Students at Riverview Elementary School in Montreal’s Verdun borough are rejoicing over their new $160,000 turf soccer field, officially unveiled on Friday.
Funded by a collaborative effort from the Patrice Bernier Foundation, the GOAL Initiatives Foundation, and GTR Turf, this state-of-the-art field at the Lester B. Pearson School Board school is set to transform recess and physical education activities for the students.
Excited about the newly inaugurated field, one student named Grayson Francis expressed, “The best part about this field is the blue part. 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.”
According to GOAL Initiatives Foundation founder Paul Desbailllets, the decision to support this particular school was driven by safety concerns surrounding the deteriorated outdoor area. Desbailllets emphasized the importance of providing a safe environment for children to engage in physical activities.
Former Montreal Impact player Patrice Bernier, present at the field’s opening ceremony, highlighted the significance of safe play areas in fostering children’s self-confidence, physical skills, and social interactions with their peers.
Bernier emphasized, “It’s mostly about connections with people, playing, having fun, developing your self-confidence, movement, activities, developing your body awareness.”
The turf field will be accessible to students for various activities, including recess and physical education classes throughout the school year. Principal Tania D’Alessandro underlined the positive impact of the field on students’ focus and teamwork skills, setting a foundation for a successful return to the classroom.
Verdun Coun. Sterling Downey stressed the lifelong benefits of sports for children, emphasizing the importance of creating lasting memories and imparting valuable life lessons through sports activities.
