Athlete Assistance Fund

Pursuing athletic dreams often comes with significant financial challenges. Training expenses, travel costs, and competition fees place a heavy burden on athletes and their families. Volleyball Nova Scotia is thrilled to announce the launch of the Team Nova Scotia Athlete Assistance Fund! This fund has been established to support Nova Scotian athletes looking to train and compete as members of VNS Development Pathway programs (Team NS indoor and beach volleyball provincial teams, Provincial Excellence Program).

Volleyball Nova Scotia has committed $15000 annually towards creating more equity and accessibility to be part of VNS Development Pathway programs.

The fund will be used to support athletes in two specific ways:

1. Financial Need - working to remove program fee barriers for families with identified financial needs
2. Rural Support - help with the costs associated with rural athletes/families traveling for training

There are three ways the volleyball community can further increase the amount of support available to Nova Scotian athletes.
 

1. GoFundMe - Team Nova Scotia Athlete Assistance Fund - 97% of a donation enters the Athlete Assistance Fund, 3% is a user fee.

2. Sport Nova Scotia SportSplit 50/50 - 35% of a 50/50 ticket sale enters the Athlete Assistance Fund, 50% goes to the Jackpot, 15% is a Rafflebox and Sport Nova Scotia user fee. Please select "VNS - Team NS Athlete Assistance Fund" as the group you are supporting.

3. Direct contribution by cheque to Volleyball Nova Scotia - please make out the cheque to Volleyball Nova Scotia, with the memo indicating that it is to be directed to the Athlete Assistance Fund. Please mail to:
Volleyball Nova Scotia
5516 Spring Garden Rd, 4th Floor
Halifax, NS
B3J 1G5

By contributing to the Athlete Assistance Fund, you'll be making a direct impact on an athletes' ability to continue training, competing, and striving for greatness. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in an athletes journey. Together, we can help alleviate the financial barriers standing in the way of their success, and empower them to reach new heights and achieve their goals.

Accessing the Athlete Assistant Fund:

• Financial Need
  • VNS is partnering with Kidsport Nova Scotia, and will use their pre-existing benchmarks to provide support. Please review their eligibility requirements HERE, and connect with kidsport@sportnovascotia.ca with any Kidsport related questions.
  1. If an athlete has successully accessed Kidsport in the past 12 months, VNS will verify with Kidsport NS, and discount a program fee by 50%.
  2. If an athlete has not previously accessed Kidsport NS, but does so successfully upon making a VNS program, VNS will verify with Kidsport NS, and discount a program fee by 50%. Kidsport support must be accessed before August 1 of the calendar year.
  • For both numbers 1 and 2 above, please connect with VNS Development Director Jon Elliott once Kidsport has been accessed for more details
  • Depending on the timing of Kidsport access, VNS will either discount a program fee at registration, or send Athlete Assistance funds direct to the family.

 

• Rural Support
  • Upon selection to a Development Pathway Program, VNS will provide a discount code to athletes based rurally to HRM to use during registration.
  • The rural support will be based on one-way travel to downtown Halifax from the member address in Sportlomo, and is tiered in the following way:
    • 100-149km of one-way travel = $200
    • 150-249km of one-way travel = $300
    • 250-399km of one-way travel = $400
    • 400+ km of one-way travel = $500

Please contact VNS Development Director Jon Elliott (vnsjon@sportnovascotia.ca) with questions.