The Founding and History of
World Instructor Training Schools

Jay Del Vecchio, the founder of W.I.T.S. has been an advocate for establishing national standards for the health and fitness training industry since the early 1980’s.  As a manager for Holiday Health and Fitness, now known as Bally’s, Jay’s primary frustration was the incompetence of most professional trainers, which tarnished the image of the industry as a whole.

To become certified in the self regulated industry during the 80’s and even currently, would take minimal investment of both money and time.  A typical certification process was one of memorizing answers to a written test without any practical application theory or internship.  The process was usually completed after only a few hours of class time and self-study.

In 1983 Jay established his own health and fitness center in Virginia Beach, Virginia which is now the home of World Instructor Training Schools.  Still frustrated with the inadequate training of prospective employees Del Vecchio began establishing his own internal standards and training programs.  In 1989 in conjunction with faculty teaching at Old Dominion University, well respected for their Health and Physical Education Department, a curriculum was created that incorporated classroom participation, practical theory application, lengthy internship under professional supervision and credited testing.  Now known as the W.I.T.S. certification, the class exceeds 60 hours of total commitment, not including self-study.  This new certification process in conjunction with overwhelming industry demand lead to the establishment of W.I.T.S. in 1993.

As CEO, Del Vecchio aspired to bring credibility to his company and to the fitness training industry nationwide.  His innovative certification has indeed established new industry standards.  The curriculum has been approved by The American Council of Education for college credits, The International Association of Continuing Education, The American Occupational Therapists Association and Board of Certification for athletic trainers. The company maintains its leadership role within the industry by participating in numerous nationwide organizations.

The class is taught at hundreds of universities, colleges, community colleges and technical schools across the country.  W.I.T.S. certifies thousands of students and fitness professionals every year and is an intricate training partner with Bally’s Total Fitness, LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, TSI clubs and many more across the US.

Finally, a W.I.T.S. graduate is a commodity within the fitness community.  The company assists its graduates throughout the country by filling job requests we receive from fitness organizations.  In an industry that still needs qualified professionals and credible standards, it is our goal to continue to expand and improve in order meet the needs of our profession.