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.

Photo roundup sees Huskies football put in off-season work

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Riece Kack gains speed during an agility drill.

One of the starting points on the road to the Vanier Cup for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team has been the Indoor Training Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

Since January of 2020, the Huskies have usually started their off-season training at the Indoor Training Centre often overseen by Ignite Athletics co-owner and strength and conditioning coach Joel Lipinski, who is also the Huskies strength and conditioning coordinator. Workouts often include various drills on the field turf field at the Indoor Training Centre along with a weight lifting session at Ignite on the second floor.

The Huskies will continue their off-season workouts at the Indoor Training Centre usually until the snow melts at their storied home in Griffiths Stadium on the U of Saskatchewan grounds. 

Riece Kack changes direction at a pylon during an agility drill.

During the time the Huskies have started their off-season training at the Indoor Training Centre, they have gone on to win Canada West Conference championships and appear in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup – in 2021, 2022 and 2025.

The lead photo of our photo roundup sees Huskies veteran defensive end Riece Kack take off on an agility drill. The second picture sees Kack turning the corner at a pylon and going off in a new direction on that same drill.

The third shot shows offensive lineman Bennett Bloski, who has been on the Huskies roster for one season, jetting over a series of low hurdles in another drill that helps with speed, agility and strength. Bloski was a member of the St. Joseph High School Guardians 6A provincial championship team in 2024.

Bennett Bloski jets over a series of low hurdles.

All three of those Huskies photos were taken during a workout session on February 12.

Along with the pictures from Huskies football, this photo roundup shows the final stretch of the winter sports season, which saw action at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval close out. The photo roundup has images from baseball, cricket, football, skiing, 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 20 shots we hope you enjoy.

Getting low for speed

A member of the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club focuses on getting low for a sprint down the straightaway at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval on February 11. Lions skaters know the better they master techniques the faster they will skate on the track.

Powering through a corner

A group of skaters from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club skillfully jets around a corner at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval on February 11. The Lions get the most out of their training at the Oval during the two-and-a-half months that it is open.

Skater keys on fun and getting better

A skater from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club zips down a straightaway at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval on February 11. The Lions skaters have a blast skating on the Oval along with working on constant improvement.

Hitting warp speed

University of Saskatchewan Huskies running back Aulain Penner gains speed and powers past a pylon during a workout session on February 12 at the Indoor Training Centre. Penner just completed his first season with the Huskies and has made his share of big plays at Saskatoon Minor Football Field during his playing career before joining the Huskies.

Finding his stride

Braiden DeGroot, who is an offensive lineman heading into his second season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, speeds over a low hurdle’s agility drill with strong form on February 12 at the Indoor Training Centre. DeGroot will be looking to continue the Huskies tradition of strong play along the offensive line.

Making a high snag look easy

A first baseman from the Saskatoon Cubs Under-18 AAA team sets to haul in a high throw for an out during a training session on February 15 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Cubs will be trying to repeat as Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League champions when their 2026 season begins in the spring.

Ready to let it rip

A young pitcher goes through the wind up to deliver a pitch during a 222’s Fastpitch training session on February 25 at the Indoor Training Centre. The 222’s were holding one of their “pitching factories” on this night as pitchers came out from various age groups looking to improve their skills in delivering various pitches.

Textbook block

A catcher makes a perfect block during a plate block drill during a 222’s Fastpitch training session on February 25 at the Indoor Training Centre. The 222’s were holding one of their “catching factories” on this night. The session focuses on plate blocking.

Contact

A cricket hitter nailed a ball during a practice session in a battling tunnel on February 27 at the Indoor Training Centre. During this session, a pitching machine was being used to give the hitters a different challenge. The balls being bowled towards the batters were coming in hot causing the hitter to respond with lightning fast reactions.

Peak concentration

A fielder settles in to make a catch on a fly ball during a 222’s Fastpitch training session on February 27 at the Indoor Training Centre. The 222’s were holding a lengthy session on this day, and the middle portion of the session focused on defensive work in the field.

Incoming

A bowler from the Bison Cricket Club Saskatoon unloads a throw during a training session on February 28 in a pitching lane at the Indoor Training Centre. The Bison team members were polishing up their skills for the upcoming outdoor season in the spring.

Right back at you

A hitter from the Bison Cricket Club Saskatoon drives a ball back in the direction of a bowler during a training session on February 28 in a pitching lane at the Indoor Training Centre. During these practice sessions, hitters work on reacting to tosses, which can see them make hard drives or defensive connections.

Youngsters pack the ski trails

A large group of young skiers swamp the ski trail that run across the Glenn Reeve Fields on March 1. The skiers were taking part in lessons offered by the Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club. The instructors from the Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club do a terrific job teaching the youngsters and have put in outstanding work maintaining the trails.

Oval hosts surge of skaters on final day

March 1 marked the final day for the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval for the 2025-26 winter season. A large number of skaters flocked down to the Oval to enjoy one last public skating session. Lots of fun has been had at the Oval over the years.

Familiar softball faces at the Oval

Public skating sessions at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval attract people who are involved in various sports who want to go out and have fun. The Oval’s final public skating session on March 1 saw softball coach Tracy Frisky skating with her daughter and softball star pitcher Emma Frisky. The two were out enjoying the day and were out with their entire family during that session.

Ready for live at bats

The Saskatoon Giants Under-18 AAA team utilizes a hitting station they set up at the Indoor Training Centre for some live at bats during a practice session on March 3 at the Indoor Training Centre. There were two home plate spots set up at this station, where batters go head-to-head against pitchers like they would in games.

Got it

A young player makes a fly ball catch during a Going Yard Baseball Academy training session on March 5 at the Indoor Training Centre. During this session, the Going Yard instructors were cycling a group of their younger players through a trio of defensive drill stations.

Bullet throw

An infielder fires off a throw to first base during a practice session for the Saskatoon Giants Under-18 AAA team on March 5 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Giants players were working on getting their defensive rhythm down.

All in the hand-eye coordination

An outfielder from the Saskatoon Giants Under-18 AAA team goes through a bare-handed catch drill during a practice session on March 5 at the Indoor Training Centre. The drill is great at improving hand-eye coordination.

Joe Gallagher Field rest in final stretch

Joe Gallagher Field sits at rest under a cover of snow on March 8. In just under two months time, it will be full of softball activity. The conditions might not look like it outside, but the spring season isn’t that far away.

Solie very grateful for Gordie Howe Sports Complex support

Kicker’s football journey heads to CFL’s Roughriders

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

David Solie has signed with the CFL’s Roughriders.

After signing with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, David Solie was flooded with messages of congratulations and support from people he met at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

Solie, who is the place kicker and punter for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team, has worked at the Complex during his off-seasons taking on various roles for a number of years. When he isn’t working at the Complex as a staff member, he is either training at the Complex grounds at Ignite Athletics or working on his kicking skills at Saskatoon Minor Football Field or the Indoor Training Centre.

With the Huskies this past season, Solie had an outstanding campaign being named a Canada West Conference all-star and a U Sports second team all-Canadian all-star at place kicker. He helped the Huskies finished first in the Canada West Conference with a 7-1 record and advance to the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup.

In the Vanier Cup played on November 26 at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont., the Huskies dropped a heartbreaker 30-24 to the always powerful Universite Laval Rouge et Or before 8,420 spectators. Just three days after the Vanier Cup on November 29, Solie signed with the Roughriders.

Naturally, Solie, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 200 pounds, received lots of supportive messages from family and friends and numerous persons he met in football. The 23-year-old was pleasantly surprised by the large number of supportive messages he received from people he met over the years at the Complex.

“The staff there at Gordie Howe are all so friendly,” said Solie. “It is like a mini family there.

“We’ve got the mom Janice Kozun there, and she is always taking care of everybody. You get to meet a lot of new people. I’ve gotten a lot of messages that I’m very grateful for from a lot of people that maybe you don’t always hear from, but you hear from them, and they are grateful for you.

“It is a special place that hits you when there are a lot of congratulatory texts and messages coming in. I’m grateful myself for all those messages. I’m grateful that the ’Riders are able to give me this opportunity to hopefully go make the team and show what I can do.”

Solie received lots of supportive messages from staffers he has worked alongside with at the Complex. He didn’t realize how many people he met at Ignite and from sports teams and groups he has interacted with at the various facilities on the Complex grounds would reach out too.

David Solie is pictured for Bell Let’s Talk social media posts in Jan. 2021.

The graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School believes he has heard from coaches, athletes and team staffers from every sporting group that has trained or competed on the Complex grounds. The Complex hosts events and training sessions for baseball, football, lacrosse, Nordic Skiing, rugby, softball, speed skating, track and field and ultimate disk.

Solie said Johnny Marciniuk, who is the Operations Manager of the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, has helped develop a culture at the Complex that is special and the crew at Ignite Athletics and co-owner Joel Lipinski have made a huge positive difference on the lives of the athletes they’ve trained.

“They’ve created an environment that bleeds sports,” said Solie, who was the Canada West all-star and U Sports first team all-Canadian all-star punter in 2021. “Being able to work there, I know Johnny (Marciniuk) has been able to give me those hours that work with my schedule.

“I know he has been able to do it with others as well. I’m just forever grateful for everything that he has been able to allow me to do. If I need time off for training, if I need time off for football or if I need time off even just to go visit, I know Johnny (Marciniuk) has always been really good with that.”

With the Huskies this past season, Solie said the team had big goals after advancing to the Vanier Cup in 2021 and falling to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs 27-21. The Huskies were looking to get back to the Vanier Cup in 2022 and win it.

“We expect that from ourselves,” said Solie. “Obviously, it is not going to happen every single year.

“I think we just had an expectation in our minds that we were going to be back on that stage, and we were hopefully lifting that Vanier Cup. Unfortunately, we came up a little bit short there the last couple of years. It is tough in itself, but I’m super proud of our guys.

“We definitely put our best foot forward. I think (Huskies head) coach (Scott) Flory has just instilled this expect to win mentality with the Huskies there. I think he has something going there that is going to be really great in the years to come.”

David Solie (#2) kicks a field goal for the Hilltops in 2018.

Solie had his share of highlights in the 2022 campaign. On September 17, he hit a 32-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to allow the Huskies to slip past the University of Regina Rams 11-10 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

During the Huskies eight regular season games, Solie connected on 17-of-21 field goal attempts with a long from 44 yards and hit on 23-of-24 of his conversion attempts. He punted the ball 58 times for 2,276 yards for an average of 39.2 yards per kick.

In the Canada West title game – the Hardy Cup – played on November 12 at Griffiths Stadium, Solie hit three first half field goals to allow the Huskies to hold a 9-7 halftime lead before jetting out to a 23-8 victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

In the Uteck Bowl U Sports semifinal game playing in Antigonish, N.S., Solie hit two first half field goals to allow the Huskies to be in a 6-6 tie at halftime before surging to a 36-19 victory over the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men.

“In the Hardy Cup, I don’t know if we played the best game that we played, but we expected to win,” said Solie, who is set to complete his academic studies at the U of S at the end of the school year. “We came out in that second half, and we were able to come out with the win.

“The same thing with the Uteck (Bowl). I don’t think we came out very strong in the first half. I think we only had six points in the first half, and it was tied 6-6 at halftime.

“When it mattered the most, our team was able to find a way to win. That is just what good teams do.”

During his football career, Solie has made many memories at SMF Field playing for the Crusaders football team in high school, Saskatchewan’s provincial team program and helping the Saskatoon Hilltops win a CJFL championship in his one season with the storied club in 2018.

Solie was a place kicker, punter and receiver for the Hilltops when they downed the Langley Rams 58-21 in the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – played at SMF Field on November 18, 2018.

David Solie (#15) kicks a field for the Huskies this past season.

Looking towards preparing for the Roughriders training camp in 2023, Solie expects to be seen frequently at the Complex both training and working. He wants to make a good impression when he tries to crack the roster of the CFL club.

“It is a big motivation aspect,” said Solie. “I know (Roughriders long snapper) Jorgen Hus is working out at Ignite.

“There are a lot of those pro CFL players that work out at Ignite. Just being able to work with those guys, it is an extra motivation that it is something to look forward to.”

Ignite cares, continues to help athletes grow

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Logan Hofmann trains in the off-season at Ignite Athletics.

The crew at Ignite Athletics have always taken a genuine interest in the lives of the athletes they train, and that characteristic has shown through in a more emphasized way over the past year.

Ignite Athletics was formed when Ignite Athletic Conditioning owned by Joel Lipinski and Jordan Harbidge and JB Performance Training owned by Josh Saulnier merged and located on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds when the Indoor Training Centre opened in March of 2019.

Ignite Athletics aims to be the best training facility in Canada located on the best sports complex grounds in Canada. The crew at Ignite want to help the athletes they train to improve every day, so they can meet their athletic goals.

As a result of the great work the Ignite staff does, they’ve attracted elite athletes from a wide variety of sports along with people who just want to be in better physical shape.

The staff has created a welcoming atmosphere at Ignite helping make the phrase “Ignite Family” a reality.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has gripped the world since March of 2020, the family feeling at Ignite has come more to the forefront. Most of the clients that visit Ignite have seen their lives change in a sizable way.

Over the past year, many athletes have trained for seasons that started and ultimately got cancelled shortly after starting. Athletes have continued to train often not knowing for sure when their next season will start.

Despite those uncertainties, the day’s highlight will often include stopping in at Ignite for a training session. Lipinski said you can see athletes have an extra jump in their step, when they come to Ignite.

“To be able to provide a safe, fun and positive environment during this pandemic, it is something we are very grateful for,” said Lipinski, who is also a strength and conditioning coach at Ignite. “The feedback we have been given by our athletes has been overwhelmingly positive.

Lindsay Berglof is long time regular at Ignite.

“In a lot of circumstances, the trip to our facility is the only regular outing scheduled in their day. The fact that we can keep the athletes on track to reach their health and performance goals does a lot for them mentally as well.”

Lipinski said one of the more pronounced strengths that has shown through from the Ignite staff over the past year is the ability to care. The Ignite crew has always aimed to build friendships with the athletes they train.

Those friendships have given athletes trust that they can let staff know when they not having the best day.

Lipinski said the Ignite crew has had to show more heart and understanding over this past year than they’ve ever had to show before.

“We have seen and personally felt the toll this pandemic has had on mental health,” said Lipinski. “The relationships we have formed with our athletes over the years is a large reason for our success.

“People do not care what you know, unless they know that you care. We provide a space where athletes are allowed be vulnerable, and we can meet them where they are now. We have also teamed with Clint Moroz at The Shift - Counselling Services and are involved with the Matthew Baraniuk Legacy Foundation, so that when our athletes do need extra help, we have the resources in place to make sure they are able get the help they need.”

Besides creating a great training atmosphere for athletes in the high school, young adult and adult age groups, Ignite partnered with the Gordie Howe Sports Complex to create the Spark Park Summer Sport Camps for children.

These camps ran for the first time last summer with children split into age groups from 5 to 8 and 9 to 12. The week-long camps introduced children to a vast array of sporting experiences with a highlight of getting to run the “Ninja Warrior” course set up at the Spark Park located in the Indoor Training Centre.

The Spark Park Summer Sport Camps are returning this summer with weekly sessions running from July 5 to August 20.

“The Spark Park Summer Camps have been a fun addition,” said Lipinski. “The amenities we have available to us at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex make it easy to run an exciting summer camp.

Spark Park Summer Sports Camps return this summer.

“We had great coaches and Taylor McGregor was our Spark Park Manager leading a lot of the organizational requirements. She was instrumental in the success we had last year. It was fun imagining an environment that we would want to be part of ourselves and trying to create that environment.”

Lipinski believes the camps really helped the kids both physically and mentally as they seemed to energetically jump into activities.

“Last summer, kids had not participated in any structured physical education in schools,” said Lipinski. “Therefore, we think that being able to offer these camps was massive to get kids active and socializing after being deprived of those two things for so long.

“I am also sure the parents did not mind and entire week with the kids out of the house, knowing they were somewhere safe.”

Lipinski said the Ignite crew is looking forward to running the Spark Park Summer Sport Camps again, and he credits the community in Saskatchewan for allowing them to happen by doing their part to manage the pandemic.

“The fact we can run these camps again this year means that people across Saskatchewan are being diligent with the protocols set in place by the government,” said Lipinski. “It also means we can continue educating people that these camps exist and how positive they can be for their kids to get involved with.”

While the past year has provided some unique challenges to the Ignite crew, Lipinski said it has been special for Ignite Athletics to operation on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

“It sounds cliché, but it is a dream come true,” said Lipinski. “The facility is state-of-the-art while also being surrounded by one of the best sport infrastructures in Canada.

“We have had the privilege of being able to visit some of the top facilities in the world and I remember walking into each one with a sense of awe. I sincerely stop and look around with that same sense of awe everyday now. The merger with JB Performance and Josh has also been amazing.

Danielle Jasper has been a long time family member at Ignite.

“Josh and Jordan were good friends before the merger took place, which made things relatively easy. Josh has brought steadfast leadership, relentless work ethic, constant positivity and has become irreplaceable with everything he does on a day to day basis. I am grateful that somehow fate brought two of the best business partners I could ask for into my life.”

For more information about Ignite Athletics or to register for the Spark Park Summer Sport Camps, feel free to check out Ignite’s website at igniteathletics.com. All photos for this post are courtesy of Ignite Athletics.