Frédéric Volle supports the new Clermont handball section

Au centre, le champion du monde, Frédéric Volle, parrain de la section hand. JM – JM

Des minots passionnés par le handball. JM – JM

Un collège et un club unis dans un projet sportif. JM – JM

Une section handball est créée au collège du Salagou, à Clermont, en partenariat avec le HBCCS. L'ancien international en est le parrain.

Radiant smile, sparkling eyes, generous verve, the former “Barjot” is still driven by the passion of the little round ball, that of handball. At the start of the school year, the former world champion who has played for Nîmes, Marseille, and Honda in Japan, also came to Clermont-l'Hérault, to meet the kids from the Salagou college where a new handball section is being launched this year. The lad, who has scored over 1,000 goals for the French team, is not stingy with tips: “Don't hesitate to shoot low, I've scored over half of my goals like that,” he advises. In the gym, the youngsters in the section drink in his words. However, few teenagers already knew the former hero of the handball courts, world champion in 1995, a time when, clearly, none of these students had yet been born.

But the magic works. Above all, the track record and the stature of the former international, who stands at almost 2 meters tall, are impressive. “Previously, Frédéric was the sponsor of the option. He visits us regularly. He comes to support and see the evolution of the structure”, explains Olivier Vernette, the section's reference teacher. From the 6th grade, upon selection, young athletes benefit from two 1h30 training sessions, in addition to their PE hours, in partnership with the Clermont club. Today, the opening of the section brings additional credibility and resources to the sector. “80% of these players are also part of HBCCS, the Clermont Salagou club and benefit from qualified coaches in the school environment”. In the pipeline, a follow-up with the Clermont high school could allow training to continue at the local level. “The best who are in a club” can also see opportunities to join the “pôle espoir in Montpellier or Nîmes. This is aimed at the elite, the idea is indeed to have continuity between middle school and high school”, specifies the sports teacher.  " It is there, at the base, with the young people, that the training of champions takes place. It is important that there are clubs, like here in Clermont, and sections like this one, to have quality coaches to offer these young people the possibility of becoming, perhaps one day, champions in the French team" analyzes Frédéric Volle… Olivier Vernette's brother-in-law.

Training future champions

“For the club, this section allows us to train these young players twice as much. Our employees invest 100% in the section. This also allows young people who are not necessarily at the club from the start to join later. Between the section and the club, most of these kids have training every day and they are passionate. Frédéric Volle is an emblem of handball, he is an extraordinary sponsor. After Jean Lou Faustin, Julien Rebichon, Benjamin Gallego, our goal is to continue training great players, pros, even internationals. The section allows this ", analyzes Sébastien Quignon, president of a club with nearly 400 members, the second in the department after Montpellier Handball.

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