How is La Rochelle Volleyball doing?
(Laughs.) That’s a very good question, the club is doing very well. We started very well, had a very good return with many, many people. The tide has passed and is now giving way to results. For the moment, we are very satisfied: the men's N3 is second for the moment in the ranking, knowing that it is promoted. The girls are first in pre-National and pre-Regional. So we have very good results everywhere, that's what we hoped for. These were the goals we set at the start of the season, so it’s great.
How is the training going? You were talking about the tide, was it linked to the post-Olympic Games, with the gold of Earvin Ngapeth's band?
Yes, I think so. It's been about three years that we have been experiencing, in quotes, waves at each start of the school year and where, unfortunately, we cannot accommodate everyone, all the categories being full. We have about a hundred refusals, which is still problematic for us because we would like to welcome everyone, but we cannot. But I think we can talk about a post-Olympic wave. Many, many, many young people and many parents talk to us about the Olympics. But there is also middle school, where there is a lot of appetite for volleyball.
How many licensees does the LRVB have?
Today, we are at 300. Three or four years ago, there were 140, we have more than doubled.
“I try to bring what I can to the team, especially since it’s my last season”
So the loss of a team in N3F had no impact?
No. We were unable to rehire a team, so we confined ourselves to rebuilding, starting everything from the roots, that is to say the training of young people, via the pre-Regional, the departmental, and strengthening the pre-National team.
In this context, what does winning the “Sud Ouest” Charente-Maritime sports Oscar mean for the club, and for you?
We are very happy, especially because it gives visibility to the club, and to the work behind the scenes, to the voluntary work of the coaches, the office, etc. That's great since I think it was the first Oscar for the club. It's great.
Personally, you work in the shadows, as president, but also in the light, since you play in the pre-National?
Exactly. Being a volunteer is a lot, a lot of work, everyone knows that, it's hours and hours, almost a full-time job, sometimes. As a player, I try to bring what I can to the team, especially since it's my last season since afterwards, I will go back down near my family, towards Anglet (in the Basque Country, Editor's note ). So I really want to leave a positive rating. There are a lot of young people in this team, who are really at the top, who really want to “eat” volleyball. It's great to play with young people like that, who really want to compete on the pitch.
Can you think of something other than volleyball in your schedule?
Yes (laughs). Sometimes, it's true that it's from Monday to Sunday, especially since I also manage communication on all networks, with match announcements, results, content all week. I'm there every day but that's what drives me, I'm really passionate about it. As soon as I'm home, I go to the gym, there are always things to do. I love it.
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