NYO Games: These Are Not Your Average High School Sports

High school sports meet ancient survival skills at Alaska’s NYO Games—where culture, endurance, and bloody knuckles take center stage.

Every spring in Anchorage, Alaska, something incredible happens—something loud, powerful, and deeply rooted in history: the NYO Games.

Don’t let the term “high school sports” fool you. These aren’t your standard track-and-field events. At the NYO Games (Native Youth Olympic Games), student-athletes from all over Alaska compete in challenges that were once essential to survival. Events like the Seal Hop, One-Foot High Kick, and Inuit Stick Pull. The unique events are inspired by Indigenous traditions, designed to build strength, endurance, and mental toughness. They are the same skills once used to hunt, signal across the tundra, and bring food home for the community.

The Most Gruelling High School Sports in Alaska

In the video below, we met competitors like Don, Leif, and Mila, each carrying generations of resilience in every movement. Whether hopping on bloodied knuckles or launching into the air to kick a suspended target, they’re not just competing—they’re honoring culture, connecting to identity, and inspiring the next wave of athletes.

And at the heart of it all is coach and organizer Kyle Worl, who reminds us that while the NYO Games have grown over the years—from 12 schools to over 50—they remain a powerful celebration of Alaska Native heritage, strength, and community.