Any competition that only comes around every second year is sure to enjoy a little extra allure.

To be frank, the most common response from local athletes preparing to attend the Ontario Summer or Winter Games typically revolves around the multi-sport aspect of the event, that ability to participate in a mini-Olympics Opening Ceremony and to mingle with athletes from any one of the other multitude of sports on tap that week.

Still, there are countless other reasons why locals might look forward to their chance to create Ontario Games memories, a fact that is not lost upon a good number of those Sudbury teens who will spent at least part of the upcoming long weekend in Kitchener-Waterloo, attending the 2026 Ontario Summer Games.

“Most of the tournaments I have played growing up have been either stroke or match play,” said 18 year-old recent Lockerby Composite graduate Ryder Coe, who will be joined by Camden Poirier, Carter Baron, Noah Thorpe, Rylan Carrick, Lia Gallo, Elliott Boyles and Amy Smith in forming the Northern Ontario golf team.

“I love those formats but this is going to be a whole different format for me, with the team aspect involved. Even if you’re not doing great in the individual (event), your team score could matter. I just think everyone will be competing until that 18th hole, which is cool.”

It’s also part of the reason why Coe targetted cracking this roster as early as the summer of 2025, making sure that he attended enough of the stops on the Northern Junior Golf Tour to accumulate the points necessary to make his way to Doon Valley Golf Course this week.

“Thankfully, I was sitting in a pretty good spot (at the end of 2025),” said Coe. “This is kind of what I have been looking forward to since the start of the summer.”

Still, coming off one of his more impressive rounds at his home course (Idylwylde Golf & Country Club) earlier this month, firing a one over par 73 to make his way into the Championship Flight playoff on Friday of the Idylwylde Invitational, Coe will head to the Summer Games with the potential to make some noise.

Track coach Robert Esmie is leading up the Northern Lights Zone 8 group of 35 athletes for a second straight second of Games – and while the man who has established Air Blastoff Track Club as a pre-eminent force in the province is thankful for the chance to work with some of his own year-round athletes (including his son, Nehemiah – a definite medal contender), the truth is that he has to approach this role from a different angle as he also overseas the contingent from both North Bay and the Sault.

“Ontario Summer Games are different,” said Esmie. “It’s more about the mental aspects and providing a support system. I want to make sure that they are mentally ready to go. The physical work should be done. Fun and team development, I will focus on that – and getting the best out of them in that moment.”

The Sudbury-based athletes who are heading to Kitchener (Resurrection Catholic Secondary School Track) include Ash’Li Nixon, Ay’Den Nixon, Mackenzie Roy, Joey Guignard, Joshua Doiron, Tejada Gieselman, Nicholas Rice, Yuvraj Singh and Ryan Pineau.

In order to avoid conflicting with the heavy playoff schedule of early March, hockey has been moved to the Summer Games (as opposed to Winter), with girls hockey leading the charge a decade or so ago and the boys following suit this summer. The Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) is also treating the Games were much like the OWHA (Ontario Women’s Hockey Association), gathering 120 of the top 2011/2012-born players in the province for what amounts to a talent identication camp.

Included in the six-team field are locals Padraig Courtney (Ontario Harvard), Vince Tarini and Samuel Frappier (both Ontario Gold), Ethan Thompson (Ontario White), Preston Hebert (Ontario Blue) as well as local coach Elliot Richardson (ass’t coach with Ontario Purple).

“I’m nervous, but also excited to play against the best players my age and compete and learn new things from the coaches that are here,” said Tarini, a nearly 6’0” defenceman who attended St Charles College last year.

“With my game, I think I will have to play more defensively. I haven’t had to do that as much this year (2025-2026). I’ll have to go back to some of my U14 habits.”

Later in August, both Tarini and Courtney will head south, suiting up with the North York U16 AAA Rangers this coming season along with former Sudbury teammate Diesel Berehowsky, son of Wolves associate coach Drake Berehowsky. With the OHL draft looming in the distance (June of 2027), Tarini understands the areas of his game that must shine – and those that still need some work.

“I have to have an active stick and be a presence in front of the net, boxing out so that my goalie can see those shots from the point,” he said. “And I need to be physical in the corners, for sure. My mental game will have to improve a lot, staying composed, not getting angry when things aren’t going my team’s way.”

While we have highlighted locals competing in flag football and girls hockey in earlier columns, there are a number of sports that will enjoy a Sudbury flavour (as we try and identify as many locals as possible with no real easy data base to work from).

Team North baseball will feature Adrien Cecchetto, Dakota Del Papa, Franky Finamore, Merrik Sokoloski, Olivier Séguin, Nicholas Paquette, Liam Stephens and Nathan Omeljaniuk.

The local basketball scene will be represented only by the boys team duo of Nick Folino and Hutton Duval while Cameron Desrochers, Skylar Trottier, Adèle Gervais, Breeze Osawamick, Madilyn Field and Allison Davies are all scheduled to be part of the volleyball festivities at Rim Park.