(Students from École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais, board and staff members of Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, pose with members of the Atlético Ottawa soccer team and team officials at the collaboration announcement made on June 18th in the Dome at the secondary school. Photos: Stittsville Central)
The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) and the professional soccer team Atlético Ottawa were proud to announce the first if its kind for Atlético Ottawa with an unprecedented partnership with École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais. This marks a landmark collaboration with a Canadian Premier League team.
The announcement was revealed to the student athletes during a carefully orchestrated surprise event by the CECCE and Atlético on June 18th. While they believed they were simply attending a routine activity at the school’s sports dome. Students were amazed to see Atlético Ottawa players emerge to personally share the big news. With impressive technical demonstrations and inspiring words from the pros, emotions ran high. The students were awestruck and experienced a moment they won’t soon forget.
“This partnership is much more than a sports agreement. It’s a message of hope, personal growth, and Francophone pride that we are sending to our students. It shows that our schools are places where dreams come to life — in French,” said Johanne Lacombe, CECCE Chair.
The collaboration was launched under the banner “Powered by” Atlético Ottawa providing students in the soccer sports-study program access to the expertise of certified professional coaches, individualized coaching, high-level programming, immersive activities with the players, and concrete visibility within professional networks and attendance at Atlético Ottawa home games.
This partnership with École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais goes far beyond soccer, “it’s about inspiring young athletes and offering them a real path to the professional world. By integrating Atlético Ottawa’s culture and coaching expertise into the school curriculum, we’re helping to grow soccer locally and investing in the future of our region”, Max Rosen, Director of Business Development, Atlético Ottawa told the audience.
The potential talent of students will pave the way for pathways through Atlético Ottawa, Atlético de Madrid, and other Canadian Premier League partners. Young players will be provided a credible opportunity to stand out and be noticed, while equipping them with professional standards in the sport.
School Trustee Diane Burns shared, “This type of initiative inspires our students to believe in their potential and thrive in a dynamic and inclusive Francophone environment”. School Trustee Jolène Savoie-Day echoed this sentiment, saying, “This partnership will offer our students meaningful, motivating, and enriching experiences that will help them grow both personally and academically”.
“A partnership of this calibre will allow students to further explore their passions, develop their talents, and engage meaningfully with humanity. The CECCE is very proud of the partnership established with Atlético Ottawa, a team in the Canadian Premier League”, said Marc Bertrand, Director of Education at the CECCE. “Did you see their faces when the team members entered the Dome? The look of surprise and their smiles were so big!”
Mathieu Gagné, Principal at École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais said, “The wonder in our students’ eyes and their enthusiasm to get involved in this project confirm that the sense of belonging to our school has truly become a source of pride”.
Atlético Ottawa sees this partnership as an opportunity to become actively involved in the Francophone school community and to begin nurturing the next generation of players today. Bila Dicko-Raynauld, Coach of Atlético Ottawa stated, “This project will provide a positive, inclusive and competitive environment where young people will be well looked after both on and off the pitch. It’s a great opportunity to foster the development of passionate talent while strengthening the ties between the Francophone community and the region’s only professional (men’s) soccer club”.
Tristan Crampton, the Goalkeeper for Atlético Ottawa with his hometown being Gatineau, also learned his skills through the Atleti Development Program and spent time with OSU Atlético, AS Gatineau, and FC Gatineau. He enthusiastically shared with everyone, “for the players, today was just as memorable as it was for the students. Having developed in a local sports-study program myself, I know how life-changing this environment can be for a young athlete. This partnership with Atlético Ottawa creates a real bridge between studies and high-level sport, offering young people a concrete prospect of a career path. This is exactly the kind of initiative we need to nurture local talent and raise the profile of our sport in the community”.
Beyond enriching the academic journey of student-athletes, this partnership represents a national and international showcase for Francophone school sports and positions the region as a future center of excellence in soccer across Canada.
The players joined students on the field to meet the students and kick some soccer balls around.
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