A special training session was delivered by Lagan Valley Orienteers as part of a one-night takeover of Newcastle AC Juniors’ regular programme. The session aimed to introduce young athletes to the fundamentals of orienteering while complementing their existing experience in athletics.
Newcastle AC Juniors is firmly rooted in a strong cross-country tradition, where endurance, terrain awareness and resilience are central to athlete development. There is already a clear and well-established connection between accomplished hill runners and successful orienteers within the club, at both junior and senior levels. Given this overlap, the introduction of orienteering into a junior training session was a natural fit. The transferable skills between the disciplines—such as navigating varied terrain, pacing across uneven ground and making decisions under physical pressure—are highly complementary.
The session was delivered by coaches from Lagan Valley Orienteers including the LVO club chairperson Moire O’Sullivan and the exceptional teaming of Mark and Steph Pruzina, who brought a fresh and engaging perspective to the club’s training environment. Athletes from the ages of 2 to 18, were introduced to basic map-reading skills and simple navigation exercises, adapted to suit a varied junior audience. Activities were designed to be interactive and enjoyable, including speed punching and a wide range of short and long courses to encourage participants to think independently while staying physically active.
Throughout the evening, the emphasis remained on participation, learning and enjoyment. Exercises promoted teamwork, confidence-building and problem-solving, while also challenging athletes to apply new skills in a practical setting. The familiar training environment of Donard Park helped ensure that athletes felt comfortable engaging with an unfamiliar discipline. All with the support of the dedicated coaching team at Newcastle AC Juniors.
The takeover provided a valuable opportunity for collaboration between the two clubs, highlighting how orienteering can complement traditional cross-country and hill running training. It also demonstrated the potential for future joint initiatives, offering young athletes a broader and more diverse sporting experience.
Overall, the session was a successful and worthwhile addition to the Newcastle AC Juniors programme, reinforcing existing strengths while introducing new skills that align closely with the club’s endurance-based focus. Lagan Valley Orienteers will be hosting their popular 6 week orienteering programme for Teens and Tweens from the 10th May in Tollymore Forest for P5 and up to help develop the core skills required to be successful within the discipline. All details can be found on their website.
