Wingate Academy for sports excellence

The diamond of competitive sports in Israel

The vision

“Promoting the young and accomplished athletes of the State of Israel to excellence and leadership (victory) in the national and international arenas and strengthening Israel’s national teams, through assimilating fundamental values of commitment to the mission, investment, fairness, social responsibility, teamwork and pride to be an Israeli.”

The method

Cooperation with sports associations and institute units in the promotion and nurturing of outstanding young athletes – to benefit improving achievements in the national and international arenas and strengthening Israel’s national teams.

Who we are

The Excellence in Sports Academy was established at the Wingate Institute in 1990 with the goal to enable young and talented athletes with skills and abilities to realize their athletic potential under optimal training conditions and to bring them to achievements in international competitions, along with maximizing their academic and civic potential. This is done via optimal training conditions, including the bringing forth the national coaches, medical and professional staff, and suitable sports facilities.

The academy operates in cooperation with sports associations, the Sports Administration and the High-Achievement in Sports unit since its establishment, and the young athletes stay there under full boarding conditions. Each of the academy athletes age groups is ushered by an educational team that accompanies them in the academy facilities at the Wingate Institute.

At the present, in the 2020-2021 school year, the academy has about 150 athletes, male and female, comprising 9 sports branches and 12 training groups:

Judo boys and girls, table tennis (ping-pong), triathlon, girls’ soccer, girls basketball, boys and girls indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, water Polo and swimming.

What a day looks like in the life of a student at Wingate Academy for Sports Excellence?

A day in the life of an athlete at the Wingate Academy for Sports Excellence begins at 6:00 am and ends at 10:00 pm at lights out. The daily agenda includes about 5 hours of training – some in the early morning, before school – and some in the afternoon and evening. Moreover, the school classes system is also adapted to match the athletes’ training hours.

Graduates of the Wingate Academy for Excellence in Sports complete 12th grade with a matriculation certificate as well as an instructor certificate in the sport they train, as part of their study program.

Academy objectives

• Increasing the number of academy athletes in Israel’s national team sports and improving Israel’s national teams’ position in the international arena.

• Increasing the number of academy athletes and graduates in the individual sports branches qualifying for the competitions’ final stages in the international arena.

• Obtaining a high-quality matriculation certificate by each and every athlete of the academy.

• Education of male and female Academy athletes for meaningful citizenship and leadership in society.

• Operating continuation framework for outstanding athletes, male and female of the academy – in collaboration with various sports associations and the Sports Administration.

• We shall emphasize that the academy focuses on outstanding young athletes, who have the highest achievement potential at the national and international levels.

How to get accepted to Wingate Academy for Excellence in Sports?

Admission to the Wingate Academy for Excellence in Sports is carried out in several stages:

First step – professional suitability:

The search and selection procedures for the Wingate Academy are executed by the various sports associations.

The acceptance criteria are monitored and approved by the Youth unit in the Achievement Sports division and the professional committee at the Wingate Institute.

Second step – personal and academic suitability:

The suitability is examined by the academy management and the staff of the “Hof Hasharon” school.

Third step – psychological, physiological, and medical suitability:

The examination is carried out by the Sports Medicine and Research Center at the Wingate Institute, the National Institute for Excellence in Sports. We note that at this step psychological testing is also conducted.