ANNUAL REPORT 2017 - 2018 HIGHLIGHTS 2018 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES • Special Olympics NWT had a successful year, with nine athletes attending provincials in At the 2018 Arctic Winter Games, co-hosted Alberta. Many of the athletes medaled and had by South Slave communities Hay River and Fort personal best results. Smith, our fresh Team NT logo was launched. • NWT Swimming sent 18 athletes, including Team NT finished 5th in the ulu standings, with two from Inuvik, to the 2017 Canada Summer 20 Gold, 43 Silver and 39 Bronze, totaling Games, where many records were broken and 102 ulus! Our contingency was 352 strong, personal bests were set. and included athletes, participants, coaches, • NWT Volleyball won the silver ulu at the chaperones and mission staff. We broke some 2018 AWG. records in Speed Skating, Arctic Sports and Dene • The NWT Volleyball Spike It tournament was Games, and had an incredible performance at the successful, with 1,030 participants. Cultural Gala in Fort Smith. Kudos to the other • Four club Volleyball teams are heading to eight contingencies who fought hard and played Volleyball Canada Nationals: 15U and 16U fair. Hats off to the Host Society for a great set Men’s Teams from Crush Volleyball Club and of Games! Looking forward to seeing everyone in 15U and 17U Women’s Teams from Potential Whitehorse in 2020! Volleyball Club. • Table Tennis North added four more schools to the Table Tennis school program, and two more new clubs in Yellowknife and Hay River. • A successful Territorial Table Tennis School Championships was hosted at Weledeh School 20GOLD ULUS in Yellowknife, with a record breaking 135 competitors. • Table Tennis had a great showing at the 2018 Arctic Winter Games. A total of eight regions from the circumpolar world participated in the 43SILVER ULUS 39BRONZE ULUS Table Tennis event. Team NT had a very young team. Gracie Brennan made it to the Quarter Finals in the singles event. • Tennis NWT partnered with nine elementary and middle schools and introduced “The Tennis TERRITORIAL SPORT for School Program”. ORGANIZATION SUCCESS • The Norman Wells Tennis Federation was • Wilson Elliott, NWT Judo, won silver at established and they delivered their first season the Top 8 Invitational Judo Championship. of programming to residents of Norman Wells. • Vivian Hansen (Yellowknife), Mike Doyle • There were five newly certified Tennis (Yellowknife) and Roger Vail (Fort Smith) Instructors – two in Norman Wells and three in received the 2018 Canada Soccer Award Yellowknife. of Merit. • Both male and female Basketball teams came • 2018 Arctic Winter Games Futsal Results: home with silver ulus from the 2018 AWG. • Intermediate Female Team: Bronze • Basketball NWT is proud to say that they have • Junior Female Team: Gold a female athlete playing at the University level, • Juvenile Female Team: Bronze they have had a few play at the College level, • Juvenile Male Team: 4th but Hayley Tait will red shirt her first season • Junior Male Team: 5th with the University of New Brunswick. 2 SPORT NORTH ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 SPORT NORTH AWARDS WINNERS Sport North held it’s annual Awards banquet this past November at the Explorer Hotel. This year’s Awards winners were: Youth Female Athlete of the Year Coach of the Year Madison Penney Aaron Wells Youth Male Athlete of the Year Official of the Year Gabriel Leclerc Colleen and Robin Greig Junior Female Athlete of the Year Contributor to Sport Aodhan Mooney Thorsten Gohl Senior Female Athlete of the Year Community Contributor Kerry Galusha Annie Esteban Team of the Year Corporate Contributor Aurora Fraser and Tamara Jovic Rowe’s Construction Table Tennis Doubles SPORT NORTH ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 3 MINISTER’S MESSAGE As Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, I would like to thank the Sport North Federation for your efforts to provide opportunities for northerners to lead active and healthy lives. I would especially like to thank the many volunteers who contribute their time, talent and energy to the recreation and sport system. The work you do is important to the well-being of our youth, the growth of the sport system and our collective efforts to build healthier communities in the Northwest Territories. My congratulations go to all those involved during the 2017 Canada Summer Games in provided disadvantaged youth the chance to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the 2018 Arctic Winter participate in sports; the National Coaching Games that took place in the South Slave region Certification Program offered quality training of the NWT. Both events provided tremendous to aspiring coaches; and their Awards program opportunities for northern youth to experience honoured the very best athletes, coaches, excitement of a multi-sport event. The NWT officials and leaders from our territory. These sport community provided outstanding support initiatives are important elements of sports to the 2018 Arctic Winter Games Host Society, programming in the NWT, which helps us in particular, for a successful circumpolar multi- achieve our goal of improving the daily lives of sport event. people in our communities. Looking forward, planning and preparations Please accept my best wishes on the continued have already begun for the upcoming 2019 success of Sport North. I look forward to working Canada Winter Games, which take place together with you to promote healthy, active February 15 to March 3, 2019 in Red Deer, lifestyles throughout the North. Alberta, as well as the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games being hosted in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, August 9 to 18, 2019. During the past year, the Sport North Federation continued to lead a variety of important Alfred Moses initiatives: KidSport, a charitable foundation, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs 4 SPORT NORTH ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Looking back always allows for the time to really reflect on the great work done and the incredible success stories that have been written. This was my first year as President of the Sport North Federation and it flew by! We capped off an incredible year with the South Slave 2018 Arctic Winter Games, which meant two sets of Territorial Trials leading up to the Games. We moved our AGM to November last year, which meant our Awards Banquet was also pushed later in the year; however, we were still able to celebrate all the great successes. Additionally, we held another successful Golf Tournament in July, awarded nine scholarships and sent kids to will last a lifetime, and there will always be their summer sports camp of choice through the a bond between all the athletes at the 2018 Rising Star program. AWGs, no matter the language barrier. In addition, our strategic plan has provided Moreover, Sport North would like to thank the specific goals and clear strategies to accomplish countless volunteers who donate time, resources each goal we set for ourselves. The four goals and knowledge to our sporting community. we have set for ourselves ensure Sport North Volunteers are the backbone of our community, has continued presence and prominence in whether they be coaches, team managers, each community in the Northwest Territories organizers, mission staff, Games volunteers as well as on a national level with our southern or anybody else helping to grow our youth counterparts. and develop our communities. We would also Our mission and vision state that we are like to thank our partners for their continued dedicated to the development of sport at support and commitment to enriching the lives every level, that we are a leader in sport of NWT residents through sport and recreation. development and to ensure opportunities in This is also extended to our sponsors, NWT/ sport are accessible for all residents of the NU Lotteries, Days Inn and Suites Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. With that in mind, we Kavanaugh, First Air, Northwestel and Top of the had 695 athletes participate in our Territorial World Travel Agency. Trials for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games, nine We look forward to the 2018 Canada 55+ scholarship recipients, and 56 applications for Games in Saint John this summer, the 2019 our Rising Star program, 20 of which were from Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, the 2019 the communities. Western Canada Summer Games in Swift Furthermore, we’re very proud of Team NT’s Current, and the beginning of Territorial Trials for showing at the South Slave 2018 Arctic Winter the 2020 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. Games. Our contingency was 352 strong, We’ve got a big year ahead of us, and know we’ll and included athletes, participants, coaches, have more reason than ever before to be proud chaperones and mission staff. Team NT came of Team NT and our contingency at each of the home with 102 ulus and finished 5th in the Games to come! medal standings. Several records were broken in Thank you to all our members, athletes, coaches, Speed Skating, Arctic Sports and Dene Games, officials, administration and certainly the to name a few! We tip our hats off to the South volunteers for a great year! We will need each of Slave 2018 AWG Host Society for hosting a you more than ever to make this upcoming year great week of sport. The week included galas, more special, memorable and outstanding! bonfires and dance parties. More than just ulus were taken home; friendships were made that Les Skinner, President SPORT NORTH ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 5 ABOUT SPORT NORTH The Sport North Federation was incorporated SPORT NORTH STAFF in October 1976 to assist in the promotion and development of amateur sport in the Northwest Our team at Sport North is led by: Territories. • Doug Rentmeister, Executive Director • Bill Othmer, Sport Manager • Rita Mercredi, Sport Consultant MISSION • Kendra Wambold, Marketing and Communications Officer/KidSport NWT Sport North represents the Territorial Sport Coordinator Organizations of the Northwest Territories.