Did you know that for the past few years, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq has been hosting a Nunavik-wide soccer tournament? This unique activity brings students and teachers together and is also an excellent opportunity to teach life-long skills!

Sébastien Bayette, a teacher from Ikusik School, has finally achieved his longtime goal: to share his passion for soccer with students across the province by bringing everyone together for an annual Nunavik Soccer Tournament.

“I wanted to share with my students the importance of practising a sport, as well as creating an opportunity for exchanges among the communities” says Sébastien.

As is true for many of the programs coordinated by Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the Nunavik Soccer Tournament has at its core the goal of school perseverance. This extracurricular activity, that requires months of preparation, provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties between students and teachers, creating important life habits, including exercise, nutrition, self-discipline and teamwork.

“Our objective is for the students to have fun and for us to support them through to the end of the school year. The core mission of physical education is to improve the students’ physical health, as well as helping them work on their own personal accomplishments” adds physical education pedagogical consultant Reda Ynineb.

He continues: “When we talk about being active in sports or physical education, we are talking about the student learning to work and play with others: for example, in defence and attack. These types of exercises help them learn about cooperation, dialogue, tolerance, self-discipline, etc.”

The Nunavik Soccer Tournament marks a first for this type of activity in the region. In 2024, the Tournament was held from April 12-14 in Salluit and had three categories:

• U11, students from 8 – 11 years old from all 14 communities in Nunavik.

• U12, students from 12 – 14 years old from all 14 communities in Nunavik.

• U18, students from 15 – 18 years old from all 14 communities in Nunavik.

The teams were formed with players of the same age group, to help ensure that players were equally matched. Students from eight communities participated in the event, and there was a range of trophies and categories.

This project would have not been possible without the support and dedication of the teachers involved, who frequently stayed after school to help train the students, ensuring everyone was well fell and hydrated, and then chaperoning them to the events. It is no doubt thanks to these teachers that our students are blazing paths for fellow students to become involved.

The Nunavik Soccer Tournament was coordinated with support from Esuma, Makivik, Air Inuit and Healthy Schools. Kativik Ilisarniliriniq would also like to recognize the efforts of Sébastien Bayette and Reda Ynineb, in addition to all the teachers, parents and students involved.