Bodet Guillaume

The current trends of leisure sports in France

Bodet Guillaume

SportparticipationinFranceischaracterizedbydeeptrendsthatmakemoreandmoreFrenchpeopletakingpartinsportactivities,andbroadenthetypesofsportsandphysicalactivitytheytakepartin.However,sportremainsdifferentiatedinthesensethatstrongdifferencescanbeobservedbetweensports,andbetweenindividuals.Alongthesedeeptrendsmoremicro-trendscanbeobservedinvolvingeitherthepurposeofsportparticipation(e.g.searchforadventureandfun)ortheformsandmodalitiesofthisparticipation(e.g.individualisationandtechnologisation).Furthermore,sportparticipantsareincreasinglydifficulttosatisfyastheycanmixseveralofthesemicro-trends,sometimesinacontradictoryfashion,demonstratemultipleinterestsforvariousleisuresportsandactivities,whichconstitutesasignificantchallengeforleisuresportorganisations.

Massification；diversification；differentiation；omnivorism；individualisation；innovation

AsMignon[1]reminded us, estimating the volume of sport participants in a country is strongly influenced by the type of approach adopted. The more conservative, and reductionist, approach consists in focusing on sport participants affiliated to voluntary sport clubs, that are themselves affiliated to national sport federations. When using this method, the number of French sport participants is estimated to be between 15 and 16 millions for a population of about 66 millions of inhabitants[1]; a little less than a quarter of the overall population. Although this figure can appear at first quite a significant proportion, it certainly underestimates the number of sport participants as it excludes the participants that are not members of federal organisations, and specifically those who participate in private and commercial organisations and those who self-organise their sport participation. Consequently, the other approach is to adopt a much wider definition of sport and physical activity. According, to this view, in 2010, 47 millions of French individuals, aged over 14 years old, had claimed having participated to at least one sporting or physical activity in the past 12 months, representing 89% of the population surveyed[2]. This more inclusive vision clearly demonstrates the importance of leisure sport in the French contemporary society. Moreover, this figure highlights the growing trend of sport participation in France as an increase of 68% in 1985 to 79% in 2010[3]. This phenomenon, named ‘massification’ (i.e. opening up to masses), represents one of the three deep trends that have been characterizing French sport participation[4]. The most popular sporting and physical activities are in decreasing importance: walking and rambling, swimming, cycling, running, bowl sports, various types of gymnastics, and winter sports (e.g. skiing, snowboarding, etc.)[1]. When focusing on a narrower definition of what sport is, football with 5 millions of participants is the most popular followed by tennis (4 millions)[1].

1 Massification, diversification and differentiation

The massification trend characterising the growing number of sport participants can be explained by several combined evolutions. More and more segments and categories of the population have been concerned and interested in sport: women, over-sixty years old, farmers, labourers, entrepreneurs, and shop-owners[4]. However, it is important to note that this growth and opening up to new categories has not concerned all sports and physical activities in the same way and, even if institutionalized sports have benefited from it, the main growth has concerned individualised and informal practices, and private leisure structures, simultaneously with the creation of a new economic sector of leisure sport. This has been sometimes described as the privatization or commercialisation of leisure sport. This leads to the second deep trend that is diversification. More people practice sports, but they also practice more diverse sports - 300 sport activities were cited in the 2010 national survey[2]- and in different fashions. Under the simultaneous influence of innovating economic actors and sport participants with new needs and aspirations[5], new sports and disciplines have been created and consequently practiced. A noticeable stream within this diversification trend concerns the individualisation, and sports and physical activities that can be practiced alone (e.g. swimming, running, working out, etc.), and present a minimum of organisational constraints have received more and more interests and involvement[4]. These ‘new’ sports or sport forms were not only promoted and tried because of the newness of their formats but also because they have been the vehicles of new values and new meanings. As Seippel[6]and Bodet[7]noted, performance and competition, are no-longer the key words of sport participation and many more meanings have been associated with sport activity. Seippel[6]listed joy and fun, keeping fit, mental recreation, social factors, expressivity, and body and appearance alongside the more traditional achievement and competition meaning. Differentiation is the last deep trend, and, even if sports have been ‘massified’ and democratised, strong differences remain between sports, and between individuals, social categories and geographical areas[4]. For instance, although participation rates are almost equal between women and men when considering a broad definition of sport and physical activity, women are far less represented in voluntary sport clubs and federal sport institutions than men, and certain sports such as football and rugby remain dominated by men while gymnastics and dance remain dominated by women[1]. Age is still a significant marker. Sports such as handball, judo and sliding sports (e.g. skiing, roller-skating) remain dominated by youth while the majority of walkers and ramblers are over 50 years old. In the same vein, certain sports such as sailing, golf, winter sports, tennis, hiking and trekking remain dominated by individuals from high revenue and education level groups[1]. These differences consequently imply that observers have to look at specific situations to grasp the reality and complexity of leisure sports in France.

2 Contemporary patterns of French leisure sport participants

In line with the diversification trend and the plurality of motives and meanings associated with sports previouslydescribed, Bodet[7]attempted to characterise the aspirations and behaviours of French contemporary leisure sport participants and identified several observable patterns. Consistent with the work of Seippel[6], Bodet[7]noticed the growing importance of thefundimension, and its festive packaging, associated with sports. This motive and pattern could be explained by wider social and economic factors and a need for individuals to ‘re-enchant a disenchanted world’[8]. This pattern is currently observable in fast-growing events such as Colour Runs, “where participants are doused from head to toe in different colours at each kilometre’ with the objective ‘to finish plastered in colour’, and Mud Day races that are obstacles courses in the mud. The later example is interesting because it also illustrates two other patterns listed by Bodet[7], which are thesearchforextra-ordinaryandadventure, and thesearchforconvivialsociallinks. The search for extra-ordinary and adventure is strongly linked with a need for change and variety in McDonaldised societies[9], but also a need to live emotional and memorable experiences, while challenging one-self, physically and psychologically. The development of sports called ‘extreme’ or with strong body engagement, are a clear illustration of this trend. As for the socialisation aspect, which was already mentioned by Seippel[6], this reflects the need and search for new relationships and dedicated social networks, either new in their existence when it concerns lonely individuals who want to meet new friends through leisure sports, or in their nature when sharing and cooperation increasingly replace competition and confrontation. Seippel[6]identified body and appearance (although not the most important) and keeping fit. These meanings associated with the body can respond to various purposes as one may want to become more physically attractive though leisure sport, and use this body as a distinction or social media, while one may want to be in better health and improve his well-being. Health and well-being certainly constitute a reason for participating of growing importance, particularly for older participants, as illustrated by the recent decision of the French government to allow medical doctors to prescribe sport and physical activity to patients with long-term sickness. However, well-being cannot be reduced to the medical dimension of health, but concerns the whole body-mind relationships as expressed in the growing importance of yoga and pilates activities, linked to the demographic trend: older population with a higher proportion of women. The last pattern listed by Bodet[7]concerns the ‘ecologisation’ofsportsandphysicalactivitiesthat traduces a need for individuals to be closer to the natural settings and outdoors (e.g. the 2016 National barometer on outdoor sport activities shows the importance of nature in sport and physical/recreational activities), that is not only observed in sport activities. Linked to this pattern can be found a search for authentic sports activities that sometimes push these recreational participants to search old-style materials and equipment such as old kayaks and boats, skis or fixed-gear bicycles (i.e. fixies).

All these patterns together might appear paradoxical, and this is probably one significant feature of leisure participation in France. Participants seem less and less satisfied by a single sport or activity and a single commitment, and are eager to change, to switch from one sport to another according to their mood and envies, the opportunities and offers they face, the places they are in, and the people they are with. Thisomnivorism[10], that is sometimes named zapping to indicate the rapidity of change and the width of individuals’ sports portfolios, represents a real challenge for sport organisations that offer a single sport with non-flexible ways (e.g. year-long membership) of consuming it, which is particularly the case of federal voluntary sport organisations in France. Several of these characteristics are summarized in the description of Jarreau[11]who described leisure sport participants as individuals with multiple interests, hyper-mobile as they are ready to travel long distance for the sport they want, less loyal to organisations, selective and demanding, and desynchronised because they impose their own rhythm and temporality. Omnivorism and zapping phenomena are one of the drivers of the massification and diversification trends.

It would not be completely accurate if these trends and patterns of leisure sport consumption were considered independently from what sport organisations and brands offer and create. Particularly, innovation appears a key aspect as it helps organisations and brands to distinguish themselves on the recreational markets but also match individuals’ expectations. In this regard, innovations match consumers’ need for newness and variety. It also contributes to the technologisation of sport participation that can foster social encounters (e.g. mobile applications helping individuals to find someone to run with) and comparison (e.g. when linked with social media), escape (e.g. rowing in virtual worlds), body control (e.g. information provided by smart watches), individualisation via facilitating autonomy (e.g. equipment for individuals with disability) and participation (e.g. lighter backpacks). Massification and diversification are linked and are the sons of the new era of sport consumption in France.

3 Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Dr Brice Lefèvre, my colleague and renowned expert of sport participation in France for his useful comments.

[1] MIGNON P. Point de repère - La pratique sportive en France: évolutions, structuration et nouvelles tendances[J]. Informations Sociales, 2015,1(187): 10-13.

[4] LOUVEAU C. Enquêter sur les pratiques sportives des fran?ais: tendances lourdes et problèmes méthodologiques. In Ministère des Sports et INSEP, Les pratiques sportives en France[M]. Paris, France: Editions de l'INSEP,2002: 135-154.

[5] HEINO R. New sports: What is so punk about snowboarding?[J]. Journal of Sport and Social Issues,2000,24(2):176-191.

[6] SEIPPEL O. The meanings of sport: Fun, health, beauty or community? [J]. Sport in Society, 2006,9(1):51-70.

[7] BODET G. Sport participation and consumption and post-modern society: from Apollo to Dionysus? [J]. Loisir & Société/Society and Leisure, 2009,32(2):223-241.

[8] RITZER G. Enchanting a disenchanted world: continuity and change in the cathedrals of consumption[M].3rd ed.Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press,2010.

[9] RITZER G. The McDonaldization of society[M]. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press,1993.

[11] JARREAU P. Stratégies du loisir dans les destinations touristiques. Loisirs sportifs, nouvelles pratiques, nouveaux enjeux[J]. Les Cahiers Espaces,2000(9): 63-67.

寶帝·古若米，世界休閑體育協(xié)會副主席，法國里昂大學(xué)運動管理系教授。

Laboratory on Vulnerabilities and Innovation in Sport (L-ViS), University of Lyon 里昂大學(xué)，法國

2017-04-16

2017-05-09