Parents National Camp

[Ty’s Dad]

I have a couple questions regarding Tops A camp.

I heard the girls only can use their phones at certain times. Is that true?

Are the coaches on site or at a hotel?

How many girls are in a cabin?

If teammates all made camp do they put them in the same cabin or separate them?

Do they need to bring their own linen and towels?

If your daughter has food allergies who do we contact?

 

[MnkysMom]

I have a couple questions regarding Tops A camp.

I heard the girls only can use their phones at certain times. Is that true?

Are the coaches on site or at a hotel?

How many girls are in a cabin?

If teammates all made camp do they put them in the same cabin or separate them?

Do they need to bring their own linen and towels?

If your daughter has food allergies who do we contact?

I have these same questions in addition to can a parent accompany their child (not to practice)? Many 8-year olds have never slept away from their parents and may not be comfortable.

 

[flipping_girls]

I have a couple questions regarding Tops A camp.

I heard the girls only can use their phones at certain times. Is that true?

Are the coaches on site or at a hotel?

How many girls are in a cabin?

If teammates all made camp do they put them in the same cabin or separate them?

Do they need to bring their own linen and towels?

If your daughter has food allergies who do we contact?

My Daughter went to TOPS camps last year and again in Jan (DIC), at the Ranch, and is heading back to DIC on Monday. Most of the details regarding logistics will come from Kim Riley closer to the date of the camp. I just read the Details thoroughly, and most of the information you asked for was included in our email, which came about a week before camp.

I thought I would share from our experience what isn't included in the email. There were times that the kids could use their phones between workouts, but the reception was pretty bad in Texas. I am hoping it is improved in Tennessee. Most nights she just called us to say good night, but was having so much fun, it was rapid fire chatter. ; )

As for food allergies, my daughter has them as well, and I was nervous. But it turned out really well! There is a medical form that we filled out, and I indicated her allergy on that form. I also sent her with non allergy food items for her to eat as needed. Bars, favorite snacks, etc. Also, her coaches stopped at a store on the way to camp and stocked up on a few banana's, water, crackers, string cheese, and a few other items. When it came time for meal time, we practiced asking if the foods were allergy free and explaining why she needed to check. Her coaches came by to check on her to make sure she was getting enough to eat. Everyone was REALLY helpful, and she felt great about what she could eat. She did have to supplement with her snacks a bit when a few items were questionable, and she didn't want to risk it. I reminded her to make that a priority.

Hope that helps! Good luck to your daughter!

 

[MnkysMom]

My Daughter went to TOPS camps last year and again in Jan (DIC), at the Ranch, and is heading back to DIC on Monday. Most of the details regarding logistics will come from Kim Riley closer to the date of the camp. I just read the Details thoroughly, and most of the information you asked for was included in our email, which came about a week before camp.

I thought I would share from our experience what isn't included in the email. There were times that the kids could use their phones between workouts, but the reception was pretty bad in Texas. I am hoping it is improved in Tennessee. Most nights she just called us to say good night, but was having so much fun, it was rapid fire chatter. ; )

As for food allergies, my daughter has them as well, and I was nervous. But it turned out really well! There is a medical form that we filled out, and I indicated her allergy on that form. I also sent her with non allergy food items for her to eat as needed. Bars, favorite snacks, etc. Also, her coaches stopped at a store on the way to camp and stocked up on a few banana's, water, crackers, string cheese, and a few other items. When it came time for meal time, we practiced asking if the foods were allergy free and explaining why she needed to check. Her coaches came by to check on her to make sure she was getting enough to eat. Everyone was REALLY helpful, and she felt great about what she could eat. She did have to supplement with her snacks a bit when a few items were questionable, and she didn't want to risk it. I reminded her to make that a priority.

Hope that helps! Good luck to your daughter!

What about if your daughter doesn't feel comfortable staying without her parents? Any information on this specific topic?

 

[flipping_girls]

What about if your daughter doesn't feel comfortable staying without her parents? Any information on this specific topic?

I had concerns about that as well. (Our daughter doesn't even like sleepovers that much, but shockingly loved camp.) There wasn't any information about what to do if kids are not comfortable staying without parents that I remember seeing, someone else might have something to add on that one.

 

[MnkysMom]

Thanks that was helpful. I'll need to keep searching for answers. My 8-year old has never had a sleep over nor a night without her parents. Hopefully she can just stay in the hotel with her parents.

 

[HoldThePhone]

Thanks that was helpful. I'll need to keep searching for answers. My 8-year old has never had a sleep over nor a night without her parents. Hopefully she can just stay in the hotel with her parents.

Given everything going on with USAG, there could definitely be some changes in this regard. Previously, the girls had to stay on-site (at least for DIC, not 100% sure about TOPs but I think it was the case there as well), and no parents were with them. They had people that would oversee a group of cabins, but they very much expected the girls to be independent enough to get themselves ready and to scheduled meals and practices on time. My daughter was also 8, and handled it pretty well, sometimes they surprise you!

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Many, many things have changed since the camps were held at the ranch. Kim will be sending an email out regarding all the updates and hopefully answering all of your questions about TOPS camp, the email will hopefully be coming next week. She is busy this week at DIC camp.

 

[Ty’s Dad]

Many, many things have changed since the camps were held at the ranch. Kim will be sending an email out regarding all the updates and hopefully answering all of your questions about TOPS camp, the email will hopefully be coming next week. She is busy this week at DIC camp.

Thank you

 

[Mrs. Puma]

I don’t have a horse in this race, but do they publish a DIC list? I’d love to know if some kids from local-ish gyms made it. Good luck to all going to camps!

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I don’t have a horse in this race, but do they publish a DIC list? I’d love to know if some kids from local-ish gyms made it. Good luck to all going to camps!

I’ve never seen a published list of who is attending DIC or Invite camps.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

I’ve never seen a published list of who is attending DIC or Invite camps.

Thanks! Totally just curious.

 

[Gymmom18]

Any insight on how gyms have handled coaches attending both A and B camps, specifically with travel logistics/costs? For example, if expenses are paid for a coach to attend A camp, can the coach use the return travel to leave upon completion of B camp since he/she has to remain a few extra days?

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Any insight on how gyms have handled coaches attending both A and B camps, specifically with travel logistics/costs? For example, if expenses are paid for a coach to attend A camp, can the coach use the return travel to leave upon completion of B camp since he/she has to remain a few extra days?

Lily's coach will be attending both devo and invite camp this month, he will be flying out with Lily and her teammate for devo camp on Sunday, Lily and her teammate will leave camp on Wednesday, her coach will stay behind, and 3 of her teammates will fly in on Thursday for invite camp. So we are able to split the cost of the coach's flight between the 5 families (he won't be renting a car and he's staying at camp, so no hotel fees either, yeah!). Not sure if this answers your question or not.

 

[Jenny]

I’ve never seen a published list of who is attending DIC or Invite camps.

I have seen lots of photos though of the line ups so you can usually work it out.

 

[HappyDDdriver]

At Dev Invite camp do the the girls train in their own age group or is it mixed and if my dd wanted to stay off site is that possible?

 

[flipping_girls]

At Dev Invite camp do the the girls train in their own age group or is it mixed and if my dd wanted to stay off site is that possible?

Not sure about the off site option, that would be a Kim Riley question.

For the October DIC, there were mixed ages. My daughter is 10 and there were 9 year olds through 12 years in her training group.

 

[bookworm]

What about if your daughter doesn't feel comfortable staying without her parents? Any information on this specific topic?

Back in the day, the athlete could not stay in town with her parents. We even had a coach end up with emergency surgery on our day of departure for TOPS camp so the girls flew down to the Ranch with a parent but on site, arrangements had been made for them to be overseen by a coach from another gym (who was a stranger to them) ....no parents. The covering coach was very nice but my point is even with a medical emergency, parents weren't allowed on site at the Ranch back then at least.

The coaches stayed on site in the "motels" and the gymnasts were in the cabins...we had multiple girls go from our gym and they were always housed together. Food was pretty lousy back then and I had one with a severe allergy and that was never a problem. What we did do is give power of attorney to our club coach for the duration of the trip in case anything emergent happened and needed medical attention without delay.

I think the athletes were expected to stay with other gymnasts as part of meshing and bonding as part of the camps but given what took place at the camps, the athlete may be allowed to stay off site now.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

No the gymnasts cannot stay offsite, they stay in the cabins as do the chaperones (the ones there through USAG, not the parents who may travel with) and the coaches. The training groups are random, except fir the girls from the same gym, they will always be roomed together and in the same training group.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

As for the food all of the girls said it was MUCH better than what was served at the ranch.