Football Canada welcomes Joel Lipinski

As Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Football Canada welcomes Joel Lipinski to its national teams’ support staff as the organization’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach.

“We’re excited to add Joel to our national team program’s support staff,” said Shannon Donovan, Football Canada Executive Director. “Joel’s played and trained athletes at all levels of football, including high school, CJFL, university as well as the CFL, and understands the impact that strength and conditioning can have on performance. He’ll be working with players and their team’s strength coaches across the country as they work to represent Canada on the world stage.”

The role will see Lipinski help shape Football Canada’s national teams’ strength and conditioning programs.

“I have been able to see first-hand the outstanding level of competition internationally. In order for Canada to keep moving forward on the world stage, strength and conditioning of our national athletes has become an essential piece of that process,” explained Lipinski.

“It is humbling to be chosen to take on the Strength and Conditioning coaching job for Football Canada, especially knowing the role it will play in the future of Football Canada’s success.”

Lipinski, a co-owner and operator of Ignite Athletic Conditioning, is a two-time national team player and CFL player alumnus. Based in Saskatoon, Lipinski and his partners at Ignite act as strength and conditioning consultants for the Saskatchewan Huskies football program.

In 2009, Lipinski served as a strength and conditioning coach for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees football program while in 2012, 2013 and 2014, Joel assisted the Saskatchewan Roughriders primary strength and conditioning coach, Dan Farthing, during the team’s training camp.

Prior to playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the 2009 season and Edmonton Eskimos in 2011, Lipinski enjoyed a stellar university career at Saint Mary’s, where he was a second-team all-Canadian in 2008, and the University of Regina, where he was a second-team all-Canadian in 2005.

“I attribute all of my success in football to be a result of my work ethic and having coaches and mentors that gave me direction to make sure my hard work was always productive. Knowing first-hand the influence that my strength coaches had in my development and growth, and the passion that I have for the industry, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to influence more athletes the same positive way.”

Lipinski is both a provincial and national team alumnus, having helped Saskatchewan capture a bronze medal at the 2004 Football Canada Cup in the U19 division. As a player, he also helped Canada to a silver medal at the 2011 Senior Men’s World Championship in Austria. He recently competed for Canada’s Men’s Flag Football National Team at the 2016 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Florida.

“My playing experience at the Canada Cup, as well as with the Senior National Team and Senior Flag Football National Team has given me a good understanding of Football Canada’s programs,” said Lipinksi. “Football Canada does an outstanding job with player skill development through the provincial bodies and on-field coaches. I feel I can bring some more structure to the off-season, to make sure there is constant communication between private and college programs where athletes are performing their off-season training.”

Joel combines his athletic accomplishments with academic expertise as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Certification, Speed and Agility Coach Certification through Athlete Acceleration, Precision Nutrition Level 2 Certification, and serves as a strength and conditioning consultant to the Sport Medicine and Science Council of Saskatchewan.

“It is my goal to make this industry a better place for all Football Canada’s athletes and strength coaches. This industry used to be full of secrecy and closed-door training sessions. I feel we can all learn from each other, if we all share our ideas and what we have learned, we can make the whole much stronger. This will only benefit the athletes and football strength industry as a whole in Canada. It is my hope to facilitate this growth mindset in the strength and conditioning community in Canada.”

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