The Maison Sport Santé is interested in the physical condition of 470 middle and high school students from Lodévois.

Les chefs d’établissement avec les responsables de la MSSLL. A.M.

Une action pilote en cours depuis la rentrée permettra d’évaluer toutes les classes de 5e et de 2nde.

As part of its missions, the Maison Sport Santé du Lodévois Larzac (MSSLL) has established an innovative partnership with the Paul Dardé college and the Joseph Vallot high school in Lodève. Since the start of the school year, it has been leading a pilot action that has allowed the assessment of 470 students in the 5th and 2nd grade classes of the two Lodève establishments.

A worrying observation

“There is a real territorial dynamic behind our structure, projects and partnerships that are being set up in Lodévois Larzac but also in Clermontais where we are also established, indicates Jean-Pierre Combes, the president of the Lodévois Omnisports Club which runs the Maison Sport Santé. Initially, sports teachers contacted us to share their concerns.” Since the lockdown, they have noticed a problem with physical activity among their students. “We receive a rather elderly public, with chronic pathologies, and we have become aware that we also need to take care of young people”, adds Michel Dauzat, referring physician of the MSSLL.

A detailed assessment at the start of the 2023 school year of middle school students in two 4th grade classes, carried out by retired volunteer doctors and teachers of adapted physical activities from the Maison Sport Santé confirmed the concerns: “The observation is clear: a third are overweight or obese. Added to this are proven endurance defects and flexibility problems.”

In partnership with the heads of establishments, health teams and teaching teams, it was decided to extend this assessment to all 5th and 2nd grade classes in middle and high school this year.

Monitoring students

“The students also played the game and will participate in the anonymous restitution. The assessments are now complete, we are in a data entry and analysis stage”, continues Doctor Dauzat, assisted by Michel Canac, Frédéric Pluskwa, Françoise Martin-Dupé and the school doctor Myriam Lalauze.

A project that unites energies

"Last year's evaluations confirmed our findings in the field with teachers. They also reveal social and sociocultural difficulties, recalls principal Jean-Michel Rol. By extending this partnership, we will have a general picture that will allow us to build things with families, around food, sport, etc. with teachers other than ESP teachers, to also propose solutions with different partners."

His colleague, the headmaster, Benjamin Arino, confirms: "It's an easy project, because it's driven by a lot of energy with the professionalism of the Maison Sport Santé and the willingness of our teams to participate. There is continuity and consistency in our educational and health policies implemented with the college."

Before reaching the conclusion for the heads of establishments: "A young person who feels better about their body and their skin has a better chance of success at school and in their personal life."

“With the help of ESP teachers, we would like to be able to monitor students. And why not extend the action to primary school”, declares Jean-Pierre Combes, delighted to see a project that initially seemed impossible come to fruition. “It was here, because of the uniqueness of the city, its proximity, its difficulties too. In Lodève, people know each other, talk to each other and want to work together. From there, it's easier to do things”, concludes Michel Dauzat.