Sport

The city gets involved in organising a large number of sporting events in its area, reflecting the significance of sport for the city’s reputation. Nantes contributed financially and technically to the holding of some 170 sports events in 2008, such as the international show jumping in Nantes (classed as three star since 2006), the national athletics meeting “Nant’Haies Atlantique”, the French skateboarding championships or the French under-15s tennis cup . The residents of Nantes were also able to watch or take part in the Nantes Marathon and the 10 kilometres of the Ile de Nantes, watch the Tour de France pass by and follow the French boules lyonnaises championship, in a festive and friendly atmosphere.

Nantes encourages sports to be practised at all levels, most often via contracts specifying the objectives for each discipline to work on in terms of overall development and an area project. The high level makes financial resources necessary, which have to be planned and managed using a good knowledge of the training networks of excellence. A performance group brings together clubs developing at national level in disciplines such as football, handball, gymnastics or sailing and benefits from subsidies and active support from the city. Nantes is there at the side of all sports players, and gave grants to 345 sporting organisations, with special encouragement being given to those in social housing districts or those which specifically address young people.

Sporting activities enable the conditions for educational success to be improved, and the quality and diversity of discoveries and learning to be guaranteed, thanks to direct liaison with school establishments. The city supports the sporting aspects of the Contrat Urbain de Cohésion Sociale (urban Social Cohesion Contract) and the Contrats Educatifs Locaux (Local Education Contracts) through financial support for 11 projects developed in social housing districts by sports educators who work in partnership with teachers.

Public events provide good opportunities for meeting young people and offering them sporting activities, such as was the case with the boxing workshop set up during the Ram Dam à l’Ouest, or also the organisation of the Eurolympiades which brought together 800 pupils in Nantes and from Europe, the creation of outdoor activities during the operation “Bouge ton été” (Get your summer moving) and the activities in the context of “Sport en fête” (celebrating sport) at les Dervallières.

The city runs a proactive campaign aimed at encouraging aquatic activities, by offering wide access to the municipal swimming pools to all publics, for the most varied of uses, from relaxation to competition. In 2008 the organisation of swimming pools was reviewed for greater consistency, in order to strengthen the operational context of their sports policy and to reinforce the links between the players in the sports project and local education.

For schools the City’s objective is to encourage children to learn to swim from years 3 and 4, by guaranteeing all children three weeks of lessons in primary school. The clubs themselves offer a wide range of aquatic activities: sports swimming, synchronised swimming, swimming with flippers, sub aqua diving, sub aqua hockey, target practice and aqua gym.

Figures of sporting facilities

159 sporting installations comprising 334 facilities, including:
224 open-air facilities (including in particular 8 athletics tracks, 54 tennis courts, 42 local sports areas)
111 covered facilities (including 40 sports halls, 8 dojos, 8 gymnastic halls, 22 tennis courts…).
5 swimming pools and 1 water sports centre,
12 stadiums, 16 playgrounds,
1 street park…

Support for sports associations

€6,290,726 was awarded in 2008 for the running of 229 different sports associations, plus 116 school or university sports associations
€117,907 was allocated for associations in social housing districts or addressed specifically at young people.