La Casquette

The media pointing to the best of pétanque!

Words

from

Michelle Chambas

Vice-Présidente

Association

Friends of pétanque

Magny-les-Hameaux

France

Michelle, what surprises us when we first set foot in the Bernard Chambas space is the warm welcome you and David give us, but also your willingness to welcome players and visitors and provide them with information. Can you please tell us a few words about your commitment to the friends of pétanque from day one to today? Can you also tell us a few words about what you carry within you that goes beyond the game?

 

I am the first woman to join the club, and I am delighted! Beyond that, I am very happy to be able to watch other women play at the Bernard Chambas facility. On that note, during the Magny-Les-Hameaux associations forum in September this year, five women joined us, which makes me very happy. Mixed pétanque adds a nice touch to the games, and some of our female members have real talent for pointing or shooting, or even doing both with dexterity.

 

Our playing field is named after my late husband, which is a source of pride that still brings a lump to my throat every time I set foot on our boules court. It was David, our president, who submitted the request to the town hall, which responded favorably. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him once again. Finally, my presence and my daily commitment feel like a continuation of everything Bernard had started. 

 

What are your daily responsibilities and how much time do they take up in terms of time spent with your pétanque friends?

 

David and I have organized ourselves so that one of us is present every day at 3 p.m. to open the premises, welcome players, and maintain the court, which remains a public space. So we take turns picking up cigarette butts and trash, marking out each playing area when necessary, cleaning the restrooms, and, of course, taking care of everything our association needs to keep up to date with the office (organizing outings, competitions, accounting, supplies, administrative procedures, etc.). 

For you, Michelle, what makes a good day at the Bernard Chambas facility? What makes a bad day, if you've ever had one?

 

A good day has an atmosphere that recharges my batteries. It's like a feeling of well-being that comes without really trying to achieve it. I'm there, playing or watching our members play, chatting—in short, doing simple, genuine things, and I feel good.

 

A bad day is when it rains, since we don't have a covered court yet.

What does organizing a full-day competition, in terms of time and activities, mean to you and the pétanque team? Could you please list everything that needs to be thought about and answered?

 

It's a pleasure for the team and me to prepare everything and see the members happy, meet new people, and see the upper and lower courts filled with a multitude of players. Beforehand, the entire team works to prepare all the services involved in the competition (reception, information, catering, barbecue, setting up tables, chairs, and gazebos, perfectly marked playing fields, scoreboard for the different teams, supplies, etc.).

As a player, what message would you like to convey to other women or girls who do not yet play pétanque?

 
Try it! Try it! Try it!
All those who play come back again and again.