By Gordie
Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
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| Two Lions speed skaters share a laugh at a public skating session. |
Of course,
the Complex is best known for action that happens in spring, summer and fall
with baseball, football and softball. Our grounds can be a hub of fun during
the winter months too.
In winter,
the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval becomes a spot of frequent activity.
Users of the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval this season have full use of
the recently finished K+S Potash Canada Multi-sport Centre.
Visitors
enjoy the fact they can enter the K+S Potash Canada Multi-sport Centre to
change into their skates and to warm up between sessions on the Oval.
Members of
the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club continue to hone their skills at the
Oval, while the public skating sessions are popular at the Oval too.
On the odd
occasion, members of the Lions will pop in to have some fun during a public
skating session. Our lead photo sees two Lions skaters sharing a laugh during a
great skating day during public skating session on January 2.
For the
third straight winter, the Indoor Training Centre has become another centre of
activity. Athletes from various sports stop in to improve their skills and the indoor
field is often used by various baseball and softball groups.
These photos
capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds. In this photo
roundup, all of these pictures were taken by our Communications
Coordinator in Darren Steinke.
Without
further ado, here is a selection of nine shots plus a bonus older photo with some sweet news we hope you enjoy.
Feeling the need for speed
Skaters from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club hit their top stride at this practice session on December 13, 2021. The symmetry that can be photographed during their drills and races can be quite amazing.
Set to fire off a throw to second
Catcher Masen Andersen sets to make a throw to second base in this drill during a Going Yard Training Centre session on November 24, 2021. In this drill, catchers were working on the mechanics to help them pick off runners that try to steal second base.
Let it snow, let it snow
This public skating session on December 22, 2021 shows there are times a snowfall makes things enjoyable. This trio of skaters enjoyed the elements as the snow fell on what was a very pleasant day to be outside.
Testing day focus
The 222’s Fastpitch program held testing for their player at the Indoor Training Centre on December 16, 2021. A 222’s hitter drives the ball into a net in this drill, where the metrics of her swing were being evaluated.
All smiles on the ski trails
A skier enjoys time on the trails that are on the Complex grounds on January 2. Users enjoy classic skiing and skate skiing on a recreational level, while other users perfect skills on the competitive front.
Beauty on a frigid day
The K+S Potash Canada Multi-sport Centre makes for a picturesque sight on an extremely cold day. Our newest building is shown here on December 29, 2021 when the temperatures were below -30 C, and the scene looks really good.
Base path tips for Christmas
An instructor from the Going Yard Training Centre gives pointers to some youngsters about running the base paths during a Going Yard Christmas Break Camp session on December 22, 2021. It has become a tradition for Going Yard to hold a Christmas Break Camp to give young players of all skill levels a good experience with the game.
Swinging away
A youngster takes a measured swing at a ball during a Timbits Saturday’s program session on November 27, 2021 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Saskatchewan North Central Softball Academy runs the Timbits Saturday’s program to give players aged 5 to 10 a good experience with the sport of softball and help them improve at playing the game along the way.
Postcard type of night
This photo of our Donor Wall was taken on January 5, when it was -34 C outside and night was starting to fall. The elements helped create a postcard type of scene.
Lions make Top 30 RBC Future Olympians
list
Tuesday, January 4, was a big night for the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club. The Lions had two present and two past members named to the Top 30 RBC Future Olympians list including Bon Lowe, Oskar Stack-Michasiw, Daniel Pauli and Luca Veeman. They are set to receive funding for training and earn a potential spot with Canada’s speed skating national team program. The list was made through the RBC Training Ground program partnership between RBC, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Bell Media to find and support Canada’s future Olympians. In this Lions practice photo from January 9, 2021, Veeman is wearing a jacket and is second from the right, while Lowe is on the right of the photo.
