An eco-friendly tennis club near Mont-Saint-Michel
Does the importance of a place only rely on what you notice at first sight? In Pontorson, sheep are the first thing you see. This 4,300 people village, which is about 4miles away to the north of Mont-Saint-Michel, is dubbed the ‘land of salt marsh sheep’ –sheep being fed with salt-steeped grass here. But there is a local treasure to be seen. Tennis Club Pontorson (TCP) recently celebrated its unofficial 50th anniversary, though it was only recognized by FFT in 1988.
Club secretary Ingrid Cazalis showed us around the facilities. She is happy because the club put a water butt that no one will notice next to the two outdoor synthetic grass courts. It will bring water to the –real– grass surrounding the courts. She is also proud of the new dustbins next to the only indoor court. It may seem like a detail, but it brings a lot to the club. Also, who would notice that the old lampposts in the main hall have been replaced by LEDs with motion sensors? “The club set three priorities for the season earlier this year –the junior team, the women’s team, and the environment,” she says. “The board and the players, especially the kids, were immediately on board. They’ve been super enthusiastic about it. We all know that tennis pollutes a lot as a sport. So, we are all happy to help.” Though there are only 100 members, the club is a role model in terms of environment, resource, and biodiversity preservation. The Opération Balle Jaune (Yellow Ball Campaign), which acts nationwide, collected 900,000 well-worn balls in 2022. Through this campaign, the club has provided local chiropractors and schools with balls that will be used respectively for treating patients or as Mother’s Day gifts.
The club has also launched its internal carpooling service to reduce its carbon footprint. 78% of the members use it: “Before that, each parent would drive their own kid and that was it,” says Ingrid Cazalis. “But towns like Caen or Saint-Lô are quite remote. It is a 30-minute or 1-hour drive away from here. Now, parents share their cars and fuel costs.” On top of that, a company has offered the club to collect the old racket strings and sell them on the second-hand market or give them to charity.
