Students at Riverview Elementary School in Montreal’s Verdun borough have a new place to play after a $160,000 turf soccer field was inaugurated Friday.
The field at the Lester B. Pearson School Board school was funded through a joint donation from the Patrice Bernier Foundation, the GOAL Initiatives Foundation and GTR Turf.
For students, the new field means more space for soccer, football and other activities during recess and physical education classes.
“The best part about this field is the blue part,” said Grayson Francis, a Riverview student. “I see it as a race track and then this part soccer, football. Like, it could be a lot of stuff that we could do.”
GOAL Initiatives Foundation founder Paul Desbailllets said the school was selected because its previous outdoor area had deteriorated and posed safety concerns.
“One of the reasons why this school was chosen is because the area, everything was just falling apart and it was dangerous for kids, so it had to be done so it was safe,” he said.
Former Montreal Impact player Patrice Bernier attended Friday’s celebration. He said having a safe place to play can help children build confidence, develop physical skills and form relationships with their classmates.
“It’s mostly about connections with people, playing, having fun, developing your self-confidence, movement, activities, developing your body awareness,” Bernier said.
He recalled playing outside as a child and said the new field gives students a similar opportunity to be active.
“This field allows them to come here and play tag, play soccer,” he said.
The turf will be available to students during recess and for physical activities throughout the school year.
Principal Tania D’Alessandro said the benefits can continue once students return to the classroom.
“It helps them by keeping them back focused once they go back. They’ve released all that energy,” she said. “They’ve worked on also sportsmanship and working together as a team and creating memories and going back to class and being ready to learn.”
Verdun Coun. Sterling Downey said sports can also help children develop skills they can carry into adulthood.
“The stuff that happens on sports fields and within sports, when you give children a place to play, makes memories for a lifetime,” Downey said. “But it also teaches them very important lessons that they’re going to carry for the rest of their life as well.”
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