July 13, 2026
Contact: Cary Littlejohn, carylittlejohn@missouri.edu
Photo courtesy of Show-Me State Games
For more than 40 years, the University of Missouri has powered what’s become a beloved summer tradition: the Show-Me State Games. Since its founding in 1985, the Olympics-style amateur sports festival has welcomed more than a million athletes of all ages, championing health, family and fun while generating an estimated $400 million in economic impact.
The games — which began in June and will continue this weekend and July 24-26 in Columbia — are expected to bring in more than 15,000 athletes competing across more than 50 sports, Bruce Ungles, executive director of the games, said. It’s one of the largest of its kind in the nation, a distinction that earned it a spot on ESPN’s list of 101 things all sports fans must experience before they die.
At the heart of it all are Mizzou volunteers whose energy, service and Tiger spirit make the games possible.
The heart behind the games
Cameron Steed — who is majoring in parks, recreation, sport and tourism in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources — is one of roughly 400 volunteers bringing this year’s Show-Me State Games to life.
Volunteers register participants, help keep times and scores, and distribute medals while cheering on athletes throughout the events.
“We get some amazing people by partnering with different groups around Columbia — community members, corporate sponsors and especially Mizzou,” Jessie Sida, director of strategic partnerships and special events for the games, said.
Fresh off a weekend at the Missouri State Senior Games, Steed said he benefited more from the experience than the participants he helped.
“It’s so rewarding when people come up and say, ‘Thank you for helping put this on,’” Steed said. “I feel like it gives me a real sense of purpose when I’m out there.”
A Mizzou wrestler, Steed volunteered at events such as pickleball and swimming. Although he wasn’t as familiar with those sports, he embraced the challenge of stepping outside of his comfort zone to learn new things.
That’s one of the main messages Sida tells new volunteers.
“It’s OK if you don’t know about this sport,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be intimidating. You can do this. If we can get people who are willing to learn and willing to be a happy, smiling face for our participants and guests, we can’t ask for more.”
Competition, connection and community
Jason Young, an instructor in CAFNR’s parks, recreation, sport and tourism program, said Steed’s experience reflects the benefits of the Missouri Method, the university’s hands-on approach to learning.
“They all say how rewarding it is to see the smiles on the participants’ faces,” Young said.
Students volunteer through the program’s 12-credit-hour internship capstone or to work toward a program requirement that all graduates complete 100 experience hours. The opportunity brings together every aspect of parks, recreation, sport and tourism in one real-world experience, Young said.
“When students come to our program, they often have a limited view of what ‘sport’ is,” he said. “They often think only of professional sports. But the Show-Me State Games opens the door to showing them that sport is much bigger than that and how it relates to these other categories of recreation and tourism.”
Longtime volunteer Mitzi Clayton, BES ’94, M Ed ’96, has experienced that impact firsthand. She competed in the games as a high school participant and worked for the organization as a Mizzou student before returning to serve on its advisory council. In that role, she has seen the benefits of athletes and their families who travel from across Missouri, filling hotels, dining at local restaurants and supporting Columbia’s economy.
“If we didn't have our volunteers, the games would not exist,” Clayton said. “They’re the heart and soul of the games. They’re there to make you feel good about the fact that you’re out there competing, and that’s the whole point of the Show-Me State Games.”
