The French National Olympic and Sports Committee will choose a new president on June 19The campaign is in full swing between Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who has planned several workshops with the federation presidents, and Didier Séminet, which had quickly revealed itself after David Lappartient announced that he would not run. The president of the French Baseball and Softball Federation has rightly chosen to focus on the base of the sports pyramid for several weeks: the clubs.
A place of education and a space for integration
His regular posts on the LinkedIn network clearly reflect his strategy and his vision: well before Olympic medals and results at the highest level, sport relies first and foremost on sports associations. It was in this setting, as a child, that he personally met Jacques Martineau, “his first coach, his first point of reference, the one who would change everything” by transmitting values of respect and fraternity. "Thousands of young people in clubs across France encounter an educator like Jacques Martineau. These women and men who train without saying so, who build quietly, who transmit the essential.", he supports, believing that educators and clubs are “much more than a leisure or performance player”But above “the armed wing of republican and humanist values”.
"In a club, we don't just play sports. We build lives. We discover ourselves. We rise. We exist. The club is a space of fraternity, solidarity, and second chances. Where society partitions, the club opens. Where some judge, the club reaches out.", he writes. Reason why he wishes "Give them the means to act, to welcome, to continue to be these places of human transformation that nothing else can replace. Because the stronger our clubs are, the fairer our society will be. It is time to look at our clubs not as entertainment structures, but as centers of citizenship, hope, and the future."
“Taking care of those who take care of sport”
Beyond the resources, the president of the FFBS wishes to show greater consideration for the people on the ground who make sport happen on a daily basis. That their fundamental role be truly recognized and that they be much more valued. He thus deplores the fact that we increasingly speak of "practitioners," a term that “erases women and men who engage in structured sport” and which contributes "to marginalize the role of federations" since public resources are moving towards free practice. "This shift is not neutral. It weakens an ecosystem based on volunteer commitment, on learning the rules, on educational support. It weakens the foundations of a sport that is not only a physical activity, but also a human and civic experience. (…) It is in a club that we learn to respect the rules, how to deal with defeat, fraternity, and surpass ourselves. It is thanks to federations that millions of young people find a framework, a reference point, a path. This irreplaceable role deserves to be recognized, supported, and valued."
Didier Séminet calls for “taking care of those who take care of sport”. By words, by saying “thank you publicly, collectively”, and by acts: “reduce constraints, facilitate commitment, secure responsibilities, support young volunteers, and promote this commitment in professional life as well as in social recognition”The stakes are high, as according to a survey by the National Association of Elected Sports Officials (Andes) published in 2022, 3,5 million people volunteer each year in one of the 360.000 sports associations in France. However, 43% of sports clubs report having lost volunteers, and 66% report increasingly occasional involvement and problems retaining volunteers. "The sports movement cannot move forward if those who support it run out of steam. We must listen to them, support them, and relieve their pain. And above all, thank them. Not once a year, but every day.", the candidate asserts. Where Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, through her social origins and professional CV, gives off a rather "elitist" image, Didier Séminet is fully playing the card of amateur sport and the lowest level of the ladder. All that remains is to convince the electoral college!
