Written Testimonials From Evaluations:

I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how wonderful your program is! Our students, staff, and chaperones thought the experience was fantastic! I have enclosed the evaluations we received back, and some other odds and ends. We can't thank you enough! What a great experience for us & our students. Thank you so much for introducing us to the sport of orienteering.
8th Grade Science Teacher, Mt Vernon MS (Fall 2007)

I saw students who usually don't lead become leaders (naturally) when placed in the woods! You could see the students' confidence build throughout the entrie process! I learned that I had to trust the process, & the students to lead me through the woods!
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (Fall 2007)

Thank you for everything that you did for us, we're not the easiest kids for you to work with and you did it successfully.
8th grade student, Mt. Vernon MS (Fall 2007)

Thank you for coming to our school and setting all of it up. And thank you for setting up eagle creek. i bet it took a really long time to set all of those up. I enjoyed the expereince almost all of it except that every thing was wet. we had a nice time. You rock!
8th grade student, Mt. Vernon MS (Fall 2007)

We all had a supre fun-filled adventure. I wishwe could do it again. Thank you for teaching us and giving us that awesome experience!
8th grade student, Mt. Vernon MS (Fall 2007)

We all like the socks (gaiters). Non f this would have been possiable without you. This was the most exciting thing all year.
8th grade student, Mt Vernon MS (Fall 2007)

Thank you Mr. Coates for letting us to go to Eagle Creek Park and have fun orienteering and stuff. We all want to do that again as much as possible because we think it was a great educational opportunity for us. It was super-cool & lots of fun!!
8th grade student, Mt. Vernon MS (Fall 2007)

You have an awesome job, and you do an awesome job at it!
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (Fall 2007)

The best part of the Team Naviation! program was seeing the students actually figure it out & the "light bulbs" come on, & gain self-esteem. Mr. Coates has the program nailed. Keep up the great work!
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (Fall 2007)

The best part of the Team Naviation! program was seeing the kids realy working together and navigating on their own! Impresive!
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (Fall 2007)

Kids can easily be trained to be able to navigate themselves in the forest with the proper tools--impressive.
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (Fall 2007)

What was the best part of the Team Navigation? All of it! I love to see the kids do it own their own! I learned to trust kids more.
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (Fall 2007)

Dear Mr. Coates,
Thank you sooooo much for teaching us good navagation skills. You didn't have to spend your time with us little people but you did. I really appreciate it. I enjoyed learning about orenteering with you. I learned how to hold a compass, how to figure out where you are on a map and always bring bug bite cream. The bugs bit us but the landscape was worth it! The lake was beautiful and the forest was amazing! We saw many deer scattered around the forest. Thank you for teaching us at school. I enjoyed finding markers all around the school. My group was the Navigators. I think everyone enjoyed the trip to Eagle Creek. Again, thanks!
5th Grade Student, Westfield Intermediate School (Fall 2007)

Dear Mr. Coates,
Thank you for coming to our school and teaching us how to navigate through the woods with a map and compass. It was a lot of fun. I liked trying to find hidden markers in the woods. It was challenging, but it was still a lot of fun. I know you put a lot of time and effort in it and I wanted to thank you for doing that for us. I learned so much. Before you came I had no clue how to use a map and compass. Now if I ever get lost, I will know how to get to a safe place. Thank you so much for letting us come to Eagle Creek Park too. I learned that you can have fun using a map and compass. Thank you again.
5th Grade Student, Westfield Intermediate School (Fall 2007)

Thank you for helping us have a wonderful day! It was an excellent start to our year, and I, too, think we had a great group of kids. We will definitely do this again in 2 years. I really wouldn’t’ change a thing about it. I was very pleased with how it went this year.
Adult corporate trainer/leader of church youth group (Fall 2007)

"..my knowledge gained from your class was put to the test this past Saturday at the Indianapolis Adventure Race. Since my team was made of all beginners who had never done any AR or orienteering before I was designated the "master navigator" because of the class and had to lead my team through the woods. The tips and instructions from the class worked wonders...Thanks again for the great class, having a little orienteering background made the AR even more enjoyable."
Adventure Racer, (2007)

"The other 5th grade teachers and I throughly enjoyed the field trip on Thursday. My friend and colleague who went with us, is very outdoorsy and enjoys hiking and she made several comments on what a great time she and her group were having and noticed that they picked up on alot of the lingo you shared with them. You have great skills to share with our students, and aside from the mud, all of the kids enjoyed it. On Friday I asked my class if they would recommend us doing this trip again next year with the incoming 5th graders and the response was an overwhelming "yes". I did look over the parent survey letters that I left with you on Thursday and they seemed to be pretty positive as well. If you have "packets" of your program/field trip services (like the flyers you gave me when we first met that mention state standards etc.) I would be happy to give a set to each of our elementary schools -fifth grade. There are 5 other elementary schools and I am the 5th grade level chairperson. They could look over them and possibly schedule a trip with you next year. I will email them ahead of time and give you a personal recommendation. :)"
Teacher, School Field Trip (2007)

"I really appreciate the effort you put into this to make it a fun and educational experience for the students and
adults. Everyone comes back with good things to say."
Teacher, School Field Trip (2007)

"The best part of the Team Navigation!™ program at Eagle Creek was watching the kids navigate themselves. They worked well together. Learning to use a compass is an excellent and extremely valuable tool to teach kids! Kids can learn a sense of direction quite quickly. This is an excellent tool to teach kids"
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (2007)

"Quite an experience...very enjoyable and rewarding. You can trust the students to get yo where you need to be!"
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (2007)

"I liked watching the kids learn important sklls and be physically active at the same time."
Parent Chaperone, School Field Trip (2007)

"I like your teaching style a lot.  it's very low-stress, but you keep us on task. Giving us ideas and showing us different ways of doing things helps me."
Paddling Class Participant (2006)

"Jeff, you are an exceptional instructor. Your attention to detail and your skills at keeping everyone actively involved make for an easy learning environment."
Intermediate Class Participant (2006)

"I loved the entire day. I got excited looking for every new point. Always rewarding when the checkpoint is exactly where you expected it to be, and I thank you for teaching us that. I honestly did not have a least favorite part. Loved it!
Beginner Class Particpant (2006)

"Both classes were very good and you do an excellent job of instructing with your positive manner and staying calm even when simple instructions are not understood!"
Beginner, Intermediate Class Participant (2006)

"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for putting on the navigation
courses prior to the Muscatatuck MISSION race. Since completing it, I can definitely say "NAVIGATION" is key!!!  Regardless of your speed to the destination, it's important to know you're headed in the right direction!!! Our team was able to find some points that other more seasoned teams weren't able to find, which I think is another good indicator of your tutelage."
Beginner, Intermediate Class Participant (2006)

"I was just looking to have a fun time and see what it was all about and not only did i have a great time, I want to do it again! Night navigation-it was more of a challenge and it was neat to see that it was possible! Going off the trail was such a wonderful experience, too! I love being in the woods, but never had the opportunity to leave the trail for the more adventurous routes without getting lost! There's a sport out there that I really enjoy & have the potential to be good at!"
Intermediate Navigation Class Participant (2005)

"At least touched on everything in skills listed above (on evaluation form). This will set the tone for future clinics and real use. Jeff, I had an awesome experience!"
Intermediate Navigation Class Participant (2005)

"Thanks again for the class.............We really enjoyed it a lot!! Helped immensely. We definitely developed a strategy that worked well for us through the experience and your insight. Also picked up a lot of pointers from you which helped a lot as the night went on. I could realize what you were saying. Especially about one person pacing while the other is navigating. This was very big for us. My partner's pacing was right on the money which was huge in finding some of the attack points. Too cool!! Good team stuff! I was much more comfortable actually when the group kind of split as I could think on my own and not feel I had to "follow" and not have my own strategy and "visualization" down. That was kind of where I was the first few checkpoints. Loved the night stuff!! Very different but really makes you concentrate. Especially with no moon which was the best as that is the hardest time."

"Had a great time in your class!! Lots of fun and learned a lot too. Really feel better about navigating at night now and kind of learning all the nuances. Great job! Looking forward to the pictures too! Have a great one. Hope we can hook up again sometime."
Intermediate Navigation Class Participant (2005)

"I was excited to learn how to pace and now I just need to get out there and practice, practice , practice. I also learned a lot about reading a map. I had a little knowledge, but learned a ton in the class. Now I just need to practice reading a map and visualize what I should see around me when looking at the land"
Intermediate Navigation Class Participant (2005)

"Thank you also for all of your time and attention. I could see that you put quite a lot of thought into the structure of the event, and I think your efforts were of benefit to everyone. It was a pleasure working with you, and I hope we can do something like this maybe annually or something"
Corporate Teambuilding Participant (2005)

"Thanks for posting the pictures. Not only did I learn a ton that evening I also had a blast. Jen and I were saying what nerds we were. A Saturday night in the woods until 11:30 and having a ball. Thanks for the instruction and the good time. I think it will most definitely develop my navigating skills."
Intermediate Navigation Class Participant (2005)

"I really had a great time with this and I think the other Pepper folks did too. Jeff did a really nice job making this fun (and a little challenging)."
Corporate Teambuilding Participant (2005)

"I just wanted to take the time again to thank you for putting on such a great class!

The materials were very well thought out and highlighted in a short period of time what it took three (3) books to expose me to. In preparing for my first Adventure Race the practical (working) section of the course gave me a much needed boost to my ego — I feel like I just might be able to this.

The level of the class seemed to work for everyone there from the weekend warrior to the neo-orienteer.

I would be very interested to take part in any longer courses/classes that you might have. Again, kudos on a fine class and great instructional leadership."
Beginner/Intermediate Navigation Course Participant (2005)

"My MOST favorite part was the hands-on--moving from checkpoint to checkpoint--stopping to do checks w/instructor to keep learning. Great hands-on learning experience"!
Beginner Navigation Course Participant (2005)

"Yes I had a wonderful time, and did things I would have never attempted on my own. I came away with knowledge of navigational terms, and how to identify them on the maps. I learned about the history or orienteering, and that there is a map for all locations, but they may be old, and where to obtain them."
Beginner Orienteering-Navigation Course Participant (2005)

"I wondered what the difference was between nav and orienteering, and I learned that. I learned about all the symbols. I learned how to use a compass if I want to travel straight! I had a great time. I did not want to leave. I really wanted to complete the next two loops. Wish we had more time. Cannot wait to do it again. Would like to try it during the summer in the same place."
Beginner Orienteering-Navigation Course Participant (2005)

"Yes the class was FUN. I learned how to read a topographical map, Learned about the different types of maps. Much More. Jeff this was a very fun day."
Beginner Orienteering-Navigation Course Participant (2005)

"I learned that teamwork has a lot to do with it because if the whole team doesn't put effort then it becomres harder. Map skills seem easier than they really are. Sometimes you just have to take charge and be the leader of the group, or nothing would get accomplished. Another thing that I learned was that in order to suceed you must get everyone to participate and work together."
Ben Davis High School Field Trip Student (2004)

"I learned it is easier to work as a group than to go off on your own. I also learned how to work with people I normally wouldn't even talk with, and how to orient a map and tell directions. If you don't pay very close attention to the map, then you can get lost very easily. Don't argue with people who complain!"
Ben Davis High School Field Trip Student (2004)

"I loved the field trip, it was awesome...you did an excellent job.....They will love it (next year)!....It was all very fun!.....This was very fun....Thanks a lot!
Whiteland Elementary 5th grade students (2003)

"The students and myself will treasure this experience for a long time. We learned many things."
Whiteland Elementary 5th grade teacher (2003)

"Thank you for all that you have done! We have had a great time working with you. Our students learned a lot of life lessons from you! Thank you for the wonderful experience."
Whiteland Elementary 5th grade teacher (2003)

"Thank you so much for the educational experience you provided for our students. It was extremely organized and very beneficial."
Whiteland Elementary 5th grade teacher (2003)

"Thanks so much! It was a wonderful, stimulating, unuque, and educational experience (even for teachers)!"
Whiteland Elementary 5th grade teacher (2003)

"We got to have fun and learn at the same time. The best part was spending time with other people from the same Earth Space Science class. We got to spend a school day in the woods, and got to have a litle fun while learning."
Ben Davis High School Field Trip Student (2003)

"I learned that being in the woods with other people requires working together and using your brains. I also learned that using a compass and a map will help you find the way through the woods. I learned how to get along and communicate with people I didn't really know to get the job done. The best part was working with a group of people I never met before."
Ben Davis High School Field Trip Student (2003)

"I liked getting to do something new that actually has real world applications. I learned to associate things on the map with physical features around me."
Avon High School Field Trip Student (2003)

"I liked being outside with my friends. I thought it was very interesting. I liked it when we got to actually go out and orienteer on our own. This activity was both fun and educational, plus we got time off of school."
Avon High School Field Trip Student (2003)

"I learned which way was north, how to orient a map, how to shoot a bearing, & how to put "fred in the shed". It gave us a chance to learn something new. I liked the in-school scavenger hunt."
Avon High School Field Trip Student (2003)

"I liked getting to meet some new people and learn to orienteering. Being able to get some exercise, and climbing up steep hills and finding the punches. We actually got "hands-on" experience."
Avon High School Field Trip Student (2003)

"Excellent activity that I would recommend to other companies. Not only did we learn a practical skill (map reading) but we discovered interesting things about each other. A very bonding activity that definitely builds team spirit."
Corporate Teambuilding Participant (2003)

"Thank you for your insight & ability of making us feel welcome. You have a very calm nature which helps calm the stress & nerves of anticipation.
Corporate Teambuilding Participant (2003)

"Hi, just wanted to write and let you know that Matt and I had a great time at the kayak-night-o ! Anything we can do to improve our navigation skills is definitely a good thing! :) Thanks for setting it up!
Randy, Night Paddle Event Participant (2002)

“I plan to keep this technique in mind for teambuilding as I think it's offers a unique perspective on how individual team members react to competitive pressure, confidence issues, time pressures and methods of processing information, leadership and problem solving. I would give serious consideration to using this approach with other teams in the future, recognizing that allowing for a minimum of 1/2 day would deliver a valuable set of lessons against which a team that is going through the formation stages could benefit.”
Diana, Eli Lilly, Corporate Orienteering Event (2002)

"I was concerned about this activity initially because of some of the physical conditions of some of our team. However, this event far exceeded my expectations."
Corporate Teambuilding Participant (2002)

"Rather enjoyed the orienteering-hadn't expected to-I CAN have fun at new things! I was very impressed how the orienteering experience as related to typical office situations."
Corporate Teambuilding participant (2002)

"Yes, I now feel I have a practical working knowledge of orienteering. I feel like I have much to learn, but now I have a good foundation. The material was very well thought out."
Beginning Adventure Racer (2002)

"Yes, this class exceeded my expectations. I thought the class would be just about shooting compass bearings. It turned out to be much more than I expected."
Beginning Adventure Racer (2002)

"I really didn't know what to expect except that I wanted to determine if learning navigation was within my reach. It seemed like such a magical kind of thing to be able to do that I wasn't sure I would be able to get it. The clinic answered that question for me--I CAN DO IT !! We had the best time !"
Dana, Beginning Navigation Participant (2002)

"...Great...It was very cool. I think you should do it again like that next year......I had the greatest field trip thus far !....It was very fun and we should continue doing this to teach kids how to work together & navigate the woods with a compass....You were gr8..!..the week was fun..!!.."
Ben Davis High School Students (2002)

"Yes, I learned quite a bit about using a map - in conjunction with a compass - in order to determine my location. I learned a better way to determine routes - not always using a "crow flies" mentality. I learned a great deal about night orienteering..... Instructor was very knowledgeable and I felt that he did a good job of teaching the skills.."
Adventure Racer (2002)

"Improved my compass reading ability. Learned that better topo maps exist for select areas. Reaffirmed my ability to read topo maps. Calculating walking distance via my pace…I seem to forget my count while observing my surroundings"
Assistant Cub Scout Leader (2002)

"I was pleased with the quality of instruction at the clinic, and the minimal classroom time. I've attended navigation clinics in the past, with the expectation of doing the outside stuff, but instead the classroom portion bogs down in explaining what latitude & longitude are for an hour, and various map projections. 5 hours later, and still not outside. So it was very nice not having that happen!"
Hiker, walker (2002)

"Expectations met very well. Learned some new tricks and skills. Night navigation is always bonus. Very thorough and fine tuned some skills in compass use which I hadn't used much before. Very helpful. Clarification of "spurs, reentrants, etc. with more point to point examples. Most helpful. Excellent Handouts!
Adventure Racer (2002)

"Absolutely had FUN! Both my boys and I had a great time. The bitter cold, wind, and snow added to the experience, giving us confidence that, with proper clothing and provisions, this could be a year-round activity for our family. My wife, who enjoys walking and the outdoors, was enthusiastic about going with us next time. What I would like to do next is somewhat of a baby step, returning to West Eagle Creek Park, to explore some of the trails identified on the navigating map with my wife. I don't think navigating competitively is my thing, but orienteering sounds like fun. I will likely check out the local club(s). As we camp this summer, I will likely obtain maps ahead of time and bring my compass along, and go exploring. Some of the classes below also look interesting. I'd be interested in anything you plan at Morgan Monroe or Hoosier National Forest."
Parent (2002)

"YES I learned a lot!, I learned many things, much more then I anticipated. I had no idea orienteering was so involved. I learned lots of helpful tricks like "aiming off" (we had not thought of doing that, but it makes so much sense), pacing (it never occurred to me to do that), how to look at different routes and evaluate the terrain before choosing the route to the next control (we had just been relying on our compass and going in a straight line), the need to read the maps and how it was probably more important then the compass, orienting my map (great idea but I still have difficulty doing it), the need to look at the map all the time and check reference points all the time, how to recognize different types of terrain on a map, recognizing man made objects and how helpful it is to use them in locating controls (i.e. aiming off), the importance of teamwork and team roles (having one or two pace, one or two chief navigate, a bird dog), love the bird dog idea (do not reveal the control to other teams), taping my compass for quick distance measuring, reentrants (sp?), understanding and reading contour lines, reading different maps and their scales, night navigation, UTMs, plotting controls, safety concerns, tips on food and water supplies, tips on clothing, tips on equipment and much, much more. Since I am new to this, basically everything we discussed was something learned. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the sp ort..."

"...the whole experience in the field was tremendous. It was such a good learning experience to go out and learn how to do this first hand. It was invaluable. No amount of classroom setting or reading can take the place of that. The small tips and pointers are so good, simple things like looking for the creek instead of the bridge (it is common sense, but not something I was doing); things like pacing, aiming off, recognizing reentrants, so many things that will help us in the field. The opportunity to just pick your brain for ideas and suggestions was great too. Just getting pointers on little details, the dos and don’ts of orienteering, training recommendations, etc…I would gladly pay for more field classes. There is so much to learn."
"Heck yes i had FUN! We are doing adventure racing but I hope to introduce more people, family and friends, to the sport of orienteering and I hope to steer them your way for training. I also hope you have follow-up courses on the one we just took (more advanced or not, I am sure I will learn more). "
New Adventure Racer (2002)

"I already knew most of the material but had never gotten to actually try some of it out for real. Reading about contour lines and actually seeing terrain that matches your map are two different things. I wanted experience relating a topo map to actual terrain so I was quite happy...very good instruction, there was always someone to ask"
Walker, Hiker (2002)

“I had so much fun….it was SO COOL…..!!!
Leah, age 6, Summer Neighborhood Party, Zionsville, IN (2002)

“Loved the parts where you stopped and asked the group what they were thinking, how they went wrong, how they were thinking. . . and the emphasis that alternate ways aren't wrong, just different, matching the styles of the participants.”
Shelley, Orienteering Clinic Participant, Indianapolis, IN (2002)

“learned even more than thought i would...you are a very good teacher!….. EXCELLENT, VERY POLISHED; MORE THAN EXPECTED”
Kim, Corporate Consultant, Orienteering Clinic Participant, Seattle, WA (2002)

“Wow! What a great time I had. Great presentation, you really know what your talking about”
Bob, Orienteering Clinic Participant, Speedway, IN (2002)