Discipline. Respect. Integrity. Performance. Play. at General Byng School

Some 30-students at General Byng School shouted gleefully in response as former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Kelly Butler led the cheer: “D,” “Discipline,” respond the students. “R”, “Respect!”, “I”, “Integrity!”, “P”, “Performance!”, “P”, “Play!”

Every noon hour for the past six weeks Butler and his colleagues, John Mackie, Coach of the Fort Garry Lions football team and guests like back-to-back U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian AK Gassama and Victor Olaniran, a third-year tackle with the U of M Bisons, have spent meaningful time with the General Byng students.

DRIPP weekly sessions are the initiative of General Byng Principal Tracey Groening and Vice Principal Sarah Hampton. They saw a need in their school community to provide structure and role models for the largely diverse student body, something that would give the students the tools needed to play their favourite playground activity, soccer, without physical and verbal altercations.

Hampton’s good friend Butler immediately stepped up and modeled the noon program around principles of the Recruit Ready Football program. Incorporating football drills with team spirit and player encouragement, Butler and his coaching buddies are making a difference in the lives of the DRIPP attendees.

“It’s about learning kindness, responsibility and respect,” says Samuel, a Grade 6 student in the DRIPP program. “We have to learn how to play that way on the field, to not trash talk the other team but instead encourage our own team.” Samuel readily admits that some of his emotional responses and not making the right choices for playing contributed to the problem before DRIPP.

For Butler, the chance to continuously give back to the community and to share his life experiences in a positive way is his driving force to lead the sessions.

“From the first week until now, we can really see the difference, the level of respect is really showing up with our players,” says Butler. “Kids want the structure and discipline of playing a sport, but it’s not always available to them and sometimes comes at too much cost for their families.” Butler says learning the DRIPP way spills over into students’ lives and their interactions with others in a very positive way. 

He's also proud of the community partnership with the Fort Garry Lions and Coach Mackie.

“Through Coach Mackie we can often find ways to help students find their way in sports that they may not have thought possible, through things like bursaries and other funding.”

For the 30 students at the weekly session, though, it’s also about getting to meet sports heroes with similar newcomer stories as their own, like A.K. Gassama and Victor Olaniran. 

Discipline. Respect. Integrity. Performance. Play.