Lycée d’enseignement général et technologique
Docteur Koeberlé, Sélestat [FRANCE]

Sport in Alsace: e-mails from 2nd 12 pupils (Ms Clad class) to Anagni pupils (frebruary 2007)


Monday, 5th February 2007.

Dear Friends,

In this letter, we will talk about our sports, Alsatians well-known sportsmen and Sebastien Loeb, who is a famous Alsatian racing driver.

Us and sport.

First, Sébastien.
I play football in a club whose name is Hilsenheim Football Club which is the team in the village where I live. We are not very good because we lose a lot of matches. I'm fond of football. It has been my passion since I was young. Football is an exceptional  sport because there are different techniques for dribbling and shooting for goal. Football is perhaps the most popular and the most well-known sport in Europe.
It has a similar status to basketball in the United States.
All of my friends plays football so I'm happy when I go to training because I laugh all the time and I feel good after.

Next, Kaya.
I played football for 2 years with the Football Club of Wittisheim. We were rather good because we won many matches. I liked to play football in this club because the team spirit was perfect.
But when our team decided to join another team, I stopped playing because I didn't like the trainer of the other team. Now, I don't play sport with a club, but I play basketball and football, I go roller- blading with friends in the street.
 
And then, Raphaël.
For me the sport is very important because you can meet a lot of people and you can also have a lot of fun! I have been doing Nippon Kempo since I was thirteen. It's a Japanese martial art. It is a mixture of judo, karate and taekwondo. We wear a helmet, an armor and gloves. I love nature, that's why I ride mountain bike and I run. So I take part to the race and the competitions. I had already win some championship. Indeed I can see and discover lots of landscapes.
   
   
Alsatians well-known sportsmen.

- Sébastien Loeb (a rally driver twice World champion)
- Medhi Baala (a famous runner who ran in the olympic games)
- Julien Pillet et Vincent Anstett (fencing world champions)
- Cathy Dietrich (a famous five kilometers swimmerin)
- Thomas Dietch (a mountain  biker)
- Akim Abdelaoui (a prizefighter)
- Hergard Marzolf (a good kayaker)

Sebastien Loeb.

Sebastien Loeb : His biography.

Sebastien Loeb is a famous Alsatian racing driver. He was born in Haguenau, a city not far from Strasbourg ( Strasbourg is a big city very famous in France.It is nicknamed the capital of Alsace) on 26th February in 1974. Now, he lives in Bâle in Switzerland and he's married. Sebastien Loeb is a sportman since his youth.

Sébastien Loeb : His Journey.

From 3 years, he practises the gym in the lineage of his father, the former champion of the discipline. Very fast, he chains the competitions and builds up to itself a robust prize list during his(her,its) 12 years of practice: 4 times champion of Alsace and 1 time champion of the " Big East, 5th in the French Championship."
Sebastien left the secondary school. Hardly  he start up in the active life that the completeness of its incomes is absorbed by the object of its dreams: Supercinq GT turbo. His learning of the piloting so begins and reveals innate qualities.  1997. They look for capital, find a car. Dominique Heintz call Sebastien: << you run in 15 days in a regional test and I shall be your co-pilot >>.  First  Race, First victory. It is the same season, at the conclusion of the rally of Cevennes, that builds up itself a new couple: Loeb - Elena.  In 1998, the team attacks the Trophy Saxo Kit Car. Sebastien wins all the tests which he ends.  He takes the Trophy easily in 1999. Always amateur, Sebastien impresses the observers and especially his competitors... Citroen finances the second event saxo kit Car to get closer to this young man whose eulogies we make only. Citroën, resume at their expense the continuation of the program. Sebastien becomes the french champion.  Tanks to a lot of differents attents and a lot of sponsorings he become very famous and now he's the well-know  sportsman in Alsace. He enchains has present Rally on rally and consolidate his leader's place within the group Citroen.

Sébastien loeb: Prize list.




Monday, February 5th 2007.

Dear Chiara and Jessica,

Today, we are going to speak about athletics and sports in general.

As regards athletics.

Athletics, also known as track and field, is a sport which comprises a set of different disciplines involving running, jumping, throwing, combined events and race-walking. As  for its origins, they go back to the Ancient Greece, where it constitutes the most of the first Olympic Games events.

Nowadays, drug-taking, violence, racism threaten day after day the future of sport and sportsmen. The physical and mental health, the performance search, the competitive spirit, the respect of the adversary are human values that we must protect to the detriment of unlawful products. Indeed, money, media coverage, the series of the competitions and trainings, and pressure are the main factors which urge the athlete to take those miraculous disguised or not substances. It is high time to join together in order to develop the prevention programmes and thus so as to fight against the drug-taking !


Alsatian athletics abounds in talented athletes.

The most known is Mehdi Baala (European 1500m champion) Do you know Mehdi Baala ? He was born on August 17th 1978 in the neighbourhood of Hautepierre in Strasbourg. He is a French middle-distance athlete competing in the 800m and 1500m tracks but his main distance is 1500m. He was known by the general public at the Olympic Games of Sydney in 2000 where he won the fourth promising place on 1500m. The following year, he was only the twelfth at the World Championships in Athletics. However, in 2002, he was a gold medallist at the European Championships in Munich ; this medal was the beginning of his achievements. Even when he was one of the favourites for the Olympic title at the start of the season 2004, he  sprained his ankle some weeks before the Olympic Games of Athens preventing him from defending his chances. In fact, he was eliminated in series. Nevertheless, in 2006 at the European Championships, he came back in great shape having remembered the lesson of his disappointments. Thus, he kept his title winning the gold medal.


We can also mention Benjamin Compaoré, a 2006 world champion in triple jump in the junior world championship which took place in Beijing. Here he is. He was born on August 5th 1987 in "Bar le Duc". He weights 83kg and he is 188cm height. Benjamin have practised athletics for 12 years but he had practised judo and football before. It's a young man of great promise. I (clémence) have already met him at regional meetings since I also practise athletics…

Us and sport.

First I (Claire) had practised judo during eight years but I stopped it last year. I had the brown belt. When I had been younger, I think I was quite good, but it decreased when I began athletics. Indeed, I immediately felt this sport sweats me very well. So, I have practised athletics for four years.
I won some races, (regional championship in 100m in 2005). But, after an accident, I choose to upgrade my distance.
Currently, I run 300 or 800 m. I have eight training partners, they are my friends, and I get on well with them. My coach is called Alf, he's very friendly and passionate but he can also be frank and quite strict. I suppose that it's fairly like a second family. Well, when we win, it's great, but there are many bad moments too…
Sometimes, your coach is angry but you run, maybe alone on this big stadium… You would rather be at home but you are here, to run and to run.
What's more, I will participate in the National Cross country Championships in two weeks.
Well, sport is the school of the life. I think it's very important to practise a sport, even if it's just for fun. I regularly practise ski, skateboard, football, boomerang, kite… I am fond of extreme sports as well.
Sport takes a large place in my life!!

As for me (Clémence), when I was young, I had practised gymnastics for four years and then I began to play badminton just for fun with friends until last year. But I'm mad about ice-skating and ice-dancing. I'm rather fond of watching sports on television such as athletics, football, ski… What I enjoy most is walking in high mountains. Indeed, this last summer, I went in the Dolomites in the Brenta valley where I walked during one week from refuge to refuge.
 
We hope that you have enjoyed this topic and we think you will answer soon. Kindest regards,

Claire and Clémence.



Dear Marta P., Clarissa S. and Francesca S.,

We are going to talk about kayaking in Alsace, there are three principal disciplines, which are slaloming, in line racing and white water, represented by six important kayaking clubs in Alsace, to which Sélestat belongs. In "slaloming ",we have to make a short race composed of  "doors" on the river, like skiing (the two 2006 world champions are Stefano Cipressi and Julien Billaut, an Italian and a French …). In "in line racing", we have to cover a distance on a lake or a canal as quickly as possible (a double world champion, Babâk, is from the "Strasbourg eaux vives" club). In white water, we have to cross a portion of river (short, in five minutes or long, "classic", in twenty minutes), a world champion of white water, Harald Marzolf, comes from the "Strasbourg eaux vives" club too.

I (Gabriel) have practised kayaking for 6 years, in the Sélestat club, with Fabien. We do slaloming. We are fond of this sport because of the great feelings we can have in the waves. We often participate in competitions around France, last July we went to the French championship, and we are going to return next summer. I love the great atmosphere of this sport, during the training, the stages or the competitions, we have a lot of fun and get a lot of feelings.

I (Fabien) have practised kayaking for 8 years , in the same club as Gabriel. We make  slaloming. I like this sport because we can see many and different landscapes, rivers and countries like Slovenia. We often participate in competitions around France, last July we went to the French championship where I finished 36th  on 85. . I love the great atmosphere of this sport, during the training, the stages or the competitions, we have a lot of fun and get a lot of feelings.

Me, Gaëtan, I have practised football for 7 years in Scherwiller a village next to  Sélestat. In the club there are about 150 football players. I like this sport since we can see different landscapes and there are many different football stadiums. We can meet lots of people too with  different personality and that's good.

Kind regards.

Gaëtan, Fabien and Gabriel.


Monday, 5th February 2007

Dear Margherita, Federica and Francesca,

In this letter we will talk to you about our sport and about a famous basketball team in Alsace: the SIG.

First let's talk about Tiffany and the sport she plays. When she was 3 years old she did gymnastics however she stopped one year later since she didn't like this sport very much. After when she was 6 years old she did football only with boys but she stopped because boys made fun of her. Next she didn't do any sport until she was 13 years old she did dancing lessons but she stopped 2 years later and now she doesn't do any sport.

Next, let's talk about Justine. She is not very sporty but she played several sports in her youth like football in her village in a girl team, basketball and tennis. She still plays tennis every week. She quite enjoys it but she is very stressed before a match.

After that, let's talk about Charline. She plays basketball with her friends in the village where she lives. This year, it is seven years since she started to play in that team. This sport takes her two days a week; Wednesday and Saturday. One day she train and the other she plays match.

Eventually we will talk you about  the best basketball team in Alsace. The team which we will talk you about is the SIG (Strasbourg Illkirch Graffenstaden). It is a French basketball team based in Strasbourg. The club founded in 1928. Their uniform colours are red and white. Their home arena is Rhenus Sport whose capacity is 4 567 people. The SIG was French Champion in 2005. The SIG is composed from eleven players, a coach named Eric Girard, an assistant coach , a sport teacher and a physiotherapist. This team is the official emotions supplier of sport from Alsace. The most popular player of the eleven is Crawford Palmer but the other are very popular too. They play in a famous standart. All the player of the team train minimal three a week.

Kindest regards.

Tiffany, Justine and Charline.




















































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