Onze obsessie voor commerciële en professionele sport is niet gezond en nog minder "volks" of "heldhaftig". Populaire sportfiguren en weinig populaire CEO's strijken even schandalige lonen op. Doping, gokken, fraude... zijn aan de orde van de dag in alle sectoren van het kapitalisme.
Toch kan sport ook anders. Het idee om de professionele sport af te schaffen ten voordele van de amateur- en schoolsport komt uit het programma van de Franse Staat (
Etat français) en vandaar deze peiling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9volution_nationale
The sport policy
Vichy's policy concerning sports found its origins in Georges Hébert (1875-1957)'s conception, who denounced professional and spectacular competition, and near Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Olympic Games and supporter of amateurism. Vichy's sport policy followed moral aims of "rebuilding the nation", was a little opposed Léo Lagrange's sport policy during the Popular Front and, but specifically opposed to professional sport imported from the United Kingdom. They also were used to engrain the youth in various associations and federations, as done by the Hitler Youth or Mussolini's Balilla.
On 7 August 1940 a Commissariat Général �* l’Education Générale et Sportive (General Commissionneer to General and Sport Education) was created. Three men in particular headed this policy:
Jean Ybarnegaray, president and founder of the French and International Federations of basque pelota, deputy and member of François de la Rocque's Parti social français (PSF). Ybarnegaray was first nominated State minnister in May 1940, then State secretary from June to September 1940.
Jean Borotra, former international tennisman (member of the "The Four Musketeers") and also a PSF member, 1st General Commissioner to Sports from August 1940 to April 1942.
Colonel Joseph Pascot, former rugbyman champion, director of sports under Borotra and then second General Commissioner to Sports from April 1942 to July 1944.
As soon as October 1940, the two General Commissioners prohibited professionalism in two federations (tennis and wrestling), while giving a three year delay for 4 others federations (soccer, cycling, boxe and basque pelota). They prohibited feminine competitions of cycling or soccer. Furthermore, they prohibited or spoilted by seizing their assets at least 4 uni-sport federations, rugby league, ping pong, jeu de paume, badminton, and of one multi-sport federation (the FSGT). In April 1942, they also prohibited the activities of the UFOLEP and USEP multisports' federation, also seizing their goods which were to be transferred to the "National Council of Sports."
Quotes
"Sport well directed is moral in action" ("Le sport bien dirigé, c’est de la morale en action"), Report of E. Loisel to Jean Borotra, 15 October 1940
"I pledge on my honour to practice sports with selflessness, discipline and loyalty to improve myself and serve better my fatherland" (Sportman's pledge — « Je promet sur l’honneur de pratiquer le sport avec désintéressement, discipline et loyauté pour devenir meilleur et mieux servir ma patrie »)
"to be strong to serve better" (IO 1941)
"Our principle is to seize the individual everywhere. At primary school, we have him. Later on he tends to escape us. We efforce ourselves to catch up with him in all occasions. I have obtained that this discipline of EG (General Education) be imposed to students (...) We have prepared punitions in case of desertions." (« Notre principe est de saisir l’individu partout. Au primaire, nous le tenons. Plus haut il tend �* s’échapper. Nous nous efforçons de le rattraper �* tous les tournants. J’ai obtenu que cette discipline de l’EG soit imposée aux étudiants (…). Nous prévoyons des sanctions en cas de désertion »), Colonel Joseph Pascot, speech on 27 June 1942