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By Ottawa Sports Pages, for Paul-Desmarais Patriotes
Whether it’s his first kicks, winning provincial and national titles, wearing the maple leaf internationally, or coaching Atlético Ottawa’s new Sport-études program at École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais, there’s been one constant theme throughout Bila Dicko-Raynauld’s journey in soccer: family.
From Bila’s earliest days growing up in Gatineau, soccer has always been a part of his life. His older brother Nafi quickly fell in love with the sport that consumed their father, who breathed the beautiful game as a player in his native Burkina Faso.
“He passed on his passion to us,” Bila says of his dad Alou, noting that his mom Dominique has been their biggest supporter throughout. “It’s always really been a family affair.”
With a three-year age gap, Bila had never played on the same team as his older brother until they united with the Université Laval Rouge et Or.
The accolades came quick – Nafi captained the team to a provincial title and national silver, while Bila was named RSEQ rookie of the year. Lined up next to one another as either defensive midfield or central defenders, the pair later captured consecutive Quebec Ligue 1 titles together with Blainville.
“We were always close on the field and we worked together really well,” Bila recalls. “We were very fortunate. Not many people get the chance to play with their sibling at a high level. It was really special.”
While they may not be linked by bloodlines, Bila has found a strong feeling of family in futsal. Chemistry is so critical with only four players on the floor, explains Bila, who loves the indoor form of the sport for its speed and since he can have more of an offensive role as a defender than on the big pitch.
“It reminds me of when we were young and just playing freely,” reflects Bila, who celebrated a 2025 Canadian futsal championship with some of his best friends at Atlético Gatineau, on the heels of a 2024 national soccer title with the Gloucester Celtic. “I’m super competitive, and when we play together, we want to win. But it also brings me back to the elementary schoolyard when we’d be dribbling and playing until late at night.”
A childhood dream came true for Bila when he wore the maple leaf for the Canadian men’s team in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup. In his debut match, Bila was called in to help defend a late one-goal lead over Haiti but wound up scoring a goal to clinch the win.
“That was really one of the best moments of my career,” recounts Bila, noting how special it was for a defender to score an international goal, but even more to have it symbolize all of his efforts and all the people who have supported him in soccer and life.
“I couldn’t be more proud of getting to play for Canada. It really meant everything to me,” he adds. “It’s what you dream of. When you hear the national anthem and it’s you who’s playing, for real, wow, that sure warms the heart.”
Bila will be keeping himself in top form in hopes of representing Canada again come 2028 World Cup qualifying, and then he plans to fully launch himself into coaching. Now 31, Bila has already been coaching for half his life since he first sought to expand upon his on-field leadership at Collège St-Alexandre.
He currently serves as technical director for the Atlético Gatineau Futsal Club’s U9-U14 academy and also runs Atlético Ottawa high-performances clinics for local clubs out of TD Place. Bila has coached alongside the Canadian Premier League pro team’s coaches, learning from them and the playbooks of Atlético Ottawa and La Liga’s Atlético de Madrid.
When it comes to coaching, Bila says it all comes back to family.
“For me, the most rewarding feeling is after a match when the players are satisfied with their effort, and I see the joy in their faces with their families and close ones,” he underlines, noting that teammates often start feeling like family too when they’re together most days of the week. “I love that spirit of family and that togetherness. There’s nothing like it.”
Ultimately, that’s the type of energy Bila wants to bring to his latest undertaking as head of the first school-based program powered by Atlético Ottawa, at Paul-Desmarais in Stittsville.
“For sure I want to help them become better players, but I also want to help them become better teammates and better people,” Bila indicates. “I find sometimes we focus too much on win, win, win. Coaching is really about instilling values. If you’ve got good values, you work hard and you stay humble, the results will come.”
The Atlético program at Paul-Desmarais, which kicked off this fall, in fact has nothing to do with chasing championships. Bila’s weekly sessions focus on individual skills and personal development.
He might setup a relay challenge to fuel competitive spirit but in a fun fashion. Or create pressure-filled scoring like “you have to score in the next minute” so that players will feel confident when they have high-stress trials in other settings or experience high-stakes moments with their club teams.
“I can be serious, but I also love to laugh,” Bila notes. “I want to create an environment where the kids are eager to come train because they know they’re going to have fun.”
Grade 9 student Meeyah Milord, who has ambitions of one day representing Team Canada like her new coach, always looks forward to having a soccer session during her school day.
“It’s nice to know that you’ll have a bit of a break from the classroom, and I think it motivates us when we’re in class too,” signals the West Ottawa Warriors Ontario Player Development League player.
“It gives us more touches on the ball. It can really help us with our team. And I can see that Bila is a really good coach who wants to make us better.”
Although they’ve only had a handful of sessions since the partnership with Atlético Ottawa was established, Meeyah’s classmate and Warriors teammate Emma Gill says she’s felt a strong spirit within her school since she arrived in Grade 7.
“There’s a really respectful and friendly environment between the teachers and the students,” shares the midfielder/winger who scored four goals in one OPDL game this past season. “We’re definitely a very sporty school. Lots of people like watching soccer and playing soccer, and football and basketball and other sports too.”
Emma would like to play soccer at university in the future. Like the name says, the chief objective of Paul-Desmarais Sport-études is to build strong student-athletes, and the program will prepare participants for the demands of a varsity career.
There to support students on a daily basis is another rising coach, Sebastien Lee-Daigle.
The former University of Windsor Lancers goalkeeper teaches theory and health in the classroom and coaches on-field sessions as part of the students’ physical education studies.
Soccer has been a strong part of the school’s identity since it opened in 2015 and the Sport-études program received a huge boost when the on-site Megadome opened in 2019.
“Soccer’s come a long way in Canada in the last few years,” smiles Sebastien, marvelling at the facility and professionalism of the setup.
There are currently two groups of 24 Grade 9 and 10 students participating in the Atlético/Paul-Desmarais soccer program, with another set of Grade 11 and 12 students set to join them in the low-cost program next semester.
The school is looking forward to welcoming prospective players who share their passion for soccer for trials later in the winter or for the open doors event at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 at Paul-Desmarais, which also offers a multisport pre-concentration program for Grade 7/8 students.
But before that, the Patriotes are eager to join the larger local soccer family when Atlético Ottawa hosts the CPL championship game on Sunday at TD Place.
“A lot of the kids go to the games and know all the players. They’re big fans and they’re just so psyched,” highlights Bila. “It’s so awesome to have professional soccer in Ottawa, for the kids to have that dream right in front of them, and also to be at a school with the passion and ambition to put together a program with Atlético.
“We’re off to a really great start. The energy is always there and so is the players’ desire to learn. I’m very excited to continue growing together.”
For more information on the Paul-Desmarais Sport-études soccer program powered by Atlético Ottawa, visit: https://paul-desmarais.ecolecatholique.ca/fr/Programme-Sportetudes_147
