Two days before the start of the Bastide UTS Nîmes, which will bring together tennis stars on April 3 and 4, the City of Nîmes has succeeded in its challenge: to bring the youth of Nîmes to the heart of the event even before the start of the competition.
Monday March 30 and Tuesday March 31, at the arenas and on the Esplanade, more than 300 students, notably from the Tour Magne, Jean-Macé, Émile-Gauzy, Jean-Jaurès and Charles-Martel schools, experienced a collective immersion under the sign of the little yellow ball. Supervised by 25 qualified instructors from local clubs, mobilized alongside the Gard Departmental Tennis Committee, the children were able to learn about different practices such as mini-tennis, pickleball (racket sport which combines elements of tennis and badminton, played with a perforated ball on a small court) and precision workshops or motor skills courses. The children were also able to play on the central court installed in the arenas especially for the big competition of the weekend. So many activities designed to make sport accessible to everyone, whatever the level or experience.
This sequence also marked the first official appearance of the new Deputy for Sports from the new municipal majority, Bruno Ferrier.
In this unusual setting, sporting practice was accompanied by a cultural dimension, with the discovery of the amphitheater and its history.
The experience will continue for these young participants on Friday, when they return to watch the quarter-finals, moving from the field to the stands, as close as possible to the intensity of the high level.
Finally, on Wednesday April 1, the stage will be open to local talent. Around thirty amateur players from Gard will compete in a qualifying tournament. The key? An exceptional opportunity for the four best: to challenge professional tournament players, on the arena court.
