History of the Winter National Senior Games
In 2000, the NSGA added The Winter National Senior Games which provided an opportunity for a different population of senior athletes to compete in a national sporting event. The Games also provided state senior games athletes the opportunity to compete in both summer and winter sports on a national level.
The inaugural Winter National Senior Games were held February 28 through March 3, 2000, in Lake Placid, NY with 265 athletes from 22 states competing in five winter sports (alpine skiing, cross country skiing, curling, ice hockey, and snowshoeing).
In 2002, Hockey Championships were added to the event, and held at Lake Placid, NY in January. Twenty-three teams from nine states participated in the event held at the Lake Placid Olympic Center, site of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games and the United States’ “Miracle on Ice.”
The second Hockey Championships were held January 17-21, 2003 at the Amherst Pepsi Center in Buffalo, NY. In 2004, the Hockey Championships moved west to the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota.
The annual Hockey Championships were added to the Winter Games making it into a multi-sport event held in the fall. The other sports offered as part of the Winter games were Ice Hockey, Pickleball, Team Bowling, Team Golf and Team Curling.
| Year | Host City | # of Athletes |
| 2000 | Lake Placid, NY | 265 |
| 2002 | Lake Placid, NY | 240 |
| 2003 | Buffalo, NY | 640 |
| 2004 | Blaine, MN | 560 |
| 2005 | Blaine, MN | 440 |
| 2006 | Blaine, MN | 500 |
| 2007 | Blaine, MN | 420 |
| 2008 | Providence, RI | 500 |
| 2009 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | 410 |
| 2010 | Rochester, NY | 260 |
| 2011 | Rochester, NY | 250 |