The Arctic Winter Games is a biennial sporting event held every other year. The next Arctic Winter Games will be held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories from March 9-15, 2008. The Arctic Winter Games International Committee has announced the sports selected and team numbers for the 2008 Games (June 26, 2006).
Click the logo to see who will be representing the NWT at the Arctic Winter Games.
The Participant Handbook provides information to Team NWT participants specific to the Arctic Winter Games (i.e. accommodation, meals, accreditation tags, opening & closing ceremonies, medical services etc.).
General rules:
These general rules apply to all components of the Arctic Winter Games process (Regional Trials, Territorial Trials and the AWG).
a. Eligibility
· All participants must be in attendance and participate at the Regional Trials and Territorial Trials”. “Exception” - A team or individual who receives a direct entry to the Arctic Winter Games“.
· Each athlete must be a registered member of the Territorial Sport Organization (TSO) that they are participating in. Athletes must be within three years of the age requirement where no minimum age limit exists. A TSO may submit a request to the Games Committee for specific age considerations relevant to its Sport.
· Each athlete/coach must meet individual sport requirements.
· Only athletes/coaches, who have participated in a particular sport at the Territorial Trials, will be selected in that sport for the Arctic Winter Games Team.
· An athlete shall not have competed in or been selected for an international competition as a representative of his/her NSO and Canada in that sport within one year of the opening day of the Games. If he/she competes in a national event, he/she is still eligible to compete in the Games.
· TSO that pre-select coaches must notify Sport North prior to Regional Trials.
b. Residency
· Each athlete and coach must be a continuous resident of the Northwest Territories as of April 30, 2007.
· A region may strengthen the residency requirements based on their registration deadline.
· Each athlete/coach must compete for the Region in which they reside as of the registration deadline set by each region. Each athlete/coach can compete in one region only.
· Athletes attending school in a different region in the NWT may choose which region they will represent at the Regional Trials (either their home region or school region).
· Individuals who live in a participating unit as exchange students or who are on a temporary work visa or who are otherwise temporarily living in the jurisdiction are not considered as residents and are therefore ineligible to participate in the Arctic Winter Games process.
· Extenuating circumstances beyond everyone’s control will be considered and dealt with on a case by case scenario.
· Proof of residency will be required by athletes/coaches and will include:
1. Copy of Health Care Card;
2. Letter from school, employer, Social Services, church or other equivalent acceptable documentation.
NOTE: NWT Resident Studying Outside the Territories
1. An athlete attending school or university outside of the Northwest Territories is deemed to be a continuous resident if his/her residence prior to the start of the school year was in the Northwest Territories. He/she will be eligible to compete for his/her region.
2. Students from outside the NWT will be responsible for his/her expenses incurred with
respect to travel, meals or accommodation, from any point outside the community for Regional and Territorial Trials.
c. Registration
· All athletes, coaches and chaperones who wish to participate in the Regional and Territorial Trial process MUST BE REGISTERED WITH THEIR REGIONAL COORDINATOR.
· All athletes and coaches must pay the registration fee and be affiliated members of their Territorial Sport Organization where one exists.
· Coaches who are pre-selected for the Arctic Winter Games do not pay the Regional and Territorial Trial fee.
· The TSO must pay Sport North $100 if a pre-selected coach travels by air to the Territorial Trials.
· Participants who do not compete in the Territorial Trials due to direct entry will be required to pay a registration fee of $25.00.
· All participants must be registered by April 30, 2007.
d. Uniforms
The Territorial Sport Organizations are responsible for providing team uniforms at the Arctic Winter Games. Team NWT’s official colours are navy, light blue and white. For the Regional and Territorial Trials, each community or team is responsible to provide their own uniforms and equipment.
e. Substitutions
All Regions must identify a minimum of three alternates per team at the Regional Trials & a maximum of five alternates per team at the Territorial Trials. In the event that a player from the representative team is unable to attend, the coach, in conjunction with the TSO has the option to select one of the registered alternates. Alternates do not pay the registration fee until they have replaced an athlete.
f. Refunds
Refunds will be provided to registered participants for the following situations:
· Family or Medical Emergency (must provide proof)
· Cancellation due to inclement weather
· Other requests for refunds will be dealt with by Sport North on a case by case basis
· At Regional Trials, refunds will be issued by the Regional Coordinator
· At Territorial Trials and AWG, refunds will be issued by Sport North
Refunds will not be provided if a participant is removed from the team due to a Discipline Issue.
g. Financial Support
Sport North provides funding for the selection and preparation of the NWT Team and allocates additional funding from its core budget for administrative costs, including the meeting expenses of the Regional Coordinators. The Federation also provides official Team NWT walk out uniforms, pins and other athlete trader items to participants who attend the AWG.
Sport North budgets and allocates funding to the Regions forall costs of the Regional Trials. Travel costs for the Territorial Trials and the AWG is provided by Sport North.
h. Chaperones
All participants under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by a coach or chaperone from their community to the Regional and Territorial Trials Site. The coach or chaperone must occupy the same accommodations as the athletes. The coach or chaperone will be responsible for their players during the entire Trials process.
Athletes that advance from the Territorial Trials to the Arctic Winter Games team must comply with the following guidelines.
a. Eligibility
· Athletes must have been registered in the same sport and age category at the Territorial Trials to be eligible to compete at the Arctic Winter Games as an athlete or alternate in that sport.
· Each athlete/coach can compete in one sport only.
· Each athlete/coach must meet individual sport requirements.
· All Coaches, Chaperones and Mission Staff are required to submit to a Criminal Records Check.
b. Registration
· All Team NWT participants must be registered with Sport North by February 11, 2008
· The registration fee is $250.00 per participant.
· The registration fee after Feb. 11, 2008 will be $350.00 per participant.
