By Gordie Howe Sports
Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
 |
| A quartet of skaters enjoys the Oval on February 27. |
The fun has come to an
end at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval, and preparation is hitting high
gear for the spring season.
While it doesn’t seem
like it outside at the moment, the snow and cold will be gone before you know
it. With all that noted, we enjoy the special moments of every season here at
the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.
As the March 1 closing
date approached for the Oval, people came out to soak in some final moments on
the skating surface before it returns once again in December. The lead photo of
this post shows a quartet of skaters enjoying a Sunday fun day on February 27.
The Saskatoon Lions
Speed Skating Club Masters level skaters also enjoyed some last practice
sessions before the ice came out at the Oval.
With the winter season
coming to an end at the Oval, activity continues to pick up at the Indoor
Training Centre with baseball and softball groups continuing to prepare for
their upcoming campaigns in spring.
While most football teams don’t open
training camps until August, those clubs are well into preparations for their
upcoming seasons. The storied Saskatoon
Hilltops of the CJFL have strapped on the pads for their practice sessions.
The activity that
happens on our grounds continues to provide great material for our continuing
photo round ups.
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 10 shots we hope you enjoy.
Huskies enjoy some Frisbee fun
University of Saskatchewan Huskies offensive
lineman Bryce Zerr sets to throw a Frisbee. Zerr and members of the Huskies
took part in a short Ultimate Frisbee scrimmage follow a workout session on the
turf field at the Indoor Training Centre on February 11.
Focus of the Phantom
A young player from the Saskatoon Phantoms
program concentrates on perfecting the technical aspects of making a throw. The
Phantoms put on a throwing skills session at the Indoor Training Centre on
March 3.
Dash to the finish
A Paralympic skier makes a final sprint to
the finish in provincial races hosted by the Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club on
February 12. Many skiers got out to enjoy the ski trails on our grounds and the
grounds of our neighbours in the Holiday Park Golf Course during the winter
season.
Running to daylight indoors
A young ball carrier breaks off a long run
during a rookies practice for the CJFL’s storied Saskatoon Hilltops at the
Indoor Training Centre on February 27. The newcomers the Hilltops have coming
in are looking good in the very early going.
February Break Camp fun
A young hitter drives the ball off a tee
during a February Break Camp hosted by the Going Yard Training Centre at the
Indoor Training Centre on February 24. Players from various ages and skill
levels took part in the February Break Camp to get in a baseball fix and to get
excited for the coming season.
Going yard with Going Yard
A hitter hammers a ball during a hitting
drill during a Going Yard Training Centre training session held on February 17
at the Indoor Training Centre.
Capturing a memory with a picture
A quartet of skaters pose for a selfie picture
during a public skating session on February 27 at the Clarence Downey Speed
Skating Oval. They ensured one last memory was photographed at the Oval before
it closed two days later.
Masters level skater gets laps in
A Masters level skater from the Saskatoon
Lions Speed Skating Club gets some laps in at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating
Oval. Masters level skaters took part in practice sessions at the Oval to
continue their enjoyment of the sport along with sharpening their skills.
Charging in on a grounder
A player charges in on a ground ball during
a Saskatoon Lasers practice session on February 27 at the Indoor Training
sessions. The Lasers were using that session to grade players on skills to see
how much they’ve improved during the off-season.
Sargeant doing his thing
Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant
addresses the team’s newcomers after a practice session held at the Indoor
Training Centre on February 27. Sargeant was his energetic and fired up self,
which got onlookers pumped up and excited for the CJFL football season that is
coming in August.
