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Coaching

At Saxons we have an active coaching programme designed to assist all club members, whether they are newcomers or experts, regardless of age. 

Great Coaching!

We are lucky enough to have four licensed orienteering coaches within our ranks. This means we are able to offer a comprehensive coaching service to our members, coordinated by our Lead Coach, Brendon Howe.

We offer a portfolio of support for newcomers and the experienced orienteer alike. This can include:

• In-the-woods training
• Newcomer's training
• Targeted one-on-one support
• Online coaching sessions
• Remote coaching

In The Woods Training

We aim to run a couple of In-The-Woods sessions each season. Usually we will offer a smorgasbord of training drills and will actively guide participants to undertake drills appropriate to their needs. This usually requires a little 'homework' and skills analysis to ensure everyone gets the best from the session

Newcomer Training

Newcomer training will either be in the form of a 'Zero to Hero' session where the basic skills are taught in a carousel, or will be provided on a more ad hoc basis at our Saturday KOL events. In addition, we focus on novice training at our Summer Series Races, which tend to be in more 'beginner friendly' terrain, such as parkland.

Targeted One on One Support

Here a coach will work directly with the athlete on specific techniques to help develop their race performance. This might include technique training, food and nutrition, or race preparation and psychology. Whilst this appears focussed at the elite athlete, it is appropriate for orienteers of all experience levels.

Online Sessions

As a geographically diverse club it is great to be able to offer online training sessions, particularly during the winter months. Recent sessions have included: sprint training, maps and symbol identification, national event preparation and 'map geeking', strength and conditioning, event safety, planning and event organising. The sessions are designed to be as interactive as possible.

Remote Coaching

This is a subset of one-to-one sessions. We will work with individuals (or small groups), usually newcomers, helping them to build their armoury of basic orienteering techniques. They will be given specific drills to complete in their local park or woodland using one of our POCs or VOCs. This allows the novice to work at their own pace towards their orienteering goals.

Orienteering in the wider community

As well as our club sessions, the coaches also provide orienteering training to schools (usually teacher training), scout groups and private organisations and companies. We are keen to develop interest in the sport of orienteering and will help other clubs' coaching provision, including regularly coaching the South East Junior Squad.