September 15, 2011 – The National Nordic Foundation exists to help America’s young, dedicated, and driven Nordic talent realize their, and America’s, long term potential in sport and in life. The biggest hurdle facing American Nordic racers is gaining consistent access to international quality coaching, training, and racing experiences from ages 15 through 25. Providing future generations of U.S. Nordic athletes earned access to a progression of international quality competitive experiences, and there life enriching lessons, represents this nation’s greatest Nordic development opportunity and funding need. The National Nordic Foundation exists to fulfill this need. Please donate to the National Nordic Foundation and support tomorrow’s stars today as their quest for athletic accomplishment on the trails prepares them to achieve their potential in life while inspiring others to do the same.

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Life’s Lessons from your trails to the World Cup podium
Wouldn’t you like to see American athletes who grew up skiing on your local trails with your local club consistently challenge for World Cup and Olympic podiums while promoting the benefits of preparation, hard work, initiative, determination and the healthy sport you love? Unlike their European counterparts who live in the center of international Nordic racing and most often have access to government funded development programs, America’s athletes receive no government support and are scattered throughout our vast country an ocean away from the international training and racing epicenter. Through support of the National Nordic Foundation (NNF), and its Pillar Projects in the sports of Nordic Combined and Cross Country, you can help future generations of America’s young, dedicated, and driven Nordic talent realize and share their, and America’s, long term potential in sport and in life.

Pillar Projects development infrastructure
The Pillar Projects do not fund individual athletes directly but rather subsidize the high costs of crucial trips to international competitions and training camps that the nation’s top developing athletes earn the right to participate in through their competitive results. In essence, the Pillar Projects provide the infrastructure, or pillars, necessary for international development without favoring one athlete over another. Funding of these Pillar Projects allowed America’s present generation of World Cup stars including Kikkan Randall, Andy Newell, Billy Demong, and Johnny Spillane to participate affordably in many of their first international trips including Scando Cups, Continental Cups, and World Juniors competitions. Without this early access to ongoing international competition, often supported by the NNF (previously known as the National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation-NCCSEF) it is doubtful these athletes, and our Nation, would be experiencing the success we are today.

US Nordic success with today’s stars
The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team’s Kikkan Randall won a Silver medal at the 2009 World Championships, three World Cup events, and placed 3rd overall in the 2011 World Cup Sprint Cup. Andrew Newell has had three World Cups podiums and is clearly one of the world’s fastest sprinters as measured by his winning qualifying times. The U.S. Nordic Combined Team athletes have won 6 World Championship medals since 2003 with 4 medals in the 2009 World Championships alone. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Nordic Combined Team won 4 of the 7 possible Olympic Medals; the first Olympic medals ever won by U.S. Nordic Combined athletes.

Long term support of tomorrow’s stars
This success didn’t happen by chance. It took many years of similar, but separate, Cross Country and Nordic Combined planning, fundraising and investment in the pillars of athlete development. From these successful funding efforts many athletes earned the international opportunities and lessons from which these rare athletes rose from promising talent to international stardom. The NNF is focused on continuing this successful pillar development and funding model in a larger and shared effort.

Funding the Next Generation
While America’s A Team stars now have the funding necessary to compete for more World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic medals, the next generation of athletes such as Jesse Diggins, Simi Hamilton, Erik Lynch and Tyler Smith (and many as yet unknown competitors) do not. They are in the same situation that Kikkan, Andy, Billy and Johnny were in when they started their quest for greatness over a decade ago. These up and coming athletes, our stars of tomorrow, need your support today.

Support Tomorrow’s Stars Today
Support tomorrow’s stars today, as they learn and share the lessons of the trail and the lessons of life, with the National Nordic Foundation. Your tax deductible contribution to the non-profit National Nordic Foundation will help Support Tomorrow’s Stars Today as their quest for athletic accomplishment on the trails prepares them to achieve their potential in life while inspiring others to do the same. For further inquiries contact the National Nordic Foundation director, David Knoop, at 801-699-1456 or nccsef@gmail.org Donate online and inspire your friends to join you at www.nccsef.org or send a check to the address below.

Pillar Projects 2011-2012 Budget Goals click HERE.

National Nordic Foundation
32 West 200 South # 149 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
nccsef@gmail.com