The “National Winter Sports Development Association” (NWSDA) was established through the foresight and donation of the Disbrow family to assist cross-country ski clubs with proven ability to develop competitive skiers and coaches based on long-term development planning. The NWSDA has a Board of Directors which decides on the direction and allocation of the NWSDA grants. Nordiq Canada manages and administrates the annual funding allocations of the NWSDA Board. Previous selection for club support strongly considered National competitive performances, as determined by results at the annual Canadian Ski Championships. While still relevant, prioritization has shifted to sustaining quality programs and enhancing the competitive sport development in Canada at the club level. 

The Association’s order of priorities for funding assistance includes: 

1. The hiring of full-time professional coaches to lead year-round athlete development programs. The coach is required to adapt an inclusive approach to Nordiq Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Guide, “Cross-Country Skiing – A Sport for Life.” 
2. Advancing the education of professional coaches and cross-country ski racers who want to become professional coaches; this includes, but not limited to, the NCCP education pathway, education at the National Coaching Institute (NCI) or other career enhancing opportunities. 
3. Supporting Clubs demonstrating a sustainable structure and a pathway to sustainable programming. 
4. Assisting clubs that promote continued and growing competitive opportunities for athletes who have the skill and desire to compete, first for their club and provincial team and then at the National Ski Team level. 

NOTE that the funding available has doubled over last year’s amount, to 200K. View the full Request for Proposals here.

Closing date: June 30th, 2022.