[Interview] Philippe Oddou: 90% of our young people are currently in activity

La Marseillaise: Can you describe the mission of your association Sport dans la Ville? Philippe Oddou: We are a general interest association that has been around since 1998 and our mission is to support young people living in priority neighborhoods. We support them in two ways. First, by offering sports activities at the foot of buildings on sports fields that we build and manage, and then by offering them opportunities as they grow up. The ultimate goal of our work is to guide them towards employment opportunities in companies, or for those who have the ability, we help them start their own business.

How do you support these young people on a daily basis? P.O.: There are several goals. First and foremost, our aim is to bring joy to the young people, because for children and adolescents, sports are all about having fun. We also aim to provide regular access to sports activities for young people, as we offer sessions every Wednesday and Saturday. This amounts to three hours of free activities, as all sports programs we offer are led by professional coaches who are employed by the association. Our sports educators are there to provide sports instruction, but they also aim to instill values and well-being in the youth that will be useful for their future job prospects.

What are the prospects for development of your association? P.O.: To answer your question, we want to help more young people. Helping more young people means welcoming more of them in existing centers and opening new sports centers. In the Marseille region, we currently have five active centers in the northern neighborhoods and Aubagne. I believe that in the next two or three years, we will open four new centers in the Marseille region. Every two years, we assess the impact of our programs to see where the young people who participated in our sports and job access programs are now. Between 85 and 90% of these young people are currently employed. They either have permanent positions in companies partnered with the association, or they are continuing their studies. We operate in priority neighborhoods where youth unemployment is twice the national average, which stands at around 15%.

What are the upcoming events organized by the association around Marseille? P.O.: In Marseille, we will be hosting a solidarity football tournament. For several years, we have been supported by the OM Foundation, which provides tremendous support, especially for our job access programs. For the past four years, we have been welcomed at the OM Campus in June to organize a large solidarity football tournament involving local businesses. This year, the event will take place at the entrance of the Calanques in Luminy on June 28th.