In honor of the end of the season, the entire Olympique Judo Nice gathered at the Staps Campus. A training session for the little ones with their parents was held.
On June 23, 2024, Olympique Judo Nice came together to celebrate the end of their 2023-2024 season. More than 1,500 members attended for the competitions of the youngest categories. The club organized a training session with the parents for the little ones. Mohammed Otmane, the club president, explained this decision: “It’s a chance for them to do sports with their parents, as organizing a competition for the youngest is complicated.”
An Easygoing Atmosphere
Thus, for about 45 minutes, the parents joined in the fun. The exercises resembled a beginner’s class, evoking fond memories for the children and not overly challenging for the parents. It started with about fifteen minutes of warm-ups of various kinds. Then, the pairs had to hold the other person on their back for five seconds. Most of the parents allowed themselves to be toppled by their children. The instructors then demonstrated a simple judo technique to unbalance an opponent while standing, which was practiced by the children and their parent. Finally, a sort of hide-and-seek ended the session. Of course, one must not forget to bow before heading to the club’s cafeteria for refreshments.
Inspiring a Love for Sport
Clearly, the goal was also to instill a love for sport in the children and to see them re-enroll the following year. The club offers multi-activity courses during school holidays at a price of 230 euros per week. All the children received gifts at the end of the session: a bag of goodies including a water bottle and a club t-shirt, not to mention the participation medal. This short hour allowed parents to discover judo in a fun way, as Barbara explains: “I wanted to discover what my daughter has been doing in judo class over the past 3 years and share a friendly and sporty moment with her.” One thing is certain, the mission was accomplished for the club, with children more than happy to showcase their skills to their parents. “I really enjoyed taking mom down,” Billie explains with a small smile.
