Every dribble is an escape; every goal, a promise. The trajectory of the ball should only follow that of their destiny. And yet…
Almost all clubs can attest to this: the dreams of these kids for whom Football should only be fun, are inexorably weighed down by the weight of the expectations placed on them. They crumble in the face of the often disproportionate hopes of those around them, this fantasy of success more financial than sporting…
The pressure exerted by parents, for many observers, has become unbearable. This is the famous “Mbappé Project”, at the heart of news that is much less scintillating than that of the Real Madrid star. And the miasma of which we now find in the news section. As again very recently, when in Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne), two educators saw their cars set on fire, apparently by angry dads, unhappy not to see their offspring at the heart of the game, at the heart of everything…
The spirit dear to Bob Rémond
Far from being an epiphenomenon, this real scourge reaches all walks of life, corrupts minds, sometimes drives people crazy. Including at Cavigal where, however, the words of Bob Rémond continue to resonate loudly, long after the death of the great man. “Here, we instill values, before training footballers” we brandish it proudly, as a standard.
Are the agents also guilty?
And Diego Noto, president of omnisports, is the first to express regret at this shift in the psychological approach to sport. Especially since he fears that the perversity of the moment is possibly irreversible. “At home, we continue to fight, to preserve a certain state of mind, to somehow live up to the legacy left by Bob Rémond. For example, by giving priority to school. Until then , it was quite successful for us, since we developed some talents who were then able to break through to the highest level. But this syndrome which consists of only seeing football through the prism of money pollutes everything. even in training, show themselves ultra-aggressive. From a societal point of view, it's a disaster… Now, I also think that the players' agents have a great deal of responsibility for them, the young people, even before they reach 13 or 14. years, are only products, to which they dangle mountains and wonders…”
The opinion of John Mammoliti, president of the football section, is not more rosy. “The “Mbappé project” is a real cancer. Football is no longer what it used to be, it has become a real business. From now on, we are no longer entrusted with a child so that he can flourish, so that he can satisfy his passion, but so that he can succeed, including through the use of constraint. But we know well that over a generation, only 1% will join a training center. And, no more than 1% of this 1% will go pro afterwards. But everyone is convinced that they have a nugget at home…”
New status for educators?
However, there is no question of him giving up. As a firewall, it has therefore implemented internal solutions with its technical managers.
“It is important, from the start of the season, to establish rules with parents. An information meeting is also intended for them, a charter is read and signed. We also establish a mid-season report with the player, his family and our staff, to make an overall point Finally, to sanction any abuses, the club has set up a disciplinary committee, which is aimed at both young people and their legal representatives. is reported to the sports director who authority to quickly take appropriate measures.”
But to also hope that the function of educator can, one day, be “sacred” in the texts. “To, legally, be protected as referees are today. Attacking an educator, for me, is a criminal offense…”
On the Saint-Roch side, where the under-17s, in the national championship, allow Cavi to be among the best amateur clubs in France (1), we therefore seem determined not to give in to resignation. At least, not yet.
Groundswell
But everyone remains lucid about the extent of this groundswell which, in the long term, threatens the ship. Like Amine Boutaj, the coach, for whom nothing is necessarily simple on a daily basis. But who, despite everything, stays the course. “You should know that the player's entourage is an integral part of his development on the pitch. If he is kind, it can have a positive effect. But sometimes, it happens that some people try, against all logic, to give instructions during matches and regularly want to speak to educators regarding playing time, position, etc. Sometimes, some of our educators have already received threats or even been victims of physical attacks, for the sole reason that. 'they had not selected their children in the first team or that in their eyes, they lacked playing time. It's still rare, but it happens…”
And too bad, if dribbling is no longer an escape…
1. Following in the footsteps of Robert Herbin and other Dominique Baratelli, trained at Cavigal and become true legends of French football, young hopefuls like Dylan Rustico, Giani Carbone or Adrien Gandolphe have, in recent seasons, signed aspiring or professional trainees, in Ligue 1, or Ligue 2.
