Parents Can someone explain the 'camps' idea to a newbie parent?

[Sasha]

Hi parents/coaches/anyone,

Looking at some other threads on 'camps' and I have some general questions. Hope you can help!

- How common is it for gymnasts to attend a 'camp'? I don't mean the special 'earned' camps like TOPs or Future Stars that you earn by winning - but the ones you just sign up for, apparently...

- Is it typically just in summer?

- What levels typically participate?

- Is it largely just for fun and change of pace? Or is it more for special instruction?

- Are camps ever at a nearby competing gym? How do coaches feel about that?

- Do gyms close for a week in the summer or something so kids go to camp somewhere else? If not, is it weird paying for gym then missing a week to pay for another special camp?

I have seen some camps advertised at a couple (possibly more prestigious) gyms in our general area. I would feel so weird, though, signing them up to go to a competing gym, especially when our gym has their own camp. Or am I the weird one and this is normal?

I'm just overall confused by this concept....

Thanks for shedding any light!

s

 

[cbifoja]

My DD went to FlipFest when she was 7 and getting ready to compete old L3 and Woodward when she was 9 and getting ready to compete as an optional. Both camps are held in the summer and are between $750 to $900. Neither is associated with a competitive gym and they offer workout times as well as typical summer camp activities like arts and crafts, swimming, horseback riding, etc. Girls from all over the region come. Some come as part of a team and some come solo.

They go through a workout/tryout when they first get there so they can be grouped with others of their ability and then work as hard as they want. I think there might be one mandatory workout and others are optional. When our coach went and took a group, she had more mandatory workouts.

Our gym has a handful attend every summer but not even close to a quarter of our team goes. It is more likely that they will attend a summer camp hosted one week in the summer through our local university. DD will likely go to that camp this summer although she has asked to return to FF as well. I don't know yet where she will end up going.

The prevailing philosophy on CB seems to be go for fun, not for intense training and skills but my DD always brought home new skills and I could see a big improvement both times. For that amount of money, I must admit that I expect my DD to take advantage of equipment and coaching that she doesn't have at home. I am glad she has fun and I want her to swim and ride horses and sing songs by the campfire but I also want her to work hard at her gymnastics as well.

Our gym doesn't close for any outside camps since they go all summer long and you usually choose what week(s) you want to send your kid. Now, our gym does hold a "team camp" at the end of summer but it is in-house and not something we have to travel to.

I dont' know of any competing gyms in our area that hold a summer camp that anyone other than their own team members can come to but even if they did, I think I would feel weird sending my daughter to another area gym for camp.

I think I gave my experience for all of your questions and hope that you get all of your questions answered!

 

[thefellowsmom]

When I was a newbie we were excited to try out a summer camp but learned that our coach does not want the girls going to any camp that he doesn't take them to or suggest they go to.

I think different coaches have different philosophies on camps so you might check with your gym. I was very suprised by this "rule" but understand that they work hard on foundation and are very picky about progressing skills properly and then the girls go off to camp and are allowed to huck skills and come back and want to know why they can't do this new skill they learned and are hurt when the coaches say they have to start from the beginning and learn it all again correctly.

My daughter has attended several camps/clinics with the approval of her coaches or taken by her coaches. Most of these she was sent to to work with a specific coach or expose her or the team to certain people.

That's just my gym though and from what I read on here it certainly isn't the most common coach opinion, but worth checking with her coaches if their opinion matters to you. There are several parents that take their kids to camp anyway but I trust her coaches to know what is best for her training so I follow the rules happily.

 

[MaryA]

- How common is it for gymnasts to attend a 'camp'?
A lot of girls at DD's gym go to a gym camp for a week in the summer, but we have two fairly close to us, so I expect our percentage is higher than most, except for the gyms that take the whole team AS a team.

- Is it typically just in summer?
I think IGC has a Thanksgiving camp. Maybe others do too. But mainly just in the summer.

- What levels typically participate?
There are all ages and all ability levels (unless the camp specifies otherwise). DD went fort he first time as a (old) level 4 and there were still several levels below her and many many levels above her at camp.

- Is it largely just for fun and change of pace? Or is it more for special instruction?
When my daughter attended a YMCA gym, I felt like camp was a place for her to "cram in" lots of hours with great coaches and great equipment. Now she is at a private gym where she regularly attends for lots of hours with great coaches and great equipment, so now I look at it more just for fun and a change of pace.

- Are camps ever at a nearby competing gym? How do coaches feel about that?
Some gyms do have their own camps. Whether or not kids from "competing" gyms can attend depends a lot on the relationship between the two gyms. I would definitely tread carefully here. Don't do it without talking to your child's coach. If you do it secretly, they may take it as a sign you're getting ready to jump ship!

- Do gyms close for a week in the summer or something so kids go to camp somewhere else? If not, is it weird paying for gym then missing a week to pay for another special camp?
Our gym closes for a week in the summer. Some kids do choose that week to go to camp. The camp my DD is going to this summer is only offered for one week out of the summer (a university camp) and it's not during that week, so yes, I'll be paying for both gym and gym camp that week. If your gym has daytime practices in the summer and you work, you can deduct her gym payments as a child care expense, so that makes it slightly more palatable. You can't deduct sleep-away camps, BTW, but you can deduct day camps.