Whether it is a catered banquet or a nationally renowned wrestling tournament, Frank Lipoli will rise to the occasion.

A four-year starter and state champion at Norfolk Catholic, Lipoli was a four-year member of the wrestling team at Temple University.

Lipoli assisted at Temple for one year and then coached at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, from 1975-1981.

While he left Bethel in 1981, Lipoli stayed active in the sport serving 10 years as a sportscaster for WVCT and nine years as a reporter for Tidewater Amateur Sports.

Lipoli was the first coach of the Peninsula Wrestling Association and attracted the Wrestling USA/Cliff Keen Athletic "Dream Team Classic" to Lake Taylor High School in Virginia Beach in 1999.

In 1999, he founded the Virginia Challenge, an organization that has attracted regional and national amateur wrestling events to Hampton Roads. That was also the year he was named the AAU National Person of the Year and Wrestling USA Man of the Year for Virginia.

Lipoli founded the Virginia Middle School State Tournament and in January 2000 over 600 middle school age wrestlers competed at Old Dominion University. He also founded a national middle school tournament which brought over 600 wrestlers to the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

He served as high school coordinator and media director for the Virginia Duals National Team Championships for over 20 years.

In 2000 he was the Director of Development for the Seventh Delaware Winter Nationals.

A member of the Norfolk Sports Club, Lipoli has one son Derek.