Valois & Jacob: 25 Years of Badminton Excellence

(Communiqué) – Daniel Valois and Martin Jacob’s schoolboy coaches are bowing after 24 years spent training young athletes in badminton.

It was in 2001 that Daniel and Martin united their efforts to revive school badminton in the region when this sport was “fallow” for ten years.

After following the training required for teaching competition badminton, they carried out recruitment at the Bernard-Gariépy high school which, at the time, was not yet merged with that of Fernand-Lefebvre. The sports teams then bore the names of “Bernard-Gariépy diplomats”.

The Bernard-Gariépy badminton team was playing in the Eastern Cantons region and faced teams from Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Victoriaville, Granby and the surrounding area. From the first seasons, she distinguished herself by collecting the banner coveted of sports ethics.

Bernard-Gariépy’s team team

The follow -up teams made it possible to get their hands on banners of the regular season and regional championship. Many diplomats athletes have also collected well -deserved individual honors. The machine had left, and we felt a real craze for this sport considered, moreover, as the fastest in the world.

With the merger of the Bernard-Gariépy and Fernand-Lefebvre secondary schools, the diplomats became the Polypus badminton and began to evolve in the school badminton league of Montérégie, thus bringing together schools from the regions of Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Bruno, Varennes and Longueuil.

Several diplomatic and polypus athletes have reached levels of excellence under the governing of Daniel and Martin. We have that to think of Kim Lavallée, double provincial champion, the provincial mixed mixes of Pierre Lanteigne and Mylia Arseneault-Monette and Camille Proulx and Jules Gagnon, the Sisters Laurie and Fannie Bisson, Vincent Tremblay-Provençal and, more recently, Alexis Hogue multiple champion in simple male, the triple qualified regional. Juveniles 2025 Mariven Mandeville and Anik Georgeault medalists and the Benjamines 2025 Jasmine Lambert and Abigaelle St-Michel medalists.

The happy team of rebels of the Sorel-Tracy Cégep Champion of Sports Ethics and Camaraderie

From the years 2009-2010, the two coaches added the collegiate team of the Sorel-Tracy rebels to their training, in addition to that of the Polypus. This then made it possible to ensure continuity for the athletes trained in high school so that they can continue their college studies while practicing their favorite sport.

Many rebel athletes have also pointed out to the college level: Daniel Lavallée, Laurie and Fannie Bisson, David Gagné, Camille Proulx, Jules Gagnon, Catherine-Jade St-Martin, Mylia Arseneault-Monette, the champion in single, double and mixed Gabrielle Bouley, the champions in double and mixed Matty Desmarais and Samuel Dryden and Samuel Alexis Hogue, double champion in a single male college in the center of Quebec and recently provincial male double champion as well as several other athletes who have marked the last 25 years of Daniel and Martin.

The two companions will also have been the origin of the organization of qualification tournaments “Golden flies” in simple and “gold row” in double and mixed for Montérégie CSR. These tournaments were unanimous with athletes and coaches of Montérégie: two essential events of the season.

During this beautiful career as a coach of almost 25 years, more than 300 athletes in the region will be under the leadership of Daniel and Martin. The two badminton enthusiasts hope to have humbly contributed to the success of the school, sports and staff of the athletes they have rubbed shoulders. Sports ethics, camaraderie and sporting spirit were the battle horses of their teachings without forgetting the implication, the effect and the resilience.

Surprise reunion of former diplomats, polypus and rebels paying tribute to Daniel and Martin

In addition, the two coaches wanted to highlight the unconditional support of all the sports officials that they rubbed shoulders during all these years. We think here of Daniel Hamel, Annie-Claude Abbot, Michel Leclerc, Myriam Shea-Blais as well as the Director General of Cégep de Sorel-Tracy, the late Fabienne Desroches who has always supported them. They also wanted to highlight the involvement of all the parents of these athlete students, in particular the Lavallée and Hogue families, who have enabled them to live so beautiful moments over the years.

Recently, Daniel and Martin were honored at Cégep de Sorel-Tracy during a surprise evening bringing together several of the former diplomatic, polypus and rebels athletes that they have trained during the past 24 years. It was very moving to find these veterans and to receive all this love from them. Several have since founded families and were grateful to values ​​that these two coaches had instilled in them and that they now transmit to their children.

During the Polypus Sports Gala, held on June 11, the two inseparable coaches were also honored to highlight this good career in Badminton. These 24 years spent together on the courts will also have forged an indelible friendship between them.

A big thank you to Daniel Valois and Martin Jacob who will undoubtedly have marked the local scene of the school badminton and collegial by their dedication and their involvement with students and students athletes for almost a quarter of a century. Their greatest wish is that, among all these athletes they have trained, the flame of the passion for training is lighting up so that this great adventure of school badminton can continue in Sorel-Tracy.