Jean-François Pétanque Educator
It all started in 1978 in Toulouse, I was 12 years old, I was rather a “wise” boy and curious about new sensations… Near our accommodation was a long avenue of plane trees where many games of pétanque took place as well as great competitions…
By regularly observing all these enthusiasts of “the little ball”, I quickly felt this desire to discover this very particular practice, where humor and melodrama follow one another in turn; As well as through the most beautiful competitions organized in the region such as La Toulousaine, formerly Les 3 jours de St Pierre, the National Paul Ricard, the National de Montauban, the various Federal Championships, and the Christmas Cup at the Parc des Expositions. ..
And there, when you find yourself in the middle of all this crowd of players, enthusiasts, onlookers, and all these champions, you have probably already felt it, this sensation of inner joy and these shivers of happiness which invade you in the whole body, trying to imagine in our turn everything that these champions could feel when they came together to do battle, during the final phases in the arena of the square of honor of these major competitions.
All these moments which really bring us this feeling of inner joy and this real feeling of belonging to this big family that is Pétanque…
This infectious joy of being among them could even be felt intensely in the stands all around us; where however certain enthusiasts “supposedly” knowing all the subtleties of Pétanque could not help but express themselves on the strategies put in place by one or the other of the teams, by systematically commenting on all the shots played, and where everyone displayed their convictions. Thus the debate could open on the best way to play the game, offensive or defensive, strong or fearful, while trying to scrutinize the emotional states that all these protagonists revealed on the field… And all this, while enjoying the magic of the moment, of being all aware of being also part of the picture…
By observing all these champions in their slightest gestures, their faces tanned by the sun with this great determination which emerged through their attitudes, absolutely wanting to dominate the debates, accompanied by this furious desire to win where all stratagems were used: either by an “inadequate” position on the field wanting to destabilize the opponent, either by their way of communicating, by small remarks made in certain phases of play that are delicate to manage, could increase the pressure in the opposing team or “put them to sleep” … Our current Legends for example, without mentioning names… Thank you Marco! That’s also what beautiful Pétanque is!! or in their ways of moving with fluidity, elegance and solidity, and for others, noted by a grain of eccentricity, a hint of arrogance and nonchalance, risked destabilizing more than one…
However, accompanied by all these smiles exchanged between players and with a large number of spectators, thus demonstrating all this mutual recognition and this real pleasure of being brought together again among enthusiasts. This great brotherhood could be felt all around us.
The stage was set, the show could begin… and for some,
music too….., hi hi!
In a cathedral silence, we could all observe these starts of games, where the joy and concentration of all these players were felt intensely all around us, really making us want to experience such moments too, mixing adrenaline (poorly managed for some..), combativeness and fluidity for others, and above all Happiness and sharing for all..
In certain game sequences, we had the impression of watching a Marcel Pagnol film, as the Tirades of certain protagonists went so far out of the frame…
Welcome to “Au Théâtre Ce Soir” (we will come back to this during numerous modules on mental preparation and the acting tactics used).
Regularly and in turn producing real master shots, thus taking up the entire technical range of pétanqueur. Or by making a tails on 2 opposing balls stuck together! or tile in place, instantly raising the crowd who were just waiting for a spark to actively participate in this fascinating spectacle!
Or even by an extremely well worked ball at the point, managing to bypass the balls, by an external counter-hand effect coming from elsewhere, to finish its course in front of the opposing ball.
Marceau for example, was one of the only ones to perform such mastered gestures, Philippe Quintais and Henri Lacroix became Masters in the Art of the point, thus being able to tilt the lead, in such a way as to show us and in turn, their mastery in all areas of the Game and for the greatest happiness of the spectators.
enthusiasm and serenity could be read on their faces, thus proving that they are true champions at many levels… especially at the mental level…
The champions of the time: Foyot, Passo, Farré, Lovino, Massoni, Bartoli, Garagnon, Fazzino, Voisin, Choupay, Bideau, Lopèze, Simoes, Pariset, Bauer, M.Laville, the Lucchesi brothers, the Lagarde brothers “Messiah but yes”, the 2 Roger, Marco and Marigot, Loulon, Debayle, Tourné, Pizzolato, Ferrand, Déjean, Coco Lagarde, Rouquié, Bonnet (Father and Son), Gourse, Blasco, Autebon, Zorzi … and Sorry for those that I forget. These are all these champions and many other players, who transmitted this Passion to me, and which today still makes me vibrate so much from within, this feeling of sharing these same values and of promoting in our turn , all the beauty and all the subtleties of this beautiful discipline.
When we remember all these intensely emotional moments, we automatically smile from ear to ear and our eyes shine with pleasure and happiness to have been there! Thank you for continuing to promote all the Beauty that Pétanque brings us to life…
I immediately felt this desire and this will to want to be part of this great collective fraternity that is Pétanque…
As was obvious in November 1982, I received as a birthday present my first new set of boules, recommended by a former player of good level, “Boule Obut ATC 73 680 smooth”, with hindsight I think it was a good choice to start with, so I was able to start off always well guided by these numerous players and other enthusiasts of the small ball, who became for some real friends speaking the same language and vibrating on the same frequencies… I will come back to that by sharing with you many juicy anecdotes about this period of discovery…
My first years of practice were complicated, realizing very quickly that I was not naturally gifted and that, if I wanted to reach a higher level, I had to find avenues… but,…
My personal and professional life being busy at the time, with the ups and downs of life… I had to take a 20-year break…, thus delaying this desire to understand all the subtleties of our Sports Pétanque.
When I was able to find more availability, I took up my boules out of passion, heading to the fields for more diligent training. I signed up again in a club in Vienne (86), where I was able to take part in some championships and other competitions, with some good regional results, noting however that I still encountered difficulties in all areas of the game, n not having enough technical and tactical knowledge, without any physical and mental preparation, especially when I had to face experienced players… In those moments, I could no longer manage my emotions, I felt invaded by pressure, losing all my automatisms without really understanding why!
What did I do to resolve these problems?
Driven by this passion that was always present, I had to find how to reach a higher level, especially mentally, to learn to feel all these beautiful sensations of joy, calm and efficiency that only experienced players master.
I started by reading several works on Pétanque, such as those by Pierre Fieux, Frédéric Nachin, Gilles Souef, Pascal Leroy, Kaisen, and above all, delved into the Christian TARGET Method (FFPJP), which was the first to speak of “mental performance” and to have modeled it through a global approach, making it possible to optimize its potential, by integrating the vital notions of Well-being and Pleasure, where its research on Fluidity/Performance, Fluidity/Well-being Being, Mental Training, and Coaching Methodology are still a school.
And at the same time, out of passion, I watched and analyzed for many years, numerous high-level videos, in order to dissect and understand the attitude of all these champions, through these numerous perfectly mastered technical gestures, as well as on different tactical game phases which require reflection and team cohesion (we will come back to this by detailing all these juicy and burlesque anecdotes, which could at times resemble “a real open-air theatre”).
And it was from there that I realized that with an appropriate working method, as well as better management of my emotions