Overall Programme and Goals

• To obtain a good level of physical fitness and professional ability.
• To learn the theoretical and practical aspects of a healthy life.
• For chanichim to expand their knowledge of anatomy, sports medicine and other subjects related to an athlete’s life.
• To meet Israel’s top sportsmen and Olympic champions.
• To understand the level of commitment, requirements, and way of life of a professional athlete.

The Year Course Athletic Programme (YCAP) is an addition to the traditional Year Course programme, offering Community Volunteering, Jerusalem Studies, and the Israeli Experience sections. Each component features extended opportunities for volunteering, learning, and cultural enrichment.

YCAP offers an intensive educational and practical programme that is designed to bring chanichim to a higher level in their field of sports, whilst offering numerous opportunities to practice different types of sports, for example: kite surfing, rock climbing, pole vaulting, basketball, tennis and more.

Chanichim will meet leading athletes and sports business professionals such as, like Shimon Mizrahi, chairman of Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team. Chanichim will practice alongside up and coming young Israeli athletes to learn new sports, and meet people their own age striving for the top.

Prior experience with Sports is needed in order to be a participant in this programme: Chanichim who have played for their school teams or play regular competitive sports are appropriate for this programme. If you are a chanich/a, who is willing to work hard and wants to challenge themselves whilst developing physical skills and enrich their knowledge – then this is the programme for you!

No special Hebrew level is required.

Israel Experience (September – November)
For the first semester of the programme chanichim will participate in an intensive sports programme, built to get chanichim to a high level of physical fitness and professional knowledge.

Chanichim will live, as a group, in Pardes Hanna Agriculture School, a place that specialises in sports. Chanichim will have an opportunity to do some volunteer work on the farm (work with horses or milk the cows), but most of the time will be dedicated to sports practices and classes. The well equipped school offers an outdoor and indoor gym, a swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts and a full size football pitch. Chanichim will have professional trainers, and progress will be monitored by a personal sports trainer.

Once a week chanichim will have an evening group activity meeting Israel’s top athletes including Arik Ze’evi, Israel’s Olympic gold medallist and hearing about his experience in the Olympic games and life as a Judoka. Once a week, chanichim will go on a Siyur (field trip) visiting special places like Wingate, Israel’s leading sports institute and training centre, viewing the try outs for an IDF special unit, or visiting the international Tennis centre in Ramat Hasharon.

An example Israel Experience weekly schedule:

Community Volunteering (December – February)
YCAP is the only group on the YC programme that is given a choice for their second semester: recognising the unique abilities and way of life lead by participants, Year Course allows YCAP to choose whether to do an Israel Experience related to their field (Marva, Etgarim or other sports related projects), or to join their section in regular Community Volunteering in Holon.

When choosing Israel Experience, chanichim will have priority over regular YC chanichim for placements.

Should chanichim choose to live in Holon Community Volunteering (CV) they will go through the regular Community Volunteer programme: volunteering with the CV participants, all volunteer placements will be available. Some volunteer options will be unique to the YCAP track: volunteering as assistant basketball coach or teaching sports to elementary school children, impacting the community, gaining experience and precious practice time whilst offering assistance to people who need it.

Once every other week there will be a group activity, hearing remarkable lectures from leading athletes, or going see matches and sports events.

Jerusalem Studies (March – May)
The Jerusalem studies section will be the same section as referred to in the Year Course brochure. New sports facilities in the Judaean Youth Hostel (JYH) will allow the students to keep up with their regular daily routine – an equipped gym and an outdoor swimming pool will be available for use.

The JYH is located minutes away from the newly built Teddy Stadium, the home of Beitar Yerushalayim football club (a participant in this years Champions League!), and from Hapoel Yerushalayim basketball home stadium. Chanihcim will go together to watch games, as part of the YCAP informal education programme.

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Includes all the
latest information
on all FZY Year Course programmes for 08/09.