On the occasion of his candidacy for the presidency of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), Germain Roesch, re-elected president of the Île-de-France League, looks back on his career and his vision of padel and sports structures in France.

A president with an atypical career

You are the president of the Île-de-France League, but you don’t come directly from tennis. Can you tell us about your career?
Indeed, I only discovered tennis late in life. I am 65 years old, married and the father of two children. In my younger years, I played tennis basket. I was lucky enough to play in a club whose flagship team played in A Pro, what was called Division 1 at the time. I also did some track cycling, where I won two titles champion of Alsace which allowed me to participate in the French championships. It was only later that I discovered tennis, thanks to my children. My daughter was in a league training center, and my son was playing at the beginning of second seriesTheir involvement allowed me to understand how a tennis club and a sports Association, and that's when I started getting interested in the sport.

How did you go from being a simple, involved parent to becoming president of the Île-de-France League?
It all happened gradually. As I accompanied my children to the VGA Tennis from Saint-Maur (Val-de-Marne), the president asked me to get involved in the club. I joined the management committee, then I was vice-president and finally president for seven years. Subsequently, I was elected treasurer of the Val-de-Marne Leaguethen chairman of the departmental committee. For four years, I have been President of the Île-de-France League and also Vice-President of the French Tennis Federation.

An application for a new lease of life

You were part of Gilles Moretton's team four years ago. Why are you running against him today? ?
This is a legitimate question. Some might think that I was elected thanks to Gilles Moretton, but it is equally true that Gilles Moretton was elected thanks to the voice of the Parisian clubs. This support is essential for any candidate for the presidency of the FFT. I had adhered to his program, because he placed the clubs at the heart of the strategy and favoured, for example, the training young people withhyper-selectivity. Unfortunately, the implementation of this project does not correspond to what was announced. I am therefore disappointed.

So you are disappointed?
Yes, but not only that. I am convinced that it is time to breathe new life into the Federation, by truly putting clubs, volunteers and practitioners back at the heart of the system. With my team, we want to give power to the clubs.

Padel: a key issue

Padel is booming in France. What is your vision for its development?
First of all, it must be recognized that the current success of padel is largely due to private structures. They are the ones who sparked the enthusiasm of 400 to 000 practitioners, well beyond 70 licensees that we count today. That said, the association clubs play a vital role. Many have integrated padel to boost their activities, retain their members and attract new audiences.

Can you give us a concrete example?
History Padel Horizon illustrates well what a collaboration between private and associative structures can bring. In 2018, I put a group of investors in touch with the Saint-Maur Tennis Club, which had land available. In 2019, Padel Horizon was born. Today, this structure is one of the most important in France, with more than 1000 padel licenseesIt coexists perfectly with the associative tennis club, thanks to collaborative management and shared activities.

Valuing volunteers: a priority

The French associative model is based on volunteers. How do you plan to support them?
Volunteering is the pillar of our clubs. If the number of volunteers were to drop significantly, the entire model would be in danger. With the collective “Clubs, at the Heart of our Commitment”, we are working on a law Project to recognize and promote the volunteer statusThis project aims to provide them with a legal framework and to grant them concrete advantages to reward their commitment.

French tennis now has 1,1 million licensed players. What is your view on this figure?
This is an excellent result. I would like to thank the volunteers, enseignants and club leaders, which have enabled this progress. The paddle has also contributed to this with its many practitioners, and I am convinced that this growth will continue in the years to come.

On the road to the elections

The elections will take place on December 14. What is your plan of action between now and then?
For the past 5 months, we have been carrying out a national tour to meet the club presidents, teachers, and practitioners. We present our project and our team, which is complete and competent. I may be less known in some departments, but this campaign allows me to meet local stakeholders and make my vision for the future heard.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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