“Pauline Paul Softball Field

Inauguration of "Pauline Paul Softball Field" highlights the importance of volunteerism to Sutton

The Town of Sutton has named its softball field in honour of Pauline Paul in recognition of her volunteer work in the community. Photo by Taylor McClure.

By Taylor McClure
Townships’ Daily News Bits
CIDI 99.1 FM

As of Monday, Sutton’s softball field at Goyette-Hill Park will forever be known as the “Pauline Paul Softball Field,” named after Sutton resident and long-time volunteer Pauline Paul. During a time where volunteerism is declining, the Town of Sutton deemed the recognition as an important step in encouraging and inspiring others to get involved in their communities. 

After years of discussion at the municipal level, Mayor Robert Benoît said that it was finally time to name Sutton’s softball field in her honour as it’s people like Paul that help keep the village alive and better meet the needs of citizens, particularly youth. 

“If it was not for volunteer work, this town wouldn’t be as productive as we are right now I don’t think,” said Benoît in an interview with CIDI at Monday’s inauguration. 

Over the last year, Benoît highlighted the town’s strategy to better meet the needs of youth in Sutton on numerous occasions, whom have expressed to the municipality that there is not enough activities offered to young adolescents, according to Benoît. 

“It’s the recognition of not only her voluntary work, but her dedication to the village. When you look at the situation right now with young kids and teenagers, we need to have those kinds of dedications from people, volunteering, to manage. We don’t have the budget, we don’t have the manpower to do it, we rely a lot on voluntarily work. She’s a model for it,”  highlighted Benoît. 

Paul is credited by many with having developed and popularized softball in Sutton. Paul volunteered her time to organize softball activities for youth in the village for 30 years, from around 1976 to 2006. She coached hundreds of players, managed up to 18 softball teams, and remains an influential figure in the lives of the youth that she coached over those three decades.  

When asked why it was important for people to try and get involved in their communities, Paul responded:  “If you don’t, who will? You start something and then maybe other people will follow what you are doing. I think that it’s very important that we give some time of ourselves,” she emphasized.

Seeing some of the youth she coached take over and continue to organize softball in Sutton is a reflection of the passion that can be instilled in youth for volunteerism, highlighted Paul.  “I saw some kids that I taught taking this over. It’s very nice of those kids that have taken over. The kids have grown up, but they’re doing it just the same,” she said. 

Sutton fire chief, Donald Mirault, was one of many youth coached by Paul. As someone that grew up alongside Paul, he was the best friend of her son, he said that she was there for the youth from beginning to end. “If it was cold, rainy, hot, right to the end she was always there. She was very important to all of us. For all of the young people growing up in Sutton, baseball was a big part of our lives here. (…) She’s just an amazing person,” mentioned Mirault. 

Echoing the statements of Benoît and Paul, Mirault emphasized that during a time where volunteerism is declining in Quebec, recognizing the contributions of others is of upmost importance. 

“I think in small towns we have to encourage that because volunteerism is down throughout the province, probably throughout the country. People like Pauline, who spent so much time in her life, we have to recognize that, it’s so important,” he explained. “It would be nice to see more and more people get involved for the young soccer players, baseball players, and just be a part of the community."

Isabelle Charest, MNA for Brome-Missisquoi and Minister of Sports, Recreation, and the Outdoors, also made an appearance at Monday’s inauguration. As a former Olympian and an athlete, Charest emphasized that seeing a woman, and someone who isn’t necessarily a former softball player, be recognized for their contributions to the development of a sport is sincerely touching. 

“Brave to the town, bravo to all of those implicated in this honour that is being give to, first of all, a woman that was involved in the sporting world for many years, we don’t see a ton of this. To have the name of a woman on a baseball field warms my heart, but also to honour a volunteer,” Charest expressed to Paul at the inauguration. “On the fields, the names that we see are of former players. The implication of volunteers is extremely important. If it gives other people the feeling to get involved and to invest, hats off to you. (..) We know how sports can bring together a community and you have been that link.”

At the end of the day, Paul hopes that she can inspire others to give back to their community, in whatever way that may be, and to follow their passion.  

“I just hope that other people, other women, will follow that example,” said Paul.

Listen to the full interview below: