From January 7 to 11, 2026, Yellowknife will be busy in the best possible way. Athletes, coaches, chaperones, officials, volunteers, and families will be arriving from across the Northwest Territories for the Arctic Winter Games trials. Over those five days, close to 350 youth will be identified to represent Team NT at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games in March, hosted in Whitehorse, Yukon.
They will come from communities across the territory. From small gyms and outdoor rinks. From long bus rides and early morning flights. From places where everyone knows your name, and places where the winter road is as familiar as the front door. They will compete across many sports, in multiple venues, all with one shared purpose, to show up, to try, and to give their best.
That alone already matters.
Trials are not just about results. They are about learning how to arrive somewhere unfamiliar, tie your shoes anyway, and step forward. They are about nerves, excitement, hope, disappointment, pride, and growth, sometimes all in the same day.
If you see a Sport North staff member, a volunteer, a venue supervisor, or someone with a clipboard and tired eyes, say thank you. These events do not happen by accident. They happen because people keep showing up, even when it is complicated. When it is hard.
If you see a group of youth walking downtown, sitting at Subway, Tim Hortons, or waiting for a bus between sessions, wish them good luck. Ask them where they are from. You might meet someone from Fort Good Hope Hope, Tuktoyaktuk, Fort Smith, or a community you have never visited. That conversation matters more than you think.
If you find yourself in a gym, a rink, or a hall watching trials, cheer. Cheer loud for your favourite athlete. Cheer just as loud for the one who looks nervous. Cheer for the kid who finished last but finished anyway. Sometimes encouragement is the difference between giving up and pushing through one more rep, one more run, one more match.
And to the athletes, especially you. Showing up is already a win.
Leaving your community, your home, your comfort zone, and putting yourself out there takes courage. Giving your best, even when things do not go perfectly, matters. Whether your name is called at the end or not, you have already done something important. You said yes to the experience. You showed up.
Let’s make this week something we can all be proud of. Not because it is perfect, but because we choose to support each other, to be kind, to be patient, and to remember why we do this in the first place.
For the youth.
For the communities.
For the North.
And because sometimes, simply showing up together is already everything. #weareallteamnt