{"id":6102,"date":"2019-06-11T14:24:44","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T18:24:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/news\/news-2\/hockey-tournament-where-values-are-worth-more-goals\/"},"modified":"2019-06-11T14:24:44","modified_gmt":"2019-06-11T18:24:44","slug":"hockey-tournament-where-values-are-worth-more-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diocesemontreal.wp.vortexdev.com\/en\/news\/news-2\/hockey-tournament-where-values-are-worth-more-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"A hockey tournament where values are worth more than goals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Apostles\u2019 Cup?
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\n\u201cThis is much more than an ordinary tournament!\u201d called out Deacon Robert Assaly, from Saint-Thomas-\u00e0-Becket parish<\/a>, as young people were confronting each other loudly and joyfully. \u201cActually, this is a pretext \u2013 and excuse \u2013 to gather young people in order to show them models of life and Christian values.\u201d If this sporting event is called the Apostles\u2019 Cup, this is not a coincidence, explains the deacon. \u201cThis is who we are, apostles. We follow Jesus.\u201d
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\nOn the field, while officials were at the heart of the action making sure the games would go well, judges \u2013 recognizable by their red armband worn in a Roman fashion \u2013 were attentively watching each game being played heartily. With a pencil, a clipboard and a sheet of paper, they were writing down at once the behaviours of players, coaches and even partisans.
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\n\u201cWe are like judges at figure skating events: we judge the performance of teams according to different criteria,\u201d explains Anthony Puissant during a mid-afternoon pause. Points have been given to participating teams for their sportsmanship, their banners, their rallying call, their names, the quality of partisanship, their coach\u2019s attitude, etc.
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\n\u201cA team can thus lose all games and win the Apostles\u2019 Cup,\u201d emphasizes Youth Ministry director Isabel Correa. The real goal of this sporting event, according to her, is to allow young people to experiment brotherhood. \u201cWe want them not to feel fear when they hang out with other Christians, even if they do not go to Church.\u201d
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\nThe young players who confronted each other during this sporting event were not all Catholics. \u201cSome are, but not all.\u201d With this type of activity, young people feel free to invite their friends.\u201d
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\nOrganizers did not, by the way, try to hide the fact that they were Catholics. So, a prayer was read at the beginning of each game and the banners were very explicit.
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\nThis tournament is also educational. \u201cWe wish to demonstrate, as Pope Francis emphasizes, that evangelizing is possible through sports. Of course, evangelization of young people must be carried out in different ways. This is important! It is necessary to use several methods in order to reach as many young people as possible,\u201d mentions Isabel Correa.<\/p>\n\n

The Soul Sisters team steals the show<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

On the 17 teams that confronted each other, several won medals in various categories. However, only three teams won the famous Apostles\u2019 Cup in their respective age category: Holy Name of Jesus (12-14 years-old), Loyola High School (15-17 years-old) and the Don Bosco Youth Leadership Centre-Girls (18-21 years-old).
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\nYet, it is the winning team in the 18 to 21 years-old category that has unquestionably stole the show: the Soul Sisters team, made up exclusively of girls representing the Don Bosco Youth Leadership Center (DBYLC) from Rivi\u00e8re-des-Prairies. The feminine team, cheered by a group of male cheerleaders, did not win one game!
\nInterviewed after the presentation of the trophy, Dina, a Soul Sisters\u2019 member, mentioned that \u201cChrist was present in all games, even though we did not win any!\u201d
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\nOrganizing the tournament was made possible due to the work of volunteers devoted to the cause of youth, indicates Isabel Correa. \u201cThe team that organizes the tournament is made up of very generous young people. Yes, I am behind them, but they really are the leaders.\u201d
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\nDespite its success, the Apostles\u2019 Cup must nevertheless respond to challenges. \u201cThe biggest is to have more parish people helping with the organization. Youth Mission structures it all, yet we need coaches who can accompany young people in parishes,\u201d explains Isabel Correa.
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\nAll day long, people communicated in both official languages. However, English was widely predominant on the field.
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\nThe next Apostles\u2019 Cup will take place in 2020.<\/p>\n\n

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