School Sports NL Launching Two New Foundation Sports & Rebranded Program

A new school year means exciting changes for School Sports NL; its Varsity program will launch two new Foundation Sports – Mountain Biking and Ultimate Frisbee, and its Participation Nation program starts the year with a full rebrand.

Varsity: Establishing Mountain Biking and Ultimate Frisbee in the school system through School Sports NL will not only open up the world of these unique sports to students across the province, but it will ensure student-athletes have access to the proper equipment, training and resources necessary to excel in these activities.

Through SSNLs Varsity program, there are currently 10 Official Sports and 6 Foundation Sports available to male and female student-athletes throughout the province. Foundation Sport status is the introductory phase of any sport wishing to become part of the SSNL Varsity Program. This level is used to establish a foundation of interest in the sport on a regional basis, and is meant to develop and foster that interest into consistent enough participation levels to make the transition to an Official Sport, offered through SSNL.

‘It’s always exciting when a new sport achieves Foundation Sport status, as it means we’re able to provide even more opportunities to our student-athletes’, says Sean Connolly, School Sports NL Varsity Coordinator. ‘At SSNL, we promote balanced athletic development and encourage all student-athletes to participate in a variety of sports, so any addition to our current sport offerings, just furthers our ability to deliver on our goal of diversity in sport.’ Both Mountain Biking and Ultimate Frisbee are available now to all students in the province.

Participation Nation: School Sports

NL, Participation Nation (PN) program starts the year with a new look. The rebrand includes a redesign of the main Participation Nation logo and its seven inclusive, noncompetitive recreational programs – Play 4 Fun, Primary Achievement, Elementary Pin Winners, Unplugged, Outdoor Adventures, High School Spirit, and Sprockids. The main Participation Nation logo has been simplified and now includes a rainbow of coloured stars, each of which represent one of the 7 programs. The revitalized branding connects each individual sub-program to the greater Participation Nation program and unifies the overall brand.

‘This rebrand has been a long time in the making. We’ve always known these individual programs to be part of the greater picture of the active and healthy lifestyles we try to instill through the PN program, but now everyone else can see it too,’ states Trisha Boyer, SSNLs Asst. Executive Director. ‘As we continue to spread awareness of this program within schools, we’re confident this rebrand will make our new and current members feel part of the greater PN picture.’

The new brand, crafted by HIVE, will be reflected through all new communications, social media, print materials, and the School Sports NL website. School Sports NL is the lead for organized, education-based, school athletics and participation based activities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SSNLs two main programs include Varsity, the competitive school sports program; and Participation Nation (PN), the recreational program offering inclusive noncompetitive activities for students K-12. Both streams of SSNL are collectively committed to enriching the lives of the province’s youth through activity based learning, providing them with tools to thrive and grow.