squad and High Performance Lists.

Waitangi: closing day next friday according to Simon, a few Pinestars not entered yet...enter online and accomodation it would be great if everyone stays at the arranged accomodation in Hamilton..Sun night through to weds night...Kate Rea is the booking agent.

Pinestars: have been named. congrats to La, Lise, Kate, Rachel, Greta, Lizzie, James, Neil, Karl, Darren, Ross, Chris and me (stealing Karls other runs on the basis that his puku is too big). I'm assuming you are all running all the Test Matches (mon,weds,sat,sun) unless the selectors have been informed otherwise. Penny as reserve, because she possibly can't make the last weekend, will probably poke your eyeballs out and feed them to Brent if there is any funny business going on. Carsten will be managing the pinestars and I will be coach. We will try and arrange a pinestars/bushies dinner at some stage during the week. Uniforms after the last trip to Aussie I think it was decided to purchase pinestars gear of some description I think this is unlikely to have happened in time, at this stage it will just be a matter of wearing the best NZ gear you have.

Super Series got this email from Carsten today

"Yep, we are going ahead with 4 rounds SuperSeries consisting of 4 events at Waitangi (the same events as the testMatch), 3 events at Otago Champs (at Naseby), 3 at Nationals and 2 at Auckland Champs. I have attached the proposed subsidy scheme, which is preliminary as the HP budget for 2008 has to be okay before a 50% can be confirmed, but 37.5% is confirmed with the Scottwood Trust Funding. I would say that 50% funding is quite certain, but I’ll get the confirmation in the next week or so. I recommend that people start looking to find cheap airfares. We’ll continue working on getting funding to subsidize going to South Island Champs and QB as a SuperSeries Revenge Series to give everybody that is going for WOC or JWOC this year and in the future, as many top quality orienteering competitions under the belt as possible."

So its small superseries as advertised with Naseby chiming in instead of SI Champs, due to it being at Naseby (home map of a large group of talented juniors as of next year...hope you guys all make the orienteering instead of O week) and being just before all the trials at Nationals. So yeah prob pay to start figuring out how the hell you can get there. Have attached subsidy spreadsheet, this is calculated on 50%, this is not guaranteed yet, at the mo 37.5% is guaranteed. With the Fornicator back in the country, some possible points from the Dunedin elite scene and another rumoured move or two I'm picking Southerly Storm to clean up again, while Northern will unfortunately struggle.

Squad Review there is a NOS review underway by the selectors. I think they are using the old selection criteria while that new lot discussed at the end of last year are nearly ready to be in place.

Nationals: Online entry is available for nationals, enter now and show the clubs that elites aren't always disorganised. and Accomodation I am in the process of booking bach accomodation at Riversdale Beach which is closer to the events than Masterton, is beside a beach and has a 9 hole golf course and tennis courts. It would be awesome if you people got a crew together and booked other baches out there, it would be fun. www.bookabach.co.nz or something like that has heaps of bachs available.

Other Stuff: things to be actioned in the short term include the reporting spreadsheet discussed at the end of last year. Didn't get a single positive reply from squad members re Manawatu training so didn't proceed with it.Am at a bit of a loss re orienteering training camps, think perhaps focus on regular training at a provincial level more important. Tell me what you want done about anything, or any amazing ideas you have!

Coaching Tips:some things I was thinking about today as I refocused on my buildup to Nationals incl the test match. 1) running in the heat, it could be hot at Waitangi try and fit some runs in during the middle of the day (stay hydrated), 2) terrain, easy to forget about, get out their on the forests/farms 3) speedwork, plenty of sprint/middle racing coming up, get those legs moving and be specific, 200-400m reps with short recovery remaining aware of the location of your aerobic threshold and monitoring decision making ability ........or ideally get along to your local summer series if you have one. 4) core strength/joints etc, maintenance, maintenance, maintenance our bodies are extremely sensitive machines.

Sweet, take care out there, catch youse around.

Jamie