Canada’s biggest sports festival is making its triumphant return to University of Guelph on July 6th and 7th. And the whole event is free for visitors.
The concept of GOOD Games began in 2017, when the games’ president/CEO and former World Cup soccer player Helen Stoumbos connected with someone who ran the Vancouver 2016 Pan-American Masters Games. They suggested to Helen that she start something similar in Ontario, and she jumped on the idea.
The GOOD Games were set to launch in 2020, but were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time the team put on smaller events, and in 2022 they hosted a Canada Day event with the Rotary Club. 2023 was The GOOD Games’ first real year, and Helen is predicting that 2024 will be their “breakout year.”
The games have attracted attention from the sports community, with athletes traveling from as far as Hawaii to compete this year. Participating athletes (who must be 20+ years old) range in level from amateurs to professionals, and even include some Olympians.
For the competition-side of The GOOD Games, there are twelve sports that the athletes will be competing in. These include disc golf, basketball, soccer, volleyball, archery, arm wrestling, and more.
On the festival side of things, there are ‘learn-to-play’ activities, where attendees can try out different sports and perhaps find a new passion. These activities include learn-to-play sessions with Pickleball Canada and Squash Ontario. There is also virtual reality boxing and a full Olympic beach volleyball court, plus the opportunity to learn traditional sports from Indigenous Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario.
In addition to the sports-based activities, there will be a DJ, a dance party on the Saturday night, food trucks, and a big barbecue courtesy of Harvey’s. Helen and the festival team compare The GOOD Games to The Calgary Stampede, or a music festival.
“Our main stage is our sport. There’s so much to do and see for the entire weekend. It’s a travel-worthy event,” says Helen.
The GOOD Games is also hosting the Canadian Freestyle Soccer Championship and the Canadian National Teqball Championship at the event, the latter of which Helen describes as a combination of table tennis and soccer.
The games are inclusive on many levels, something that’s important to Helen and the organizers. On the Sunday, there’s a 3x3 wheelchair basketball game. There are also eighteen women’s soccer teams attending, with the soccer players ranging in age from 50-80 years old. They even have a 90-year-old joining to play walking soccer.
On the inclusivity front, the festival is free and also has free parking.
“We have an overarching goal of getting people into the transformational power of sport,” says Helen. “I’d never want money to be a barrier. I feel like it’s unfortunate that it becomes a barrier for families.”
Helen is passionate about the positive impact that sports can have not just on individuals’ physical health, but particularly their mental health, as she’s experienced those positive benefits firsthand.
“Sports have taken me out of the depths of depression. It’s the one unifying force that brings people together. It’s the perfect thing to unite a community and unite people. It has so many healing properties.”
The GOOD Games team has heard from both athletes and festival-goers that they love the experience of the festival, remarking that they’ve never been to anything like it. Helen encourages attendees to have fun, connect with their community, and try something new on the weekend, because you never know where it could take you.
“What if one person falls in love with something by just trying it out at our event— and then it takes them on a lifelong journey or just helps them heal?”
The GOOD Games take place at University of Guelph on July 6-7, 2024. Visit www.thegood.games for more information.