Programs designed to foster entry into elite sports engage a critical mass of 10,000 young people (and children) nationwide, integrating them into an ambitious “three-pronged initiative” that combines academic studies, intensive training, and personal fulfillment. These programs are unique in that they involve coaches and parents in the educational process and promote ambitious, comprehensive, and long-term educational commitments within the sports context.
Little is known today about these “sports education” programs, as research has so far been confined to analyses that compartmentalize the worlds of sports and family life and fail to examine their interactions—neither in form nor in effect. Their conclusions either emphasize the role of family influences in shaping sporting aspirations or the ongoing process of redefining the commitments of those involved. As a result, we know nothing about the forms of coordination (co-management, reinforcement, delegation, etc.), the effects of the educational partnerships mentioned, or the life trajectories of the children, even though the psychological empowerment of young people is often attributed to their time in these programs.
The hypothesis of this doctoral project, conducted under a joint supervision arrangement between the University of Rouen and the University of Geneva and fully funded by the Normandy region, is that several aspects of family dynamics are reflected in the development of attitudes toward intensive training as an educational tool. This hypothesis will make it possible to identify the most efficient, effective, or resilient forms of partnership, on the one hand, as well as the conditions that make these coordination efforts satisfactory in the eyes of the various stakeholders.
The study compares two individual sports (the French Gymnastics Federation and the French Judo Federation), whose differences—in terms of athletes’ ages and genders, organizational structures, and regional distribution—will allow for the analysis of various types of variables. The two sports federations involved (gymnastics and judo) have long been associated with the project, support it, and will be involved in its implementation.
The partnerships under study are likely to reveal innovative approaches to educational collaboration that are undoubtedly highly instructive and potentially applicable to other contexts. The immediate goal is to help stakeholders in the sports sector implement prevention initiatives for athletes and their families, as well as training modules for sports administrators.
Important links
