Federations
Wingate Institute – The place where Volleyball connects
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Article Sat, Feb 16 2019
Tel Aviv/Netanya, Israel, February 16, 2019. The Israel Volleyball Association (IVA) are working extremely hard to grow Volleyball and the very best example for that is the Volleyball Academy they have established at Wingate Institute in the outskirts of the city of Netanya.
This is where the IVA are nurturing their most promising and talented players, with the help of highly qualified coaching staff. As many as 50 youngsters up to the age of 18 attend the academy, where they improve their Volleyball or Beach Volleyball skills and follow high-school classes as well.
Wingate Institute is a truly impressive facility, just south of Netanya, where young players and athletes from many sports enjoy the very best conditions for their overall development. They stop attending the academy at the age of 18, when they finish high school and join mandated military service, which in Israel lasts for three and two years for men and women, respectively.
Italian-born Giuseppe Cuccarini is the man in charge of women’s Volleyball. He coaches the Israeli senior national team and at the same time, he works with a number of younger girls, who compete in the highest division of the national league representing Wingate Institute. Tatiana Artmenko, one of Israel’s most successful Volleyball players, is his right hand, while Luca Rossini, the brother of the Italian national team’s libero Salvatore, is responsible for physical preparation. Cuccarini agrees there is a lot of work to do to bring Israel back to the continental elite, but he enjoys working with the youngsters and their natural enthusiasm.
After leaving the Volleyball hall, you only have to walk a little bit further to meet Israel’s Beach Volleyball prospects. They can count on a very experienced and qualified coach as well, Claudia Laciga. Born in Brazil and married to one of the real Beach Volleyball pioneers, Martin Laciga from Switzerland, Claudia has returned to Israel to work for the Volleyball Association many years after her first visit to the country – which came in the early 90s when she spent time in a kibbutz. Laciga has a wealth of experience in working with young players and she has achieved remarkable results especially while coaching Switzerland’s Nina Betschart, Anouk Vergé-Dépré and Joana Heidrich.
Laciga is working hard with the Israeli youngsters in order to exploit the conditions available on site. Israel is an ideal place for Beach Volleyball as the country has wonderful sandy beaches and it provides the opportunity to play the game outdoors almost all year long. Moreover, knowing how competitive European Volleyball has become, the Israel Volleyball Association hope to achieve good results in Beach Volleyball even faster than with the indoor game, as you ‘only’ need two good players to do that.
Spending time with Israel’s Volleyball family is a truly energising experience. The country has a population of about 8 million people, each one with their own interesting story to tell, a unique family background and much more. Volleyball is just much more than only a game in Israel, since the IVA are working on projects that promote women’s participation and foster closer friendship between players from the Jewish and Arabic communities. In Israel and especially at Wingate Institute, you can see with your own eyes that Volleyball truly connects!
This is where the IVA are nurturing their most promising and talented players, with the help of highly qualified coaching staff. As many as 50 youngsters up to the age of 18 attend the academy, where they improve their Volleyball or Beach Volleyball skills and follow high-school classes as well.
Wingate Institute is a truly impressive facility, just south of Netanya, where young players and athletes from many sports enjoy the very best conditions for their overall development. They stop attending the academy at the age of 18, when they finish high school and join mandated military service, which in Israel lasts for three and two years for men and women, respectively.
Italian-born Giuseppe Cuccarini is the man in charge of women’s Volleyball. He coaches the Israeli senior national team and at the same time, he works with a number of younger girls, who compete in the highest division of the national league representing Wingate Institute. Tatiana Artmenko, one of Israel’s most successful Volleyball players, is his right hand, while Luca Rossini, the brother of the Italian national team’s libero Salvatore, is responsible for physical preparation. Cuccarini agrees there is a lot of work to do to bring Israel back to the continental elite, but he enjoys working with the youngsters and their natural enthusiasm.
After leaving the Volleyball hall, you only have to walk a little bit further to meet Israel’s Beach Volleyball prospects. They can count on a very experienced and qualified coach as well, Claudia Laciga. Born in Brazil and married to one of the real Beach Volleyball pioneers, Martin Laciga from Switzerland, Claudia has returned to Israel to work for the Volleyball Association many years after her first visit to the country – which came in the early 90s when she spent time in a kibbutz. Laciga has a wealth of experience in working with young players and she has achieved remarkable results especially while coaching Switzerland’s Nina Betschart, Anouk Vergé-Dépré and Joana Heidrich.
Laciga is working hard with the Israeli youngsters in order to exploit the conditions available on site. Israel is an ideal place for Beach Volleyball as the country has wonderful sandy beaches and it provides the opportunity to play the game outdoors almost all year long. Moreover, knowing how competitive European Volleyball has become, the Israel Volleyball Association hope to achieve good results in Beach Volleyball even faster than with the indoor game, as you ‘only’ need two good players to do that.
Spending time with Israel’s Volleyball family is a truly energising experience. The country has a population of about 8 million people, each one with their own interesting story to tell, a unique family background and much more. Volleyball is just much more than only a game in Israel, since the IVA are working on projects that promote women’s participation and foster closer friendship between players from the Jewish and Arabic communities. In Israel and especially at Wingate Institute, you can see with your own eyes that Volleyball truly connects!