The weeks leading up the Kentucky Derby are filled great events every year to help the fans get ready for the big race on the first Saturday in May. The Great Balloon Festival is a tradition unlike any other during the Derby Festival and for the second time in three years the Louisville Lightning was more than proud to be a part of it. Starting on April 27^th with the US Bank Great Balloon Rush-Hour Race and ending with Kentucky Derby Festival Family Day on the 29th, the Lightning and “Striker,” made their presence felt during the kick off for the Derby Festival.

On the morning of April 27^th, “Striker” and the Lightning balloon team, led by pilot Ken Walter of SkyCab Balloon Promotions and title sponsor Mobil 1 Lube Express, took to the skies of Louisville in the US Bank Great Balloon Rush-Hour Race, which was on by UAW Ford Truck Plant balloon team. That evening the balloons stayed on the ground for the famous Great Balloon Glow which took place at the KY Fair and Expo center. With over 15,000 people there to see the balloons from all around the country, the Louisville Lightning won over a lot of the fans in attendance, with many of the spectators claiming that “Striker” was their favorite balloon.

The Great Balloon Race was cancelled Saturday morning of the 28^th, however, “Striker” made one last appearance at the Kentucky Derby Family Day on the waterfront on Sunday the 29^th. There were soccer games for the kids and more opportunity to spend time with the balloon and take more pictures. The Louisville Lightning no doubt added more fans to an already rapidly growing fan base with the help of “Striker” and everyone on the balloon team.

The Louisville Lightning would like to thank everyone at SkyCab Balloon Promotions, especially our pilot Ken Walter. The Lightning would also like to extend a special thank you to our main sponsor Mobil 1 and Scott McClinton for their continued support of “Striker” and the Louisville Lightning!

The ever growing and changing landscape of the PASL is once again adding a new team to an already large stable. With the return of the Dallas Sidekicks, the PASL will have thirteen teams in its league and hope to add to a growing fan base in the league and gain more attention in the world of soccer.

From 1985-2004, the Sidekicks were one of the best teams in all of indoor soccer. Winning multiple championships and holding numerous rivalries with the Tacoma Stars and San Diego Shockers. With their return for the 2012-13 season, the Sidekicks bring back a large market and fan base back to indoor soccer and bring a respectable name to the PASL, which will only help the other teams in the League like your Louisville Lightning.

The only time the Lightning would get an opportunity to play the new incarnation of the Sidekicks would be in a playoff situation because of their ties to the west coast. We hope for the best out of this new member to our league and look forward to the opportunity to playing the Sidekicks sometime in the future.

For more information head over to the PASL website!

Ty Shipalane, a former member of the Louisville Lightning, has made a name for himself outside the world of indoor soccer. After a very successful beginning to his season with the Lightning he was called upon by the Carolina Railhawks of the NASL Division 2 league and is currently with them as they enjoy their 6^th season of outdoor soccer action. Shipalane took some time out of his busy schedule with the Railhawks to talk about not only his current season but also reflect on his time with Lightning.

Ty currently is playing midfielder or winger for the Railhawks and is working his way into the rotation. The Railhawks have just started their season and Shipalane has seen a lot to make him positive about the upcoming season, “the pre-season went very smooth lot of positives came out of it and helped us to find our identity as a team. We are now 3 games in on the regular season we’ve tied all 3 games so far but playing very well.”  Last season the RailHawks capped off a season for the record books, breaking nearly twenty team records, capturing the NASL regular season championship, and reaching the NASL semi-finals in the post-season. Shipalane hopes to build upon that success this season, while also reaching his own personal goals saying, “Winning the league and reaching the playoffs as a team, while having a breakout season myself,” are what he hopes to reach this season.

Shipalane’s time with the Lightning was a great help to him as he prepared for the outdoor game saying, “it helped me to stay sharp and active in terms of fitness and helped me to play quicker as the indoor field is smaller and helped me to think quick and play fast as a player.” Those weren’t the only positive things that came out of his time with the Lightning. He was impressed greatly and enjoyed that the fans provided an energetic atmosphere to play in. The support and excitement from the fans was very “exciting and pleasing to see,” Shipalane said.

While his time with the Lightning helped him prepare for the outdoor game, comparing the indoor to the outdoor is impossible. “It’s totally two different types of games,” said Shipalane, “the outdoor field is bigger, more demanding in terms of ground to cover and there are more players to take account for than there are in the indoor game. Also they have totally different rules.”

Once his season concludes with the Railhawks, Shipalane plans to reunite with his family in South Africa for the Christmas season. When asked what advice he wanted to give to aspiring professional soccer players Shipalane said, “just keep working, keep believing and chase your dream of becoming a professional player I’m sure with dedication nothing can stop you if you really put all the work into it.”

The Louisville Lightning will again air a televised game on television, Sunday, February 12, at 11am on WBKI-TV (the CW). The game will be a replay of the Lightning's home game from Sunday, February 3.

LIGHTNING FINALIZE DEAL WITH WBKI-TV TO AIR GAMES ON TELEVISION

The Louisville Lightning made history last week by finalizing a deal with WBKI-TV to air the first televised games of professional indoor soccer in Louisville this century. The first game will air on WBKI, The CW, this Sunday from 11:00am – 12:30pm. It will feature a previously taped home match between the Lightning and the Illinois Piasa (pronounced pie-uh-saw).

The team will be called “Juventus Lightning,” and partners the Lightning organization, players, and coaches with Juventus Louisville Soccer, a local and competitive team that has generated well-known talent and won numerous championships. Four professional players from the Lightning roster, including Jerry Chavez, Mariano Gonzalez, Safet Kovacevic, and Aziz Bogasevic have all previously represented the Juventus program within the past two years.

The Juventus Lightning team focuses on developing talent and passion for soccer within the diverse communities in Louisville, primarily the Spanish-speaking community. Nearly 18 of the 20 players on the roster lived in and originated from countries south of the United States, including Mexico, Haiti, and Ecuador. “This is an opportunity to bring the Hispanic and Louisville Lightning communities together to share one common factor in soccer,” said head coach Alex Molina.  “It's a great responsibility, and it's a great opportunity to lead these fine group of players, as it is my goal to train them so they can go and play at the next level as professionals,” Molina stated.

Many of the players that play on the current Louisville Lightning Reserve team will participate on this team alongside the afore-mentioned professional players, as well as individuals hoping to earn professional contracts in the near future. The team will participate in the Louisville Latino Soccer League beginning with their first official game this Sunday, April 10. Future events include participation in the US Open Cup Arena Soccer League Tournament and the Kentucky State Amateur Soccer Championships. Players interested in participating on this team should e-mail or call the Lightning front office for more details.