Antigone of associations in Montpellier: the Olympic Games boost registrations in sports clubs

“The Lebrun effect”: game, set and match for associative table tennis in Montpellier and beyond. Midi Libre – DORIAN CAYUELA

Plus de 10 000 personnes viennent à ce rendez-vous chaque année. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

À la veille de l’Antigone des associations, certains clubs sportifs font déjà un carton en termes d’inscriptions alors que les activités n’ont pas commencé. Tour d’horizon.

Olympic Games (JO) or Paralympic Games, all of France has vibrated and still vibrates to the exploits of the champions. Montpellier and its metropolis have not escaped this phenomenon, even getting excited as soon as one of their champions is from here or trains here.
But, contrary to the butterfly effect, the JO effect has triggered a real craze, particularly in sports where medals have been won. This has resulted in higher than usual registrations in sports clubs, even before they open their doors.

Table tennis is a success

And the big winner, unsurprisingly, is the Lebrun brothers' sports club, the ANMTT. “We usually open registrations on September 1st, but since we already had requests by email during the Olympics, we decided to get started right away. The exploits of the Lebrun brothers gave us a real boost. Since then, not a day has gone by without us receiving registration requests“, rejoices the club president, Claire Chevassus.
The numbers speak for themselves. The club doubled the number of registrations for the start of the school year, with varied player profiles, and “25% more young people registered for the first time, whereas the estimate was between 10 and 15%“, she adds. Like an earthquake, the enthusiasm was felt throughout the federation, and even in the clubs.

Volleyball and basketball are also popular

Volleyball is no stranger to Olympic champions and medals. So the Olympic effect, although real, was not as strong as for table tennis, which created a surprise. “During the 2021 Olympics, we had already registered more registrations. The same is true this year. In fact, since August 10, we have had calls every day, and we have 5 to 10 registrations. It is clear that the Olympics help in all cases“, comments Jérémie Guillaume, president of the MCVUC.

And even more so when its ranks produce champions such as Nicolas Legoff and Jean Patry who, with the other players of the French volleyball team, won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Gold is a dream for young people, it seems, because the under-15s and under-18s are well represented among the new registrants. The cherry on the cake for them and all the other licensees: they will have the jersey of the professional team. And the president expects a new boost after the Antigone of associations.

“Sport will once again fill up”

Mylvia Houguet, deputy mayor responsible for community life: “The 44th edition of the Antigone of associations will welcome, on September 8, quite a few new associations among the 1,000 that are participating. It is the unmissable event for the people of Montpellier, and that of fraternity. Every year, more than 10,000 people are welcomed on this occasion.
If sport was already in the spotlight last year in view of the upcoming Olympic Games, it will be the case again this year with the return of sports clubs, the presence of a dozen professional sports clubs and that of players who participated in the Olympic Games, including the Lebrun brothers. It is a safe bet that sport will be full again this year. Culture and neighborhood life will do the same, I am sure."

At the Basket Lattes-Montpellier Association, even if, among the new registrations, "there are a good fifty names that I do not know, it is too early to measure the effect of the Olympic Games on registrations. But it is true that at the same time, compared to last year, we have more registered“, indicates Marie Lautier, director of the BLMA training center.

In any case, places are always expensive in this club – where the silver “gazelle” Romane Berniès trains – because it focuses on the elite and not numbers.

Swimming, fencing, BMX, skateboarding and breakdancing

If, after each Olympics, registrations increase, "this year, it's much more. As of September 5, we are almost at 50% more than in 2023. In the 6 pools where we give our lessons, there are already more than 700 registrations and more than 130 appointments made to test the children in order to assign them a level “, notes Philippe Jammet, president of MUC swimming. And the latter expects to reach 900 registrations at the end of the month, "not to mention the Antigone of the associations. It is certain that Sharon van Rouwendaal's gold medal contributes to this, as well as Anastasiia Kirpichnikova's silver“.
The largest fencing club in Occitanie, MUC Escrime, has also had its telephone line often busy, with repeated calls for registration requests since July 23.

“The Olympic years obviously boost clubs. Already, during the passage of the Olympic flame, following the guard of honour that was made for it, the requests for registration began“, says the president of the club, Bruno Humbert.
Finally, the newcomers to the Olympics, including breakdancing and skateboarding, have also attracted attention. The bronze medal of the French BMX freestyle team, and the “double flair” at the foot of the Concorde by Anthony Jeanjean, could well swell the numbers. But Thomas Raymond, director of the Attitude association which offers these three activities, doesn't really believe in it, “except perhaps for the Sérignan BMX Freestyle club, because Anthony is from Béziers“.
Question: if many clubs are full, will they be able to accommodate everyone?

Antigone of associations: ask for the program

Here we go again for a 44th round, but we never get tired of it. For 44 years already, the City of Montpellier has been inviting its residents to discover what the associations present at the Antigone des associations can offer them.
Meet us from 9:30 am tomorrow from the Place du Nombre d'or to the banks of the Lez, in the Antigone district, to go fishing for information and the activity you need. You will be spoilt for choice as there are so many themes: culture, sport, environment, solidarity, health, international, leisure, neighborhood life…
Golden Number Square, Europe Square and Piraeus Quay, three podiums await you for activities, initiations and demonstrations. Special family activities will take place at Golden Number Square, as well as discussion times and activities in the Coupole daycare (Zeus Square).
Finally, the highlight of the day will take place at 4 p.m., Europe Square. On the menu: return of the professional clubs, with the presence of about ten of them and athletes who have won medals from the Olympic Games.

I subscribe to read the rest