Are you interested in learning more about navigation, teaching orienteering, or coaching? You've come to the right place!

**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**

Basic Orienteering / Fundamentals of Technical Training

Basic OrienteeringThis orienteering curriculum is a companion to OUSA's Discover Orienteering (hardcopy and e-book). Each lesson includes resources to understand, practice, and reflect upon the skills, techniques, and processes involved in getting serious about improving navigation. 

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 

  1. Join OUSA ($10 Juniors, $35 Adults, $45 Household)
  2. Use the OUSA Members link, above


Level 1 Coaching Certification Course

Level 1 Coach

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 

  1. Join OUSA ($10 Juniors, $35 Adults, $45 Household)
  2. Use the OUSA Members link, above


Orienteering Development Model

ODM

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 

  1. Join OUSA ($10 Juniors, $35 Adults, $45 Household)
  2. Use the OUSA Members link, above


    Available courses

    Basic Orienteering & Fundamentals of Technical Training

    This course is designed to teach someone who is interested in getting serious about navigation to navigate effectively. Much like learning any discipline, we'll start out by defining our terms. That may not sound very exciting, but have you ever been in a conversation when multiple people are using the same word, but actually mean different things? Or when everyone else is using a term that is unfamiliar to one person, and that individual is confused or left out of the discussion? ‌

    Thus, not only do we want to support you in becoming a better orienteer, but we want to introduce technical 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. Then we'll practice in the terrain, and reflect on the experience. 

    If you're working on your own, this is a self-paced course that you can take from start to finish, or focus on areas that interest you. You'll set up your own field exercises. You can take the quizzes and reflect on your experiences in your Coach's Notebook. If you score at least 90% on the quizzes (no limit on number of attempts) and complete all the Coach's Notebook assignments, you can apply to receive the Basic Orienteering Badge. You will need a copy of Discovering Orienteering. Look for directions for Basic Orienteering Online students to determine how to complete each lesson.

    Organizational note

    Note that Discovering Orienteering or your coach's class is the primary source of information for each lesson. The lesson pages below complement the textbook or coach's lesson with supplementary resources, directions for field exercises to practice, and questions to reflect upon your learning.

    Here are the links to purchase Discovering Orienteering on Amazon and Google Play. Note that you can order either a paperback copy or a digital version.


    Orienteering Development Model - OUSA Members

    **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.

    Basic Orienteering - OUSA Members

    This course is designed to teach someone who is interested in getting serious about navigation to navigate effectively. Much like learning any discipline, we'll start out by defining our terms. That may not sound very exciting, but have you ever been in a conversation when multiple people are using the same word, but actually mean different things? Or when everyone else is using a term that is unfamiliar to one person, and that individual is confused or left out of the discussion? ‌

    Thus, not only do we want to support you in becoming a better orienteer, but we want to introduce technical 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. Then we'll practice in the terrain, and reflect on the experience with a coach or in our Navigator's Notebooks. 

    If you're working on your own, this is a self-paced course that you can take from start to finish, or focus on areas that interest you. You'll set up your own field exercises. You can take the quizzes and reflect on your experiences in your Navigator's Notebook. If you score at least 90% on the quizzes (no limit on number of attempts) and complete all the Navigator's Notebook assignments, you can apply to receive the Basic Orienteering Badge. You will need a copy of Discovering Orienteering. Look for directions for Basic Orienteering Online students to determine how to complete each lesson.

    Organizational note

    Note that Discovering Orienteering or your coach's class is the primary source of information for each lesson. The lesson pages below complement the textbook or coach's lesson with supplementary resources, directions for field exercises to practice, and questions to reflect upon your learning.

    Here are the links to purchase Discovering Orienteering on Amazon and Google Play. Note that you can order either a paperback copy or a digital version.


    Module 3

    It's the final project! 

    • Plan and carry out a training session. 
    • Make a video of yourself in action
    • Reflect on your plan and how things actually went
    • Discuss with your instructor.

    Module 2: Coaching scenarios

    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:

    1. What is a coach, and who are our athletes?
    2. Applying the ODM 1: Training Sessions
    3. Applying the ODM 2: Training Plans
    4. Healthy Development and Teambuilding

    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


    Getting Started - Level 1 Coach

    Welcome to the Level 1 Orienteering Coach Certification Course!

    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. 

    Orienteering Development Model - Level 1 Coach

    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.

    Fundamentals of Physical Training - Level 1 Coach

    Athlete stretching

    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!


    Basic O & Fundamentals of Technical Training

    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).

    Fundamentals of Technical Training for Advanced Orienteers - Level 1 Coach

    Overview

     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:

    1. Watch this video to get an overview of OUSA's model for teaching (Video Transcript).
    2. Simultaneously enroll in Fundamentals of Technical Training - Level 1 Coach (FTT)
    3. Skim Discovering Orienteering, look through the resources in FTT, and familiarize yourself with the terms in the Glossary. You'll need to refer to them during the quiz. 
    4. Earn an average of 90% overall for the course's three quizzes. You may attempt each quiz twice.
    5. Address any questions with incorrect answers with a Coach's Notebook entry.
    6. Submit your results from an intermediate (Orange) level or higher course within the course time limit to show that you have applied these principles in the field.

    FTT: Not just technical orienteering, but a model for teaching beginners

    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.

    Perspective

    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.

    Ready to Enroll?

    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.

    Youth Development Program

    A space to collaborate

    BSA Orienteering Merit Badge Resources

    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.