View a video recap of Welland Girls Sports Day here.
Niagara College was proud to once again co-host a rewarding day dedicated to helping young girls explore sport and build confidence at the fourth annual Welland Girls Sports Day, held June 7 at the Empire Sportsplex.
Co-hosted with the City of Welland, the free, sold-out event welcomed girls ages 6 to 12 for a fun-filled day designed to introduce them to a wide variety of sports in a supportive, inclusive environment. With the sun shining and smiles all around, attendees got to try their hand at everything from softball to wheelchair basketball, guided by accomplished female athletes and coaches.
“This partnership with the City of Welland allows us to give a fantastic experience to the girls of Welland,” said Michele O’Keefe, Niagara College’s Sr. Director of Athletics & Student Engagement. “It’s always a day filled with fun and games, using sports as the vehicle to give young girls the opportunity to try new things.”
Niagara College coaches and student-athletes led a variety of sport activity stations, guiding participants to try something new and stay active. The College also supported the event with that encouraged family involvement and community connection.
One standout highlight was the Parent Hub, once again coordinated by Erin Wilkie, Recreation Therapy Professor and Program Coordinator at NC, alongside thirteen students from the Recreation Therapy – Fast Track program. As part of their Leisure Education course, the students delivered hands-on, family-focused activities and shared valuable resources with parents and guardians to promote healthy leisure lifestyles.
“I feel privileged to work alongside such an amazing group of students at Welland Girls Sports Day,” said Wilkie. “With just four classes to prepare, they rose to the challenge and created professional and meaningful programming. What impressed me most was how quickly they grasped the importance of family engagement in youth athletics and translated that understanding into practical, theory-based programming. I am beyond proud of these students!”
The Parent Hub featured a self-directed leisure activity station, giving parents, guardians and siblings not participating in the main event the opportunity to share meaningful, active moments together onsite.
NC Recreation Therapy – Fast Track students, with Professor and Program Coordinator Erin Wilkie, ran the Parent Hub, offering hands-on, family-focused activities and resources to support healthy leisure.
The Parent Hub also included community organizations including Brock Niagara Penguins, Welland Tennis Club, City of Welland Summer Camp, Niagara Athletics Volleyball Club, Niagara Centre YMCA, Welland Otters Swim Club and Little Medical School.
Having on-site representatives from local sport organizations is essential for building lasting connections between families and community sport opportunities. They provide parents and guardians with direct access to program information, registration details, and personalized guidance, helping them feel confident and informed about supporting their child’s ongoing participation in sport. Their presence strengthens community ties and encourages lasting engagement.
The Hairstyling station was also a crowd favourite, where students and faculty from NC’s Hairstyling program offered hands-on tutorials demonstrating sport-friendly hair styling techniques for participants and their families.
A thank you to supporters and volunteers
The success of the event wouldn’t be possible without the support of many generous community sponsors and supporters, including Canadian Tire Welland, Canadian Women & Sport, Niagara College Student Administrative Council (NCSAC), McDonald’s, ParticipACTION, Poppy Gilliam, and the Province of Ontario.
Events like this can only be successful with great volunteers. This year’s outstanding group was made up of NC staff, City of Welland staff, NC students, local high school students and community members.
A big thank you also goes out to the many NC employees who lent their time and efforts to help on the day of the event: Renee Winger, Beth Astles, Jan Bradley, Xiao Chen, Amanda Levy, Katie McQuestion, Ann Marie Raos, Sarah Rouillier, Abby Silver, Nimisha Sumathi, April Tyrell, Lorelle Weavers and Erin Wilkie.
Special recognition goes out to the amazing people who sit on the WGSD organizing committee: Amanda Levy, Norma Lostracco, Valerie McMurtry, Katie McQuestion, Jill Peters, Tori Royer, Chris Seabrook, Abby Silver, Nimisha Sumathi, Lorelle Weavers and Erin Wilkie. This committee meets bi-weekly six months leading up to the event to plan every detail and deliverable, ensuring its success year after year.
