Football coach dreams up idea, others bring it into reality

A press conference held Thursday morning kicked off the first Stay in School Classic, a football game that organizers hope will become an annual tradition of friendly rivalry between Laval Liberty High School, the English language public school in Chomedey, and École Curé-Antoine-Labelle, the French language public school in Ste. Rose.

Both teams are part of the Juvenile AAA provincial football league, a status Laval Liberty achieved earlier this year. Les Loups have been playing at this level for the last decade or more.

“It’s exciting to play against a team at the same level, and because we are the French team and they are the English team, it obliges us to work together, so it’s a good opportunity for this,” said 16-year-old Alexandre Da Silva, quarter back for Les Loups and a secondary five student École Curé-Antoine-Labelle.

“I was part of Team Québec football three years ago, it was good getting to know others around the province,” added Da Silva.

For 15-year-old D’Andrea, who is a secondary four student, the event is another opportunity to play the game he loves.

“I love the sport,” he said. “Being part of the football team is a good incentive for players to study harder.

My grade average is 90%, but I’ve known team players, who when faced with the possibility of not continuing to play football, they’ve decided to stay home and study. It’s an incentive, all right.“

“Not only do they stay in school longer and graduate,” said principal Caron. “They also get much better grades,” adding how pleased she was to be sharing their model with another public educational institution.

“It’s good for all of us to be developing a football family here in Laval,” added Caron.

“When they (the organizers of the Stay in School Classic) called me saying they needed a small amount of money for a trophy and refreshments for the tailgate party, it was an easy yes,’” said Auclair, a former football player while he was student at the University of Ottawa.

“It is wonderful to see the pride that an event like this produces in the community by bringing these kids together,” he said. “I think programs like the concentrations are the way to go. It makes the students proud to be in school, and because they stick together like a pack, they become a gang, but a very positive gang.”

Sénéchal, who took responsibility for creating and now managing the football concentration program in 1994 at the 2550-student high school in the Ste. Rose neighbourhood said the idea was mentioned a few years earlier for a community competition.

“One of my coaches came up with the idea a few years ago,” said Sénéchal, who also teaches physical education at the school.