Martigues Sport Athletisme
The MSA is a traditional high-level athletics club deeply rooted in the Martigues landscape for almost 60 years. Its primary mission is the development of the practice of the different athletics disciplines. However, over the last 7 years, in accordance with its development project, the expansion of its activities has led it to intervene, in an ever more assertive way, in the neighborhoods of Martigues "labelled" QPV (‘Quartiers Prioritaires politique de la Ville’) and QVA (‘Quartiers en Veille Active’), with a view to the social treatment of the neighbourhoods through sport. Its proactive action has added to its image of sporting excellence that of a relevant actor in the social field in the eyes of our local authorities (City, Metropolis, Department) and the City Policy institutions.
This work has only been made possible through the patient construction of a professionalized team of 7 full-time coaches, able to intervene in the training of athletes in a search for sporting excellence while simultaneously working with the most diverse audiences, especially the audiences furthest from accepted forms of socialization.
This team is completed by 5 field volunteers and 7 apprentices, it being understood that the apprentices are also part of the social action carried out by the club.
With about 450 members, the club is managed by an executive board of 9 members, emanation of a steering committee of 17 members, all of whom are volunteers.
Although a sports club, the MSA is now recognized as a key social actor. Since 2017, in fact, we have built in association with the social centers of the neighbourhoods in QPV and QVA, a sports program with a strictly educational and social purpose consisting of bringing athletics to the neighbourhoods, at the foot of buildings and creating an annual unifying event bringing together the young people of the neighbourhoods. To carry out its actions in socially deficient neighbourhoods, the club has acquired heavy equipment consisting of a mobile athletics stadium and a truck to transport it.
