State-employed operatives and the production of elite athletes: accessing high-value functions in one's own professional group

Unlike other European countries, whenever national representation in France involves preparing and training athletes for major international events, the job will be entrusted to a specific group of professional officials working out of the state sector (to wit, the Sport Ministry) and called CTS Sports Technical Advisors. The present article analyses this group, particularly by questioning its functional mobility and the conditions under which officials get to a position from whence they can supervise elite athletes - a highly valued function that is of prime relevance to some STAs. The study also mobilises an empirical survey crossing data from interviews, administrative documents and observations made during actors' training seminars.