Welcome to WIOL (2011/12 Season)

The Washington Interscholastic Orienteering League (WIOL) provides the opportunity for students from elementary school to high school to enjoy solo navigation as a competitive sport. Junior orienteers complete courses individually for points, and may qualify for season and championship awards.  Students in Middle School or High School may also sign up as teams with other students from their schools, still competing individually but adding their points together to qualify for seasonal and championship team trophies.

For students who may already be busy with fall or winter sports, the November-February season makes it an excellent cross-over sport for winter conditioning. WIOL consists of eight events, roughly every other Saturday throughout the winter, starting in early November and culminating in the WIOL Championships in late February.

Each event explores a different park in the Puget Sound area. It's a great way to exercise your body and your mind at the same time. In addition, the scoring format—best four of seven meets—allows the flexibility to learn from or miss some meets and still have a highly successful season.

No prior experience or club membership is needed to participate, and newcomers are welcome, even after the season has started. To participate in WIOL, a student should be comfortable completing a course solo, although shadowing by an adult for safety is allowed on elementary courses. All junior orienteers at all levels must carry a whistle.

 

 

SEASON INFORMATION: Students should register for the 2011/2012 WIOL season before Saturday, October 15 to avoid a $5 late fee. Also, although you can sign up either way, preference will be given to season registrants over day-of-meet registrants for any courses that fill up this year. (MIddle School and JV Boys have been particularly close to maxing out in prior seasons).

TRAINING INFORMATION: On the surface, orienteering is easy; just read a map to find orange & white markers. But the more you know about what's on a map, and the more courses you do now, the better you'll do during the season. If you are new to WIOL, strongly consider the FREE Pre-WIOL Intro Class.

These sample previous courses show the progression in course complexity as junior orienteers grow in ability. (Start at the triangle and finish at the double circle):

PARENTS: Looking for something to do while your child runs a course? Check out the volunteer opportunities, or try out a public course (where you don't have to go solo) with friends or family at the same park. There's even a series for adults, called the Winter O' Series. Still have questions? Contact the WIOL Director.