**First things first - click on Log In (top right of this page), then create a new account. Already have your registration key? Scroll down to Available Courses, select the course you want to register for, and then enter the key on the Enrolment Options page**
Take the full course, or focus on the parts of interest to you.
Blended classes and weekend workshops are also available.
OUSA Members: Follow this link to access the enrollment key
Non-Members
This course covers the knowledge required to coach beginners through recreational advanced orienteers (Stages 1-3 in the Orienteering Development Model).
The blended version begins with self-paced, online instruction in the Orienteering Development Model, Fundamentals of Physical Fitness, Fundamentals of Technical Training, and SafeSport. Once completed, students continue as part of a cohort that meets weekly online for 1 month to collaboratively apply coaching concepts. In the final portion of the course, students record a coaching session, self-assess, and receive feedback from a coaching instructor.
The course can be presented locally as an extended weekend workshop for a minimum of 5 students.
The cost of the course is $100 for OUSA members and $150 for non-members. Non-members also pay the cost of SafeSport certification if applicable ($15).
Scholarships are available for OUSA members.
OUSA Members: Follow this link to access the enrollment key
Non-Members
This unit from the Level 1 Coaching Certification Course is available to OUSA members to learn more about OUSA's long-term orienteering development model. It may be useful to club officers thinking about how to attract more beginners to try the sport or how to keep them coming back once they realize how much fun orienteering can be.
Each lesson includes resources to understand the ODM, drawing on comparing personal experience with mastering something besides orienteering, as well as theoretical application of how coaches might use the exercises in OUSA's Discover Orienteering (hardcopy and e-book) with developing orienteers.
Take the full course, or focus on the parts of interest to you.
OUSA Members: Follow this link to access the enrollment key
Non-Members
This short unit will help you understand the format of the course, the materials you need, and how to communicate with the coaching staff.
The entire course includes the Orienteering Development Model, the Fundamentals of Technical Training, the Fundamentals pf Physical Training, four Zoom sessions applying this knowledge in theoretical exercises, and a practical coaching exercise in the field.
The goal of this unit is to introduce the technical aspects of orienteering in a way that is clear, consistent, and allows us to be as precise in our language as we want to be in our navigation! Specifically, we will define the tools, skills, techniques, and processes used in orienteering, the landforms we see in the terrain, and the different levels of competition. In doing so, we will provide the basic knowledge you need to coach orienteers from Stage 1 to Stage 3 of the ODM, along with access to additional information to deepen your understanding.
For those enrolled in the Level 1 Coaching Course, you can expect feedback and grades for your work. For everyone else, enjoy the resources, and if you decide to do the coaching course at some point, we can go back in retroactively and give you credit for your work.
Discussion Board posts have been imported from previous versions of this course (Basic Orienteering & Confluence-hosted version of the coaching course).
If you're an experienced orienteer, we think you can apply your background knowledge and experience to pick up on our teaching model quickly. Rather than teaching you the skills, techniques and processes you probably already know and use, we'll focus on helping you apply your experience to teaching orienteering using our model.
Here's how it works:
Consider this course a guided tour to help you focus on OUSA's teaching model for beginners. When you're done, you will have the language and background knowledge to talk not just about your own technical orienteering, but how to systematically approach teaching beginners.
Like any model, it has its strengths and weaknesses. You'll probably apply it differently with different athletes, too. Make a note of these thoughts as they occur to you, as they'll provide food for thought in Module 2, when we apply this model to profiles of actual athletes.
If you've been doing this for a long time, or if you're an elite, think about this material from the perspective of teaching relative newcomers. There are probably some approaches you take in your own orienteering that would not be appropriate for beginners. This material is meant to focus on coaching orienteers at Levels 1-3 in the Orienteering Development Model; students who are likely to be taking the accelerated version of the FTT are probably at Levels 3-5. Remember: The practices we have developed as advanced orienteers through years of experience help us share expert thinking, but may not be appropriate for introducing the sport to newcomers.
Email the coaching team at coachingadmin@orienteeringusa.org with a short note about your orienteering experience and why you think this is the right course for you.
The Orienteering Development Model – provides a healthy, forward-thinking approach to the progression of orienteering development, both as individuals and as a living community. You can watch an overview of the ODM on OUSA's YouTube channel.
How do you plan a training plan to develop physical fitness, protect against injury, and maximize individual capabilities? Coach Erin Schirm leads us through everything from the principles of training, to the major systems of the body, to an exploration of how orienteers develop their senses to be more effective in balancing physical movement with monitoring navigation. We conclude with a look at holistic fitness and how to leverage nutrition, sleep, and stress management to maximize physical training opportunities and effects.
Each lesson includes resources to explore further, as well as a reflective assignment to think about what you can learn from your own practice as an athlete.
We'll apply these ideas further in Module 2, when we start designing training for various athletes and groups of athletes!
In Module 2, we'll get to collaborate as members of a coaching community by taking on scenarios and applying our knowledge from Module 1 to develop plans to support our athletes.
We'll meet for 4 virtual sessions, each led by a member of the instructor team:
This is a great opportunity to appreciate a multitude of challenges and opportunities coaches may encounter, as well as to develop a network of coaches across the USA. Once you have completed all of Module 1, you are eligible to register for Module 2.
Minimum class size: 4 students
Maximum class size: 16 students
It's the final project!
**THIS COURSE HAS BEEN CONCLUDED. ALL USERS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE LEVEL 1 COACH CERTIFICATION VERSION. IF NOT, PLEASE EMAIL vjhcampbell@gmail.com (Tori) TO BE ADDED TO THAT CLASS.**
This unit from the Level 1 Coaching Certification Course is available to OUSA members and Basic Orienteering students to learn more about OUSA's long-term orienteering development model. It may be useful to club officers thinking about how to attract more beginners to try the sport or how to keep them coming back once they realize how much fun orienteering can be.
Each lesson includes resources to understand the ODM, drawing on comparing personal experience with mastering something besides orienteering, as well as theoretical application of how coaches might use the exercises in OUSA's Discover Orienteering (hardcopy and e-book) with developing orienteers.
Take the full course, or focus on the parts of interest to you.
A space to collaborate
Are you starting the Orienteering Merit Badge, or are you an adult interested in becoming a BSA Orienteering Merit Badge Counselor? Orienteering USA is excited to share resources to accompany BSA’s Orienteering Merit Badge booklet. Developed by scouters who are also orienteering coaches and educators, it’s designed to connect the best of the orienteering community to merit badge instruction.
These resources accompany the BSA Orienteering Merit Badge booklet by providing additional background orienteering knowledge and multi-media resources, as well as ideas for how to apply it to teaching scouts in your area - even if you don't have the resources of an orienteering club readily at hand. They're designed to support BSA Scouts, Sea Scouts, and Venturers learning orienteering as part of their outdoor program. Participants may range in age from 11 to 20. They might be learning on their own or during a few meetings with their unit, or they might be attending a week-long summer camp. And, they have a very specific list of requirements they must meet to earn the merit badge.
Whether you have a strong scouting background and want to sharpen your orienteering skills, a strong orienteering background and want to share the sport with scouts, or even a little of both, consider enrolling as a way to Be Prepared to learn and teach orienteering in BSA.
Register here for the enrollment key.
