Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund

Encouraging Aboriginal youth to participate in sport

The Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund supports programs which encourage BC’s Aboriginal youth to participate in physical activity and sport.

Grants for athletes and communities

Created in 2002, the Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund has two grants: one supports Aboriginal athletes, and the other supports community programs which encourage Aboriginal youth to participate in sport and physical activity.

The Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund was created by the Province of BC, Squamish Nation, Lil’wat Nation and the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation. The fund is administered by 2010 Legacies Now.

Community grants

Awarded to Aboriginal communities and organizations, these grants range up to $5,000 and support programs that increase sport, physical activity and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal youth. These grants can be used to purchase sports equipment and support a variety of programs, including sports clubs, hockey tournaments, basketball leagues, and fitness classes.

Application information for these grants will be available on February 1, 2012.

High-performance athlete assistance grants

High-performance athlete assistance grants are available for amateur athletes of Aboriginal ancestry, including Aboriginal athletes with a disability, who require financial assistance in their pursuit of sport excellence. The amount of individual grants varies according to the number of eligible applications received.

The application period for 2011 is closed.

First Nations Snowboard Team

The Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund also supports the First Nations Snowboard Team, which uses sport to create a legacy of healthy, physically active youth who strive for personal excellence.

Founded in 2004, the First Nations Snowboard Team offers two programs:

A recreation program which provides opportunities for youth to improve their snowboarding skills in a comfortable environment
A high-performance team which offers athletes training with a world-class coach

The team members receive free training, equipment and passes to various mountains. They must commit to a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle, maintain a minimum C+ grade average in school, and participate in 90 per cent of the training schedule. First Nations Snowboard Team has 12 provincial teams, benefiting almost 200 recreational and high-performance athletes from more than 12 Nations across British Columbia.

For more information, email FNSnowboard(at)squamish.net.

For more information on the Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund, please contact AYSLF(at)2010LegaciesNow.com.

View past Aboriginal Youth Sport Legacy Fund grant recipients

Partners: Province of BC, Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation.