Suddenly, Kobe Bryant’s clear voice echoes through the classroom. “I meditate every day. If I don’t do this, I suffer through my day instead of being able to control it. No matter what happens to me, I am in perfect balance. » Before the video clip with the basketball legend who died in a helicopter accident in 2020, seventeen young florists training at the Center for Resources, Expertise and Sports Performance (Creps) in Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts-de-Seine).

Aged 16 to 26, they are part of the next generation of men in the French team, the most promising of whom will then join the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance. For them, Paris 2024 is too close on the horizon, but some may have the chance to take part in the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

On September 22nd, as summer turns into fall, Maël Goisbault and Jean Fournier, a research engineer and a researcher in sports psychology, respectively, decided to share the words of Kobe Bryant to teach young fencers appropriate mindfulness towards their sport to introduce. Both work on the “Train Your Brain” program, launched by the University of Nantes in collaboration with the French Fencing Federation. This is one of two psychology-focused projects funded under the Very High Performance Sport priority research program launched by the National Research Agency in 2020, four years before the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Acceptance of thoughts

Launched in February 2021, Train Your Brain aims to optimize the mental training of French fencers. The three weapons (epee, foil and saber) are examined. “The special thing about this program is that it is transdisciplinary. We deal with physiology and psychologyexplains Jean Fournier. We initially worked with the men’s and women’s national teams. To conduct more comprehensive studies, we decided to focus on aspiring athletes because there are many more of them. »

None of the foilists present that day had ever heard of mindfulness. “It’s about focusing on the present moment. We want you to develop non-judgment and acceptance of thoughts.”summarizes Maël Goisbault before an introductory session. “But sometimes you can get carried away by emotions”, a teenager intervenes. The dialogue should be constructive. “If you deny your thoughts during a fight, you are fighting both yourself and your opponent. We want to help you have only one opponent…”explains Jean Fournier colorfully.

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