High-level golf sports studies
Whales Biarritz Academy
WBA
Who are we?
Our Home Bases
Ilbarritz International Golf Training Center
Biarritz Le Phare Golf Course
Our Mission
Our goal is to select players as young as possible, to guide them to the highest level by supporting them over the long term and instilling in them a philosophy and values that are dear to us.
The idea is for this generation to represent the identity of the academy, making it an institution recognized for the values it upholds.
Sport
The academy’s goal is to provide young, ambitious players with the same level of support as a professional player : – A team of experts. – Daily monitoring of the entire performance program. – High-quality facilities. – All modern technological tools for more precise analysis.
Each player will have an individualized training plan and will dedicate every afternoon to it.
Four weekly physical conditioning sessions will complement the sports program.
The academic aspect
Students will follow astandard academic curriculum.
Thanks to the Basque Sports Academy, young athletes will benefit from a customized school schedule: mornings will be dedicated to their education, and afternoons to the sports program. This academic arrangement is managed by the Basque Sports Academy, which provides catch-up classes for our athletes.
For better monitoring, academic support classes are provided based on each individual’s needs.
Performance Director, WBA
Pierre-Jean Cassagne
Golf Coach
DES JEPS - Coach at the Ilbarritz Center
France U18 Team Coach
Our motto
Our educational institution
The Basque Sports Academy
The Basque Sports Academy offers an exceptional opportunity for passionate young students who aspire to high-level sports training while maintaining academic excellence. By joining our institution, students benefit from an environment conducive to their academic development, supported by qualified educational institutions that guide them toward excellence in the classroom while ensuring their well-being in sports. Join us now to reach your potential, both academically and athletically!
prytanée sportif
Educational institutions
At the Whales Biarritz Academy, we offer young talents the opportunity to continue their standard education in public institutions while following a high-level sports program through partnerships.
Academic support
The Basque Sports Academy provides personalized support. Catch-up and academic support classes are arranged individually to ensure our young athletes’ academic success.
School boarding
Thanks to the Prytanée sportif, our young athletes can benefit from 7-day-a-week boarding, staying with other high-level athletes, thus creating an environment conducive to their athletic and personal development.
We are in the news
Press article
“In the Basque Country, the Whales Biarritz Academy is graduating its first class of young golfers aiming for the highest national and international levels. These budding champions, aged between 12 and 15, have found an ideal setting to develop their skills and become champions, while also pursuing a tailored academic curriculum and an environment suited to their needs and age. The organization has thus signed an agreement with the Basque Sports Academy.
At the origin of the project, Pierre-Jean Cassagne, coach of the France U18 Team, reviewed the past season with Golf Planète and outlined the objectives for 2024. We met him at the Golf de la Nivelle while the legendary French champion Jean Garaialde, 88 years old, who came as a neighbor, gave advice to the young golfers, who spent over two hours talking with him! The focus was heavily on work, work, and more work.””
“They are between 11 and 17 years old. Passionate about golf, these young talents aspire to become professional players and dream of victories on American courses. They have been selected by the Whales Biarritz Academy. The Basque Country, a land of golf, hopes to nurture the champions of tomorrow. The fifteen golfers live in a boarding school in Anglet, where they interact with students from other sports programs in the Basque Country, such as rugby, surfing, football, or ice hockey. The Basque Sports Academy oversees the students’ education. Endarra in Anglet accommodates middle school students, while Louis de Foix in Bayonne serves high school students. Sacrificing their education is not an option, as living solely from golf in France is very challenging.”
Our programs
age of our athletes
FROM 11 TO 18 YEARS OLDGOLF COACHING
SCHOOLING
BOARDING SCHOOL
PHYSICAL TRAINING
MENTAL TRAINING
age of our athletes
FROM 8 TO 13 YEARS OLDGOLF COACHING
PHYSICAL TRAINING
EDUCATIONAL