"We wanted them to do a team sport to discover mutual support": these parents who enroll their children in a physical activity from kindergarten

Spiderman, Frozen, Paw Patrol… This Wednesday afternoon, in the dojo of the Villepinte sports complex (Seine-Saint-Denis), all the preschool heroes are on Crocs. It doesn't matter that Tasnime, 5, is too young to perform a hold or armlock on Imran. Dressed in a kimono that's a bit too big, the thirty little ones line up, as Soufiane Chebbi, "Soufiane coach," asks them. "Children, I count to ten, and when I say 'hajime' [in judo, the signal to start a fight] , the last one to lie down is eliminated." Three minutes later, it's time for the cat-and-mouse game, and the feet hit the mattresses with a touching clatter.

Judo, volleyball, or even gymnastics and football... In France, more and more clubs are offering "baby" sections and attracting children who are barely able to carry a tennis racket or climb onto a beam.

"We had an Olympic Games effect, certainly, but demand has been increasing in recent years," notes Samir Nsar, president of the Villepinte judo club, who is 30 years old, the same age as this section dedicated to 4- to 7-year-olds. In France, the French federation specifies, 80% of clubs run a judo introduction slot, from the age of 4. "We use educational, pedagogical games to help them discover techniques," describes Ghislain Cole, one of the two coaches. "At the same time, it trains their coordination and motor skills at a crucial age."

You have 79.19% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.