Hundreds of thousands of people are refused access to sports clubs. Since the start of the season, several federations have deplored the fact that they cannot satisfy all registration requests. The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) had to refuse “between 100,000 and 110,000” players at the start of the school year. Same observation at the Handball Federation, which expects to refuse around 100,000 people this season, according to its president Philippe To me.
With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, many French people want to take up or return to sport. Sports federations have observed a clear increase in registrations since September, and the exposure of certain sports has caused the number of licensees to jump almost everywhere in France: 8 to 10% more at the swimming federation, 20% at that of table tennis, 25% for fencing and even 32% for triathlon… However, many clubs are already saturated.
In the North, the Vauban Lille Fencing Academy (AEVL), a real institution, will have to reorganize its operation. “For the first time in 350 years of history [depuis que D’Artagnan était gouverneur de la ville en 1672]we will have to establish a numerus clausus. If we sign everyone up, people will get frustrated and the club may implode.”, recognizes fencing master Marc Bony, director of the AEVL. With only four fencing masters for 400 members, the club cannot accommodate more people.
In the fencing room, located in the crypt of the Saint Pierre-Saint Paul church in Lille, the club nevertheless benefits from a large surface area. However, the 16 slopes of the complex are no longer enough, with slots which sometimes exceed sixty people. With two fencers per track, around thirty of them are waiting while the others compete.
“We ask our fencers to have shorter matches, lasting a maximum of five minutes, so that everyone can participate. It also happens that we shoot in the spaces between the tracks, in order to reduce the waiting time for our licensees.” Under these conditions, the fencing master regrets not being able to address all the themes in his lessons.
Indoor sports are clearly the most affected by this saturation. Handball, volleyball, basketball, archery (indoors in winter), table tennis, badminton and many other disciplines compete for the slots available in the gymnasiums. “Some clubs are offered slots between 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., unattractive times for active people“, notes Yohan Penel, president of the French Badminton Federation, who saw his clubs refuse between 22,000 and 45,000 people in his discipline last year, according to an internal survey, and who should see even more this season.
In Paris, saturation is already old. Secretary general of the Sporting university club of France (SCUF), José Delgi Espoti assures that there is “an Olympic Games effect which is undeniable”, but that the situation is “tense” throughout the region for several years. “With us, we can no longer add a single person”, he laments.
At SCUF, the number of applicants on the waiting list (more than 4,000) is almost equivalent to the number of licensees this year (around 4,500 licensees spread over ten federal disciplines). “The wait to obtain a license can sometimes last two years“, regrets José Delgi Espoti. Those on the waiting list sometimes have to register in different clubs and disciplines to increase their chances of obtaining a license.
For José Delgi Espoti, several possibilities can partly compensate for this lack: “Sometimes there is poor occupancy of equipment. We could improve this management with more coordination, using an equipment management tool in order to fill these slots as much as possible.”
Another option: use equipment in middle and high schools. “On weekends, gyms are not used, and that's a shame, because we, the clubs, would like to invest in them. We would be willing to pay rentals”, he said. An idea shared by Philippe Bana, president of the handball federation.
Pierre Rabadan, sports deputy for the city of Paris, ensures that negotiations are underway with the Paris Academy to have a greater number of school infrastructures, which today reaches the figure of 30 ( spread over 9 high schools, 3 colleges, 2 universities and the National Judo Institute).
“If one day there is a common policy of opening middle and high schools, the clubs could welcome more licensees.”
Pierre Rabadan, sports assistant at Paris City Hallat franceinfo: sport
An idea that has certain limitations. “Additional mobilization of staff is required, particularly guards, who must open and close the doors of school gymnasiumsexplains Pierre Rabadan. Added to this is the issue of security. You have to be able to have either sealed entrances/exits on the school site, or have someone who regulates fairly strictly. There are establishments where it is possible with some work, others where it is impossible. Private education is closed to these initiatives“, regrets Anne Hidalgo's deputy. The Ministry of Sports specifies that it is working to open the sports facilities of establishments in coordination with National Education.
For some time now, independent slots have been made available to certain clubs in France. Licensees can benefit from the infrastructure without the need for a steward or guard. The gymnasium is, for example, the responsibility of the club, which must return it to its original condition and ensure its safety. With these slots, clubs can offer their licensees more extended time slots, going until midnight. In the capital, this solution makes it possible to obtain on average more than 450 hours reserved per week (an increase of 30% compared to last year), specifies the City of Paris.
To accommodate more licensees, the easiest way would be to build new equipment. Just appointed minister in September, Gil Avérous affirmed that there would be a “heritage to accompany so that the soufflé does not fall [après les JO] and to enable clubs to welcome and respond to all requests“. The Ministry of Sports now claims to carry “strong action for the construction of sports facilities throughout the territory“. The Generation 2024 plan provides 300 million euros over the period 2024-2026 to create sports fields.
The problem of the lack of infrastructure to accommodate new licensees will be addressed by the minister with the presidents of sports federations before the end of the year. Two months after the end of the Paralympic Games, a lot of people, wanting to play sports in clubs, are staying at the dock.
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