This athlete from Montreal’s South Shore regularly takes part in the “All the way with the Impact” and the “Club des petits déjeuners” breakfast club programs as well as in the team’s hospital visits, some of the many causes for kids the Montreal club supports. Leduc was also honorary president of the Sud-Ouest Games and works as coach and teacher for the Collège Français sports-study program.
“I started getting involved at a relatively young age, at about 16 or 17, taking part in soccer schools. I had a lot of fun teaching younger kids,” says Leduc. “I find dealing with kids very gratifying. I like the fact that things aren’t always serious, I think it gives way to more cheerful relationships. You still have to have a certain amount of discipline and distance but still, I find it to be less reserved, less formal than with adults.”
If the Impact has become such a popular team nowadays, it’s mostly because of the thousands of kids in the province of Quebec who play soccer and follow the world’s most popular sport. It’s therefore only natural, Leduc says, that the team looks to do something in return.
“Kids are our fan base,” points out the midfielder. “Unfortunately, some kids aren’t as lucky, they aren’t necessarily able to come see us play or take part in our soccer schools. A program like ‘All the way with the Impact’, for example, allows us to go see the kids in school, to share our experience, to encourage kids to pursue their dreams and objectives.
“There are a lot of good values in sports. Respect, discipline — discipline towards others and towards yourself. That’s one of the ways you can make it in soccer, and in life, too.”
Giving also has its rewards, says Leduc.
“Our presence has an influence on the kids, but I learn just as much from them,” he says. “I remember when I went to a school for the deaf. It opened my eyes to see how they learned sign language. It was pretty special.
“There was also the time when I went to a school in the St. Michel district. I had been told that they had big problems there, but I found the kids to be polite and respectful. They were more involved in our presentation than some of the kids from more privileged schools. It’s encouraging to see kids who hang on to sport, who keep their hopes alive at school and through sport.
“During our visits, we try to encourage kids to stay in school and in sports, to continue in spite of the obstacles because it will allow them to grow.”
As a non-profit organization, the Impact supports causes that revolve primarily around children. For more information, consult the “Community” section of this website.
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