The 44th Acadian Games a 'transformative experience' for young French athletes
Dieppe is hosting 1,100 youth athletes and artists from across the Maritimes this weekend
Metal bleachers overlooking the soccer pitch behind Mathieu-Martin high school in Dieppe are split — on one side, a sea of fans wearing blue shirts and hoodies; on the other, fans sporting fire-engine red.
From June 25 to 30, those colours and what they represent motivate young athletes as they compete to help their delegations bring home the most gold medals at the 44th Acadian Games.
The annual games have brought together 1,100 athletes this year who qualified from all over the Maritimes in sports including volleyball, badminton and track and field — not to mention cultural events like improvisation, arts and singing.
"We're starting into the third generation of youth," said Nicole Melanson, vice-president of communications for the games. "So they have stories from some of their grandparents and their parents, and people are really attached to the Acadian Games now."
Competitors between the ages of 11 and 17 are representing 11 delegations from across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. The games are hosted in a different municipality each year.
For Chloe Allain, a mini-handball athlete who is representing Kent, the weekend is all about getting to meet people who are as passionate about their sport as she is.
"My favourite part of the games is really when you watch …other teams play and when you get to spend time with some of them," she said. "It's a tremendous experience."
Once the weekend begins, the athletes enter a kind of miniature Olympic village.
Melanson said they don't stay with their parents. They sleep overnight inside classrooms at the high school and a local community college with their teammates, and all of their meals are made by volunteers.
But it's more than games, she said: it's a chance for youth to grow and be part of something bigger.
"It's almost a transformative experience for the kids," said Melanson, who also has children who have competed in the games.
While the red worn by the Chaleur region, the blue of the Kent area or the purple of Prince Edward Island pits these athletes against each other on the field or court, they connect on a deeper level based on what they have in common.
French connections
Since 1979, the games have been a weekend for French-Acadian youth to feel like their Acadian roots matter.
That's the case this year for one mini-handball competitor from Yarmouth, N.S.
"It is pretty special because there's not exactly a ton of people who speak French where I'm from," Finely Hanf said. "It feels pretty cool."
Melanson said the games were created at a time when bolstering the French language and Acadian culture was an important part of building New Brunswick's identity.
"The idea was as a minority language group to bring these youth together, make those contacts ... learn about the customs and the other regions and the fun differences in their accents," she said.
More than 132,000 young people have taken part in the games between 1979 and 2019, according to the games' website, and more than 4,000 volunteers are needed to put on the games each year.
Small towns to big crowds
For first-time competitors like Hanf, a big part of the weekend is being able to play in front of larger audiences, and on larger courts than what they might be used to in their hometowns.
"There's a lot more seating so a lot more people are watching," Hanf said about her first experience at the games. "You kind of got to block them out ... at the same time, if your team scores a goal, enjoy them cheering."
Gabby Arsenault, who is representing her province of Prince Edward Island for the first time in badminton, said this weekend is all about making memories in a new place.
"I'm hoping to have a lot of fun and to tell good stories to my friends at home," she said. "It feels even more special because there's more people to communicate [with] in French."
To Melanson, seeing the happy faces of young athletes and watching them meet new French speakers as she walks though the hallways and on the sidelines means the games are still accomplishing the goal they set out to.
"The kids suddenly feel like this is really important," Melanson said. "I'm part of something, right? And I'm included."
While finals for some sports have already taken place, all medals will be awarded Sunday when delegations will find out which region has taken home the most medals.
One of the medals she's most looking forward to seeing awarded isn't a sport or cultural medal at all.
She said throughout the weekend, some of the more than 750 volunteers at the games have a secret mission of keeping an eye out for athletes who showcase sportsmanship, and are supportive of other delegations during competitions.
That player will get the weekend's friendship award.
"Parents will never stop talking about when they were here. They're in the stands and they're exchanging their stories," Melanson said. "It's creating lasting bonds."
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