There is no doubt that the Niagara Region is known worldwide as a sports hub or destination.
The 2022 Canada Summer Games and improved infrastructure including Canada Games Park and the Neil Campbell Rowing Centre on Henley Island in Port Dalhousie solidified that.
You can add three more sporting events coming to Niagara this spring and summer to a long list of impressive hosting in conjunction with Sport Niagara.
Brock University is spearheading a global robotics competition, bringing together close to 3,000 competitors on 192 teams from approximately 30 countries to compete at the Canada Games Park in the Canada Cup of Robotics.
And Sport Niagara is looking for volunteers.
No prior experience with FIRST Robotics, engineering, and/or computer science is necessary to help us fill roles ranging from judges and referees to way finders and field re-setters. Volunteers will be fed and will receive T-shirts acknowledging them as volunteers at the event.
Although the event will occur over the course of a week (June 13-20), volunteers are not expected to commit to the entire week.
The numbers surrounding Robotics may surprise some:
Program Stats
130,000+ Canadian students participating (2011-2022)
1.5M+ Mentor hours (2011-2022)
$250,000+ Canadian Scholarships
A Global Organization
3,700+ official FIRST events
106 countries with FIRST presence
316,000+ volunteer, mentor, and educator roles
28 million+ volunteer, mentor, and educator hours
Bringing Brock to the World
Global visibility and exposure
Reinforce Brock’s position as a STEM and Innovation leader
Media and Public Relations
Campus Showcase
Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Industry and Community Relationships
Event Highlights
Olympic style Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Team & Volunteer Socials
Robot Competitions
Who can we expect to attend
1,500+ global student competitors
2,000+ spectators and supporters
200+ volunteers
30+ countries represented
Volunteers can apply here: https://brocku.ca/mathematics-science/canada-cup-of-robotics/
Meantime, Niagara Falls is hosting the 2026 Canadian Slo-pitch Championships for the first time ever at Patrick Cummings Park, Chippawa/Niagara Falls and we need your help to make it happen!
And once again admission volunteers are needed to scan tickets and put a wrist band on each person entering the park. Each volunteer will receive a t-shirt and be fed. The event runs from August 9 – 15, 2026 with shifts running from 8 am to 2:30pm and 2:30pm to 9 pm.
Apply here to volunteer: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9CC9ymgFTF4jPwqAf5vfO_0raunD03-5adVeQMXPLcGFeXA/viewform
And if that was enough, the 2026 Pacific Rim Slo-Pitch Championships will take place in Niagara Falls from August 26–28, 2026.
The international senior slo-pitch tournament features teams from Canada, the United States, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Guam, and Macau, with all games hosted at the Patrick Cummings Sports Park in the Chippewa district.
Co-hosted by Slo-Pitch National (SPN) and Senior Softball USA (SSUSA), the three-day event will promote international friendship and cultural exchange. The competition schedule is designed with a festival-style atmosphere, featuring a kickoff Welcome Night alongside the 2026 Ontario Masters & Seniors Provincials.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
