Happiness and glee fills air at sport camps

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Two youngsters take part in a Spark Park ultimate Frisbee game.

Kids are being allowed to be kids again during the summer months at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

In July and currently in August, children and young athletes have had lots of chances to become active on the Complex grounds. They’ve had the option of taking part in weekly Spark Park Summer Sport Camps run by Ignite Athletics in partnership with the Complex and weekly track and field camps overseen by the Running Wild Athletics Club.

With activities in the 2020-21 school year hampered by restrictions and Public Health Orders that were brought in to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Jason Price, who is one of two coordinators for the Spark Park Summer Sport Camps, said it has been huge to get kids active again.

“There was that serious lack of sports going on throughout the year,” said Price. “Just getting them back into the groove of moving, running and playing catch – all the kind of your basic physical literacy is pretty important for these kids.”

Taylor McGregor, who is the other coordinator for the Spark Park Summer Sports Camps, said the kids have been excited and happy to do things they would usually do.

“I think it also provided a little bit of normal for the kids after the school year that they had just with the masks and everything,” said McGregor. “I think it was a lot on them, so this has kind of provided them an opportunity to have fun and feel a little bit of normal in their lives again.”

Gisele George, who is the Running Wild Athletics Track Camp coordinator, said the children and young athletes that have attended their camps have had a little extra jump in their step being back at the Track and Field Track.

“I think after a whole year of not being anywhere I think it was an awesome experience to get out and to be at the track again,” said George.

The Spark Park camps took place for the first time ever last year and have been even more popular this year. The participants are divided into groups for those aged five to eight and those aged nine to 12.

A young athlete throws a javelin at a Running Wild track camp.

The camp coaches introduce the youngsters to various sports and games throughout the week.

“We kind of start a little bit more structured,” said McGregor. “Our weeks will start with we have two football sessions, two baseball, two Frisbee, two soccer, track and field and Spark Park.

“They kind of have two sessions of that to start off the week, so they get an opportunity to try everything. As the week progresses, they will kind of choose what they like and the groups kind of go with that.”

Price said the most popular sports for the participants seems to change on a week to week basis. For some of the groups aged five to eight, he said it has been popular to play games like tag or just run through obstacle courses in the Spark Park room at the Indoor Training Centre.

“Some weeks, we have a group where most of them will bring their baseball gloves and their baseball bats,” said Price. “You know baseball is going to be a big thing that week.

“Some groups get really into Frisbee, because just the throwing and catching aspect of it is fun for them. Ultimate Frisbee is a pretty easy game to get going. They are definitely very engaged in that one.

“The kids seem to be enjoying pretty much all the sports that we throw their way. After they kind of get the fundamentals down, we have it set up so that coaches can have the kids decide what they want to do.”

The Running Wild Athletics Club Track Camps are used to both introduce young athletes to track and field and as a training opportunity for current members of the club.

Last year, Running Wild ran their summer camps on the dirt track at E.D. Feehan Catholic High School. This year, a little extra excitement was added due to the fact the Running Wild camps have been held at the new Track and Field Track facility that opened on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds in 2019.

Two youngsters run an obstacle course in the Spark Park room.

In July, the Running Wild camp hosted a sizable contingent that came from the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, which is located about 100 kilometres north of Prince Albert and an interest showed through.

“They really enjoyed the throwing events,” said George. “We did some javelin and shot put.

“The hands on of those I think was quite good. They really enjoyed those events.”

During a weekly session, coaches at the Running Wild camp spent time teaching and developing the youngsters the various events that make up track and field. 

Those sessions built up to a simulated competition at the end of the week.

“We rounded the week off doing our mini-Olympics, which kind of showcased what the kids kind of like the most or attached on to,” said George. “That was kind of cool.

“We saw some kids throwing javelin farther than we ever expected, so that was pretty awesome to see.”

Following those mini-Olympics, the week concluded with the youngsters getting a chance to go through a short obstacle course. The course was run with lots of laughs and glee.

“It is just something fun that had a little bit of everything,” said George. “It had a little bit of running and jumping and some agilities.

“That is just something that we throw in there, because not everybody is good at everything, but everybody is good at something.”

George said a few other fun variables were also added to the Running Wild camp to help make it memorable for the participants.

Two youngsters race at the Running Wild track camp.

“We had the tie-dyed T-shirts happening, so it wasn’t just all about track,” said George. “They were able to take those home.

“Overall, I think the kids had a great experience and all the coaches did. I know I did. Hopefully, we see them at the track again for sure.”

George has enjoyed seeing the youngster that take part in the Running Wild camps head home with big smiles on their faces.

McGregor has seen a similar site at the Spark Park Summer Sport Camps along with positive feedback from parents.

“I think that is honestly the biggest piece of feedback that we’ve gotten is that they’re tired and they are having fun and they will come back and next time they will bring their friends with them,” said McGregor. “I think that reassures us that we’re doing something right and providing them with kind of a unique opportunity to participate in a bunch of different things and have fun while doing that.”

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.