Maurice Blay, graying hair, 4-day beard, mischievous eye, walks through the ten trainees gathered in one of the sports base’s new training rooms. It provides training to these sports instructors 2 days a week alternating with their structure. At the age of 77, this former trade union technical advisor for youth and sports and Uereps coach has been providing training to enable participants to create, develop and complete a sports project since October 2023. “It is a training initiated by the director (Bruno Blucheau) and a team of young people (knowing themselves) who, like us forty years ago, very willingly shared a warm and friendly climate,” confirms Maurice Blay.
The latter has been wearing sneakers for a while on this site. In the early 1970s, a physical education teacher in the North, originally from the region, discovered the Templaise base camp during the holidays, with a beach, swimming pool, sailboats, an ideal place to meet friends. Because of his interest in the structure, “I was offered a seasonal job for the summer holidays. After training as a sailing instructor, I took the job.”
Among motivated colleagues
A few years later, Maurice Blay applied as assigned to this structure to develop the reception of classes and internships. “With the support of the base manager, I got this full-time position. In 1978, the Blay family moved into the temple. Responsible for participating in the animation of a team of several stakeholders, also supported by the National Education, Youth and Sports, General Council, we will experience years of professional happiness among motivated and committed colleagues,” he recalls with nostalgia. The base becomes his second home. Maurice Blay, known as ” Momo”, flourishes professionally and personally. However, this collaboration ends because “our commitment is poorly perceived. We are asked to leave the ship. Did we make some communication errors, maybe we were disruptive? Very possible…” he still wonders. Fortunately, the story does not end there. On the occasion of a change of direction, the contacts are renewed. After a few years, the educational project of a sports pedagogue is born. Although retired, “Momo” is asked to participate in the implementation and smooth running of this project. He brings his experience and expertise in the field. It’s a “happy return” for this retiree. Of course I will pass the torch as quickly as possible. But what a joy it is to find a place, an atmosphere, a dynamic that remained here more than forty years ago.”