AW Spotlight
i9 Sports – Your Favorite Sports in a Fun, Safe Environment
By Krista Martinelli
If you’re interested in signing your kids up for sports in a fun, safe environment, check out i9 Sports. “We stress a fun, safe, competitive environment, but we do not aim for winning at all costs,” says local i9 franchise owner Jon Popiel. “We don’t stress that winning is everything. Our philosophy is getting families out together, and getting kids off the couch.” We get kids acclimated to a team sport environment, which is so crucial at a young age.
Currently, they offer flag football, soccer, baseball and t-ball for boys and girls. The next sport to be added will be lacrosse. The locations are PoloParkMiddle School fields in Wellington and Hidden Oaks Elementary fields in the Lake Worth/Boynton Beach area.
They are signing kids up now for the summer session with an extra discount if you sign up before the deadline of June 6th. It’s a six-week session which begins on June 28th. The sports are played from 8:30am to 11:30am on Saturdays. Many parents comment that they like the schedule, which is a little easier for families to commit to during their already-busy weeks. They practice first and then follow it up with a game, all on Saturday mornings.
“It’s definitely a selling point with parents,” says Jon Popiel. “We love to hear the kids say that they had fun and that they want to come back. And that they want to continue to play sports. It’s great to get kids active, get them away from video games and get out there.”
The i9 Sports network is growing fast, with approximately 140 locations around the nation. Local i9 owner Popiel says, “I have always loved kids and loved sports. So I’m combining the two and doing something I have a passion for.”
The Wellington location has a lot of established coaches, who have been coaching for i9 for a couple of years now. Often, but not always, coaches are parents of the kids participating. The coaches go through a training, take an exam and are given access to a portal on the i9 website to update scores and keep in touch with their players. “They all have a background check and must be certified before they begin,” says Popiel.
Jon Popiel has a son (12 years old) and a daughter (11 years old). His wife Ashley also enjoys working with students and she works as a speech and language pathologist for the school district.
Popiel says that his favorite sport is baseball and that he’s always been a coach during his kids’ years of sports. He’s coached baseball, soccer, flag football and currently continues to coach.
For those who would like to sign up for the summer session, there’s an AroundWellington discount – $15 OFF registration – up until June 30th. Just mention AroundWellington or print the coupon found under “AW Coupons.”
At i9 Sports, “we enjoy seeing whole families coming out to the fields and connected by the sports. It’s convenient – we provide a good schedule. And it’s a great, fun, safe, learning environment!” says Popiel.
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i9 Sports
Wellington and Lake Worth locations
(561) 290-4949
Register now for the summer session at
See i9 Coupon under “AW Coupons”