“ In principle, I am not opposed, but we will have to recruit and find another room. » Like Stéphanie Ruffel, co-president of the Mazamet-Aussillon basketball club, in Tarn, the ambition of the government to ” to support “ the Games in “all territories” through the opening, during the summer of 2024, of sports clubs, is of prior interest to the latter.
However, when asked about this initiative, of which few are still aware of the existence, these clubs do not hide the fact that, to become a reality, maintaining a summer activity will require resolving some “material” difficulties – not necessarily negligible.
“The embarkation of our youth in the Olympic and Paralympic summer” is a ” major issue “, hammered the Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP), Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, when, on November 3, the government and the deputies of the presidential majority included in the draft budget for 2024 a provision allowing the release of 5 million euros to help the “largest number of sports clubs” to open “exceptionally their doors” in the summer of 2024.
“This would keep children who are not going on vacation busy”observes Stéphanie Ruffel. “And to make them continue sporting activity”, she adds, emphasizing that her club, which welcomes 150 members aged from 5 to 55 years old, generally sees, after the two months of vacation, 40% of the members not renewing their membership in September. “ VSSome change sporting activity, others give up sport. But I manage to maintain the volume of licensees”she says.
“This would make it possible to welcome young people in the summer, that’s good news,” also considers Roselyne Ben Ali, president of the Jeunesse sportif du Chemin-Bas d’Avignon football club, in Nîmes (Gard). For this volunteer, at the head of 250 licensees, all from this priority neighborhood, where drug trafficking pollutes the lives of residents, the football club plays a social role. “Here, not everyone has the chance to go on vacation, and traffic takes up a lot of space. During the holidays, there isn’t much for young people. Everything is closed. If we can keep them busy, we’ll jump at the chance.”advances Nîmoise.
The opportunity to “talk about the values of the Games to licensees”
At the Jeunesse sportive du Chemin-Bas d’Avignon, which operates thanks to 90% volunteers, these summer activities would have another virtue. “This would allow us to communicate about the Olympic Games”explains the manager, who notes that at the club, “young people only talk about football” : “They are not really interested in other disciplines, nor in the Olympics. If we obtain additional funds and can organize activities with other clubs, to introduce young people to other sports, to create bridges between neighborhoods, that would be a great opening. »
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