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By Ottawa Sports Pages, for Paul-Desmarais Patriotes
There is a strong basketball spirit at École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais, and the 40 students-athletes who participate annually in the Stittsville school’s sports-study program show it every time they’re on the court during their daily basketball class.
It’s certainly a unique initiative at Paul-Desmarais – an ambitious institution that embraces the power of sport and the pursuit of excellence in sport – but the school believes there’s even more potential.
“We’re actually looking for a community club, an association or an individual we could join forces with,” highlights Paul-Desmarais sports-study coordinator Cédric Bourgon, explaining that the CÉCCE school would like to establish a partnership similar to those it has in place with Atlético Ottawa for soccer and the Ottawa Fusion for volleyball.
“Those collaborations are pretty impressive,” he adds. “We’d like to find something that would be really beneficial for the basketball program too.”
What’s established already at Paul-Desmarais is an exceptional structure and excellent energy among student-athletes and their basketball teacher-coach.
“Here at Paul-Desmarais, it’s really one of the best schools, if not the best school,” says Grade 12 basketball player Samuel Hakizimana. “Everyone is respectful. Everyone supports each other. We’re all a big family at school.”
For Hakizimana, there’s nowhere that spirit shines brighter than on the hardwood.
“We do a lot of training, with a lot of enthusiasm,” smiles the Ottawa Shooting Stars club player. “It always feels great to get into the gym.”
A soccer player earlier in his youth, Hakizimana gravitated to basketball in Grade 7 and got into it more competitively come Grade 9, earning an appearance in the National Capital All-Star Classic. Hakizimana’s goal isn’t to become a pro basketball player, but he finds that his hoops pursuits helps him in other aspects of life.
“My focus is on school, doing well at school, and working hard in everything that I do,” he indicates. “Basketball is what calms me. It’s my happy place. It’s my passion. I love playing with my friends, every day. It’s what distracts me from everything.
“Before I have a test, for example, there’s nothing better than playing sports. You relax. Sometimes if you’re stressed, you just want something to get your mind off it.
“I find it helps you concentrate better too. After your body’s been moving, your mind is all ready for that test.”
What Hakizimana has described in the sports-study program philosophy in a nutshell; athletics is a tool that can fuel academic success, and vice versa.
“Especially for students who have a lot of energy, it’s really perfect,” signals Nicolas Ruby, the instructor for the sports-study basketball periods.
Ruby remembers the impact the sport had on him as youngster, and that’s an experience he wants to carry forward with his students.
“Basketball really helped me,” states the graduate of Académie catholique Notre-Dame in Kemptville. “I’ve made so many friends through basketball. Even when I started in Grade 3, it was because two of my best friends were playing. And in high school, my teammates were my friends away from battle too. Now, I’m just mad for basketball.”
Ruby, who studied kinesiology and education at Université de Montréal, University of Ottawa and Sheridan College, loves that basketball requires such a wide range of abilities in order to excel.
There is a big academic benefit to the sports-study formula, he notes, while having a school period tailored to basketball – for which students receive a phys ed credit – provides the chance for them to work on those myriad skills.
The sports-study class doesn’t focus on systems of play, he details. Instead, it’s an opportunity for players to work on their weaknesses and enhance their all-around technical abilities.
“They can develop the skills that maybe they don’t get a chance to improve with their team because they play a certain position,” Ruby explains. “Here, no one has a position. That helps build complete players.”
Ruby concurs that the basketball program at Paul-Desmarais is ready to reach for the next level. A community partner that could offer workshops, coaching, guests or analysis could be part of the potion.
“That’d be super nice,” he underlines. “We’ve got a great school, great staff and great support from our administration, plus fantastic students who are really passionate about basketball. It’s a pretty awesome setup and we’re really eager to fully capitalize on all the potential here.”
Join the team! Learn more about the École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais sports-study basketball program here as well as other concentrations offered at the CÉCCE school here.
