Olympics reality still settling in for Lipinski

Ignite Co-Owner going to Summer Games as flag football DC

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Joel Lipinski hugs Marc-Antoine Dequoy (#24).

Joel Lipinski still has times it stuns him that it is an actual thing he will be going to the Olympics with football.

On August 16 at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag World Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany, Lipinski served as the Defensive Coordinator for Team Canada, who were taking part in the bronze medal game against Mexico. Canada claimed a 34-26 victory in overtime, where the win was sealed by an interception from defensive back Guillaume Beland. Canada claimed the bronze medal and locked up a berth at the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will run July 14 to 30 of that year in Los Angeles, Calif.

Flag football will make its debut as a sport at the 2028 Olympics. For Lipinski, he still has moments where he can’t believe going to the Olympics will be an actual thing for him.

“I still don’t know if it feels completely real,” said Lipinski, who is a Co-owner and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of Ignite Athletics located on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. “For so long, the Olympics were this massive thing you watched every few years and you saw athletes representing Canada on the biggest sporting stage in the world.

“I never really pictured myself being part of that. Now, there’s actually an Olympic Games on the calendar that we are preparing for. We qualified. Canada is going.

“I’m going to have the opportunity to represent our country there as a coach. When I actually stop and think about it that way, it’s pretty wild. I think there will probably be a few moments over the next two years where it becomes more and more real.”

Long before becoming a coach in strength and conditioning, Lipinski had played football as a defensive back. In the tackle side of the game, he suited up for Regina’s Campbell Collegiate Tartans, the University of Regina Rams and Saint Mary’s University Huskies in U Sports, the Vancouver Island Raiders in the CJFL, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Elks in the CFL and Football Canada’s Men’s National Team in both tackle and flag. During those years, Lipinski never thought about going to the Olympics as football was not part of that multi-sport event and celebration.

In his childhood days growing up in Regina, Lipinski admitted he did have dreams of being part of the Olympics when either the Summer Games or Winter Games were on TV.

Joel Lipinski, centre, offers tips at an Ignite Athletics training session.

“I think every kid watches the Olympics and imagines what it would be like to represent Canada,” said Lipinski, who is the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team. “You watch Canadians win medals and see the flag go up and you understand, even as a kid, that there is something different about representing your country at the Olympics.

“I just never imagined football would eventually be the sport that gave me that opportunity. That’s probably what makes this whole thing even more special.”

While Lipinski is best known for his work as a strength and conditioning coach, the 41-year-old has worked as a football coach over numerous years in his life and has been a head coach at the high school level and has coached defensive backs at the university level. He has been involved with Team Canada on the flag football side for over a decade.

When Football Canada hired famed CFL coach Paul LaPolice to be the head coach of the National Men’s Flag Team on May 8, 2025, he interviewed Lipinski for the Defensive Coordinator position. 

Lipinski was officially brought on as the team’s Defensive Coordinator on May 20, 2025. He has enjoyed working with LaPolice.

“It’s been awesome,” said Lipinski. “Paul has coached football at an incredibly high level for a long time, and I would be lying if I said I haven’t tried to absorb as much as I possibly can from being around him.

“One thing I really appreciate about Paul is that he allows his coaches to coach. He challenges you, asks questions and makes you defend what you believe, but he also gives you ownership. That has made me a better coach.”

Joel Lipinski enjoys coaching with Football Canada.

At the Flag Football Worlds, Canada suffered heartbreak dropping a 41-36 decision in a semifinal against Italy on August 15. Lipinski was proud of how the Canadian team was able to rebound to win the bronze game in overtime the next day over Mexico. The highlight was seeing the win get sealed by Beland’s interception.

“That might be one of the greatest moments I’ve ever experienced in football,” said Lipinski, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighed 195 pounds in his playing days. “There is so much that goes into preparing for those moments that nobody sees (in) the meetings, film, conversations, adjustments and all the reps with the players.

“Then you get into overtime against an unbelievable Mexico team, with an Olympic berth and a World Championship medal essentially hanging in the balance and Guillaume makes the play. On a team full of great players, he was our defensive captain and was completely selfless in any game play that we put together. He is someone I have leaned on throughout the years I have known him for his IQ and pulse of the team, and I could not be happier for him that he was the one to make that play.

“The second he caught it, I think every emotion from the entire tournament came out at once.”

After Beland made his interception, Lipinski took part in the celebrations making a mad dash down the field with Beland and a host of Canadian players that finished with a group hug in an end zone. At that moment, you wouldn’t have known Lipinski was still recovering from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in one of his knees.

“That is probably the most impressive athletic performance of my entire World Championship,” said Lipinski with a chuckle. “I was five months out from ACL surgery and apparently completely forgot that for about 30 seconds.

“I saw Guillaume pick the ball off and all rehab protocols immediately went out the window. Looking back at the video, there were definitely a couple of moments where I thought, “That probably wasn’t in the return-to-sport plan.” Luckily, the knee survived.”

Joel Lipinski, left, is pictured with Canadian players at Worlds.

While Lipinski is proud of what the Canadian team accomplished, he said the focus is already shifting towards preparing for the Olympics and making good use of the two years preparation time leading up to it.

“Now, the real work starts,” said Lipinski, who has received congratulations pretty much everywhere he has gone in Saskatoon since returning home. “Qualifying was obviously a massive accomplishment, but we’re not going to spend two years celebrating the fact that we qualified.

“The question becomes: how good can we become between now and Los Angeles? We have two years to evaluate our systems, evaluate ourselves as coaches, continue developing players, identify new players and keep learning where international flag football is going. The sport is evolving incredibly quickly.

“For me personally, I want to look back two years from now and know that I used every opportunity between Worlds and the Olympics to become a better defensive coordinator. There are probably 100 things we can do better, and now we have two years to go find them.”

He added the belief is high that Canada can win a medal at the Olympics in 2028.

“We absolutely want to win a medal, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying that,” said Lipinski. “Canada just finished third in the world.

“We know how good the best teams in the world are, we know how small the margins are between winning and losing at that level, and we also know that we can compete with them. At the same time, nobody is giving us anything, because we won a bronze medal at Worlds. There are two years of work between now and Los Angeles.

Joel Lipinski and Team Canada pose for a team photo.

“The dream is obviously standing on an Olympic podium with a Canadian flag and a medal around our necks (even though coaches do not get medals). If we’re going all the way to the Olympics, we’re certainly not going there just to say we were there. We want to see how good we can become and take a real shot at winning the thing.”

For more information about Ignite Athletics, feel free to check out Ignite’s website at igniteathletics.com. All photos of Joel Lipinski with Football Canada are courtesy of Joel Lipinski.

Familiar football faces of Saskatoon AFFL highlight photo roundup

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Danielle Girolami sets to unload a pass for Flagging Rights.

The Saskatoon Adult Flag Football League has well-known faces galore from the Saskatoon and area football scene.

Born in 2012, the Saskatoon AFFL has been a mainstay on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds playing games at Saskatoon Minor Football Field from its start to indoor action at the Indoor Training Centre since it officially opened on March 1, 2019. On the women’s side, the league features lots of players that are either current members or alums of the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries WWCFL squad, and it is now seeing youngsters come up from Saskatoon Minor Football’s female flag programs.

The men’s side of Saskatoon AFFL features numerous players who are graduates of the historic Saskatoon Hilltops of the CJFL and of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team, who are a legacy squad in U Sports.

Tom Schnitzler snags a contested catch for Columbian Gold.

The veteran players in both the women’s and men’s games often show that their skills are as good as ever. Some of the players are aiming to make national teams overseen by Football Canada, while others use the competition as a break from responsibilities in the working world, often coaching in the overall sport and the family front.

The lead photo of our photo roundup sees Valkyries veteran Danielle Girolami all set to fire a pass downfield in a game for Flagging Rights on January 28 at the Indoor Training Centre. While known as a star defensive back for the Valkyries, Girolami enjoys throwing passes for a flag side loaded with players that have ties to the defending WWCFL champions.

The second picture sees Tom Schnitzler hauling in a contested catch as a receiver for Columbian Gold on February 4 at the Indoor Training Centre. Schnitzler is currently the head coach of the Holy Cross High School Crusaders, who are the defending Saskatchewan 6A provincial champions. As a defensive lineman, he won four CJFL titles with the Hilltops, suited up for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and played in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders.

Keira Maffin is playing her first year with U of Saskatchewan White.

The third shot shows Keira Maffin slinging a pass for University of Saskatchewan White. 

Maffin is in her first year at U of S after graduating from Centennial Collegiate last June.

Along with the pictures from Saskatoon AFFL, this photo roundup has images from baseball, football, softball and speed skating.

The pictures in this photo roundup 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 15 shots we hope you enjoy.

Incoming

A hitter from the 222’s Fastpitch program drives a ball off a tee into the net during a training session on January 14 at the Indoor Training Centre. These pictures when taken from behind the net can surely make someone blink or jump backwards.

Take off

A trio of young Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club skaters take off down the front straightaway of the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval on January 14. The Lions were doing sprint work, and this was an image from a 50-metre race.

All about the skill

A pitcher from the JQFP Softball program unloads a throw during a training session in the pitching tunnels at the Indoor Training Centre on January 17. The hurlers were putting a lot of concentration into perfecting the mechanics of various pitches.

Going the distance

The skaters from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club were out doing endurance work on the morning of January 17 at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval. Some of the skaters did a total of 30 laps to strengthen the aerobic energy system.

Warmup flow

A young player lets go of a throw during a warmup for a Going Yard Baseball Academy training session on January 21 at the Indoor Training Centre. Going Yard is good at having their players built towards performing the skills of the game of baseball at full speed.

Lift off

A young batter drives a hit off a tee during a Saskatoon Berries Baseball Academy training session on January 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. The players were working on driving the ball into the outfield during this drill.

Nice snag

A player from the Saskatoon Lasers softball program catches a fly ball that was taking a drop during an outfielding drill on January 28 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Lasers were putting a mix of players from their various age groups through drills that were set up in three stations.

Smarts on the base paths

A baserunner was staying locked in to what was happening at home plate during a simulated game at a Saskatoon Selects training session on January 28 at the Indoor Training Centre. The simulated game was part of the Selects continuing evaluations for this upcoming spring and summer season.

Freeze

A trio of players from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team all come to a power stop during a conditioning workout on January 29 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Huskies football squad, who are the defending Canada West champions, have been a day one user of the Indoor Training Centre for off-season work.

Shuffle and run

Veteran defensive back Ethan Laing does a number of side shuffle steps before breaking into a short sprint during a University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team conditioning workout on January 29 at the Indoor Training Centre. These conditioning workouts have drills that help the Huskies get used to the various stops and starts in football.

Berries Academy love for Grey Cup

The Grey Cup paid a visit to a Saskatoon Berries Training Academy session on February 3 at the Indoor Training Centre. A couple of Berries players showed their appreciation for the CFL’s biggest prize that was won this past November by the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Grey Cup at home at the Complex

The Grey Cup looked right at home for a couple of days at the Indoor Training Centre. The CFL’s biggest prize that was won this past November by the Saskatchewan Roughriders is shown at a Saskatoon Berries Training Academy session on February 3. One day earlier, the Grey Cup appeared at the Indoor Training Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds for an Institute of Saskatchewan Football session.

Jetting through traffic

Receiver Jackson Andrews, centre, from Mean Machine (Litzenberger) jets between a pair of defenders from Seaman Squad during Saskatoon Adult Flag Football League action on February 4 at the Indoor Training Centre. Offensive players aim to show great elusiveness in the flag game.

Escape artist

Quarterback Max Major of the 7^th Floor Crew eludes a pass rusher from Touchdown There during Saskatoon Adult Flag Football League action on February 4 at the Indoor Training Centre. Major is best known for his exploits in softball suiting up for Softball Canada’s national program on a number of occasions. He can also make plays in the flag game like Patrick Mahomes in the NFL.

Winter beauty at Cairns

A winter look at Cairns Field from February 7. These photos are keepers for the archives. In partnership with the Saskatoon Berries and the Sask Entertainment Group, 352 new seats as part of new stadium seating sections will be installed starting early spring and will be ready for the Berries opening day on May 30.

Bears’ Grabowski brings throwback approach to football

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Mason Grabowski motors downfield for the Bears.

When you ask Mason Grabowski about what his strengths are as a football player, he sounds like a throwback to an era when George Reed, Jim Brown and Mike Ditka rumbled down the field.

“I’m strong, physical, fast and I like to like punish people,” said Grabowski.

The Grade 12 running back, receiver and punter for the Aden Bowman Collegiate Bears Football Team has developed into one of the province’s best high school players. He helped Saskatchewan reach the gold medal game of the Football Canada Cup held this past July in Edmonton, Alta.

The gold medal game between Saskatchewan and Quebec was ultimately not played due to air quality concerns caused by the smoke from forest fires from B.C. and Alberta. On August 4, Football Canada declared Saskatchewan and Quebec would receive gold medals as co-champions of the event.

With all that noted, Grabowski’s words of sounding like a physical throwback are backed up by his Bears head coach in Justin Loshack.

“He (Grabowski) is a warrior,” said Loshack. “He has been playing through some injuries too.

“He is just honestly getting better every week and healthier every week. He just brings a physical dimension to our game that you don’t see very often in high school.”

The 17-year-old Grabowski said he has loved the game for pretty much as long as he can remember. The love for the sport was passed down through his family.

“On my dad’s side of the family, they’re just like big football fans,” said Grabowski, who stands 6-feet and weighs 190 pounds. “My dad played.

Mason Grabowski makes an acrobatic catch for the Bears.

“We’re all big (Saskatchewan) Roughriders fans. It is all what I grew up with. I started playing since when I was young and just kept with it.”

Grabowski started out playing flag football under programs offered by Saskatoon Minor Football and progressed to suiting up to play tackle in the Kinsmen Football League making him a frequent visitor to Saskatoon Minor Football Field. He said his father, Trevor, who played for the 1986 CJFL champion Regina Rams, was his biggest influence in helping him out in the sport. The Rams joined the U Sports ranks in 1999.

“He (Trevor) has just been around the game,” said Grabowski. “He can help me.

“He tells me what to do better.”

Going into Grade 9 in 2020, Grabowski didn’t get to participate in any type of high school football game action as the SSSAD didn’t hold any competitions during the 2020-21 school year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world. Shutdowns and restrictions were in place in various areas of life at that point in time.

Full high school football action returned to the province in 2021, and Grabowski found himself on the Bears senior team playing safety, receiver and a little bit of running back. He discovered playing at the high school level was a bit of an adjustment, but elected to rely on playing the game how he knew best.

“Coming into Grade 10, everyone was so big,” said Grabowski. “I’ve been physical all my life and just fast, and I let my physical play be just how I play.”

Loshack said Grabowski has been outstanding on and off the field during the years he has played for the Bears. The sideline boss has noticed his young star player has taken more of a leadership role as a Grade 12 senior.

“He (Grabowski) has always been good,” said Loshack. “His play on the field has never changed.

Mason Grabowski (#11) enjoys the physical part of football.

“He played in Grade 10 and played in Grade 11 and again this year. His leadership this year, you can tell as a Grade 12 he has grown into that for sure right from the start of the year. His leading by example has been huge for us.”

Loshack said Grabowski has benefitted from playing in SMF’s North Sask Academy League in the spring and with Football Saskatchewan’s provincial team program in the summer.

“I think it has helped for sure,” said Loshack. “Football is becoming the next hockey kind of thing.

“There is opportunity to play a whole lot more, and it has helped players for sure. I would say for Mason (Grabowski) this year the challenging thing has been the way he plays. His body takes a beating.

“We’ve been trying to manage some of those things too. I think he is getting healthier and healthier. The way he plays he’s always going to give it all that he has, and he takes some beatings because of that for sure.”

Looking back at this past summer, Grabowski said he was disappointed the gold medal game of the Football Canada Cup was called off. He believes his Saskatchewan side would have beaten Quebec in the title game.

So far during his final high school season, Grabowski has helped the Bears start 5-0. He said he doing everything he can to help the Bears win a provincial title.

“That has been our goal all year,” said Grabowski. “It has been our goal since Grade 10.

“Every game that I’m playing, I just want to leave everything I have out on the field.”

When it comes to playing at the post-secondary level, Grabowski said he has been talking to some Canadian universities, but he hasn’t made any commitments about where he might potentially play.

Loshack believes Grabowski could have a lengthy playing career in the future that extends to the professional level.

Mason Grabowski battles his way through a pack of defenders.

“At the next level, I see him to continue the way he did in high school which is to make a team impact right away and work his way into a dominant player at the next level,” said Loshack. “To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if five years or six years from now you see him two levels beyond high school.”

Grabowski isn’t looking that far ahead and is focused on doing the best in the season he is playing in right now for the Bears. With that noted, he is pleased to know he will have the chance to continue playing the sport beyond high school.

“It is good knowing I’m going to keep growing as a football player and just keep playing at the next level,” said Grabowski.“I just want to keep playing and keep balling out and keep winning.”

Saskatoon Minor Football rides momentum of national award

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

A running back takes off in a high school academy game in fall of 2020.

For crew at Saskatoon Minor Football, the focus was to keep players playing with no thoughts on getting any awards.

When a big award came from Football Canada, it was a pleasant surprise.

This past April, Saskatoon Minor Football was named the winner of Football Canada’s Organization of the Year Award for 2020. The award was given largely due to the fact Saskatoon Minor Football was able to bring back game action with the world stuck in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Most minor football organizations in Canada weren’t able to take the field in 2020.

The administrators and officials with Saskatoon Minor Football put in countless hours of work formulating return to play plans and ultimately were able to get back on the field.

Brian Guebert, who is the executive director for Saskatoon Minor Football, said the biggest reward was seeing players excited over being able to play the game once again.

“We knew it was worth it from the get go,” said Guebert. “Providing opportunities for our kids to do what they love is our number one priority.

“To give a safe environment in which to do that whether that is COVID safety or player safety, that is priority number one for us and the reason why we are a successful organization and have such a loyal following in the city.”

While a huge national accolade wasn’t expected, Guebert said it was still special for Saskatoon Minor Football to earn recognition as Football Canada’s Organization of the Year Award.

“That is super exciting,” said Guebert. “There are so many great organizations across the country.

The Kinsmen Football League was in action in the fall of 2020.

“To be recognized by our national sports organization as one of the best, that just speaks tonnes to our members, our players, our coaches, and all the organizers involved. We’re super proud of that award.”

Guebert said it was extremely challenging to get back on the field in 2020 dealing with all the Public Health Orders and protocols that were brought in to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with those huge obstacles, he added it was amazing to see everyone involved with Saskatoon Minor Football rally to make a season a reality.

“It was a hero’s effort to try and make everything happen,” said Guebert. “Our coordinators, our board and our coaches, everybody just came together.

“Our managers, our people in charge of COVID protocols. Everybody just stepped up and played a huge role to make sure that could make football happen this past year.”

With high school football getting cancelled in 2020, Saskatoon Minor Football ensured high school aged athletes were able to get on the field creating a six-team academy league in the fall of 2020. The caliber of play in the league was top notch.

“It was awesome like really exciting to see those kids playing,” said Guebert. “All the games were so competitive.

“The talent is really remarkable in Saskatoon and what our coaches can do when you put together kind of even like drafted all-star teams like that. It is a lot of fun. Not enough can be said about the quality of amateur football in our city.”

The Kinsmen Football League also resumed play in the fall of 2020 thanks to the work of Saskatoon Minor Football. Players who were in Grades 6 to 9 took part in six-man tackle contests.

“It was great to see the Kinsmen kids playing too,” said Guebert. “There is just so much credit to our coaches for making it possible to happen.

The Rush spring high school football female flag league is popular.

“There was no junior football last year, and there was no high school football last year. Being able to offer something to our players was so rewarding.”

Saskatoon Minor Football road the momentum it established in 2020 to run a number of successful programs this past May and June. The programs included Tykes on Spikes, which introduces players aged three to six to the game, flag football and six-a-side tackle football for various age groups and the Rush spring high school football female flag league.

On top of those programs, Saskatoon Minor Football ran another series of academy games for high school aged players. Players who took part in the academy games were evaluated for the Saskatoon Minor Football all-star teams that will take part in the Prairie Bowl Series against Regina Minor Football.

In the Prairie Bowl Series, the under-16 and varsity high school all-star teams from Saskatoon Minor Football and Regina Minor Football will take part in respective two-game total-points series. The Prairie Bowl Series starts tonight in Regina.

It wraps up in Saskatoon at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Saturday, July 17. The under-16 game is set for 6 p.m. and the varsity contest follows at 8:30 p.m.

“It is another opportunity just to showcase the talent we have in our city and to involve ourselves in great competition with another amazing organization down with RMF,” said Guebert. “The job (RMF executive director) Len Antonini and his crew did down in Regina is just outstanding as well.

“Any time we have a chance to partner with RMF and do a Prairie Bowl Series like this we jump at the opportunity, and we are really looking forward to these games.”

At all levels of football, Saskatoon and Regina have a sound rivalry. For the players that are involved with the Prairie Bowl Series, Guebert said the rival just adds an extra bonus, and he hopes the players can turn the heads of a few post-secondary coaches.

“Any opportunity these kids have to play more football, they jump at it,” said Guebert. “I think it is great.”

A runner tries to escape in a six-a-side spring tackle game.

Looking forward to the fall, Guebert said there is optimism the season will look a lot more normal than it did in 2020.

Before looking ahead, Guebert added he was really satisfied with how well things went in the spring for Saskatoon Minor Football.

“It has been an awesome spring,” said Guebert. “Even though it was a little condensed and a little in question there at the start, we were so happy we able to get out on the field and make things happen.”

 

For more information on Saskatoon Minor Football, feel free to check out their website saskatoonminorfootball.com.