Parents Camp time

[emandelsmom]

Em's team leaves on Sunday for LSU gym camp. The girls are so excited! I am nervous at it is her first time at an away camp. Her coach is staying in the dorms with them so I know they are in good hands. I will drive down on Thursday for the parent expo, awards, and ending ceremony. I will miss her. . We will still have gymnastics for the girls that are too young to go to camp. That means Ellie still has practice atleast 2 times during that time.
Anyone else's child leaving for camp this week?

 

[taximom]

We have a few weeks before camp. My daughter goes July 4-10 to Gymrep. I'm sure your daughter will have the time of her life! Camps are so much FUN! Your house will be quieter this week but the reunion will be sweet!

 

[cathiann]

Not until middle of July 11th-17th at Lake Owen for both girls. I told them it's their last year going since it's so expensive (especially with two girls!)

 

[emandelsmom]

Thanks you all! We have spent the day finishing packing her. She is VERY EXCITED! It is all she and her gym friends can talk about! I keep checking to make sure she has everything she needs.
She has been saving for a year now. She paid for most of the camp. I hope she really enjoys the week and gets a lot from it.
Baton Rouge is about 3 hours from us so I am nervous for her to be that far from home. I am very thankful that her coach is going with them. She is like a second mom to the girls and will take great care of "her" girls. And has promised to send pics to us during the week.

 

[gym law mom]

Mine left today for Lake Owen. This year she took complete charge of getting everything ready and herself packed. It was definitely, "I don't nee your help Mom---got it covered."

 

[bogwoppit]

Baby Bog is off to IGC July 11-17, and then to GymRep for July 25th- Aug 2nd. She is very excited. This will be the seventh year that one of the girls goes to camp so we are pretty laid back about it all. Bigger Bog is not doing camp for the first time ever. However she is on a two week Exchange in France right now, so it all balances out. Her exchange was WAY cheaper then the two weeks of gym camp!

They have both loved camp and they both have made great friends at them. I am sure your gymmie will have a blast!

Taximom, do you drive all the way to GymRep, or do they travel as a group? That is quite the drive! FOr me it is 90 minutes door to door. IGC, however, is a huge trek and we spread it over two days and include a stop at Target and Friendly's (ice cream!!!). We'll go to NYC with Bigger Bog during the week! YAY!

 

[mariposa]

How fun for her!! Nice that it is a team thing, too, with coaches going. Hope she has a great time!

Abby gets to go to camp this year and we are so thankful. Someone we know paid for her camp anonymously. She is so thrilled, she screamed when I told her and has been asking about it everyday ever since.

With our financial situation, there will be no vacations for us. Many of her friends are going to Disney, etc. They are also hanging out at the local (expensive) water park a lot and we can't do any of that. I am so thankful she has her own little vacation, though she won't be spending the night except one night that is for all campers day and night sleepover.

I love that she can go to camp. I think she has had a hard time going back to gym after being hurt, feeling behind, lost skills, etc. This will be just some fun time. I have no wishes for her to "get" any new skills, just hope she has a blast. And maybe that she will get her grips broken in.

 

[my4buffaloes]

This time next week we will be at Camp Woodward. Her team now actually goes to Lake Owen, but we were already signed up to go to Woodward with our old gym, so we stuck there. Cheaper, closer, etc. We both can't wait although I know it will be exhausting. This is Emma's first time away from home other than the occasional sleepover. Should be interesting.

 

[emandelsmom]

Living in MS, there are no camps here for gymnastics. We have to travel out of state for the camp. The drive is almost 3 hours-so not too bad. Her coach is taking her level 4 girls. The older level 1 and 2 girls are being driven by their moms and doing camp as a day camp. My Ellie who is level 3 is too young to go to camp this summer. You have to be 7..She informed me that she will be going next summer. LOL My goal is for Emma to have fun and enjoy the experience.

All day today, she will look at me periodically and squeal-I LEAVE FOR CAMP TOMORROW!!!!!! It is the sweetest thing!

 

[taximom]

Bog: Last year I drove up both ways since my hubby was working shift work and we have 5 other kids. This year, now that I'm comfortable with the camp and staff I think Corky will travel up with a teammate who we brought up last year. I think my hubby is picking her up as a test run driving a 40 foot RV. So no long treks down the 401 for me this summer. I will miss the Saturday morning show so neat that they show you a workout!

 

[bogwoppit]

taximom!

After seeing the Saturday morning show for 7 years I can live without it! LOL!!! But it is a huge drive and she will enjoy the ride with a team mate. SHould be fun for hubby to navigate that big rig down those windy roads! She will have a blast as they always do.

This is the first year in 7 that oldest hasn't gone, feels very odd!

 

[lilgymmie7]

Camp

This is my DD's second year at camp. She wil even stay at the hotel for the week by herself. This is her very first year to do that. I am a bit frantic, but she is excited. She feels like a big girl. I think she is the only six year old to sleep at camp.

 

[emandelsmom]

Heard from Em's coach and Emma. The girls are having a blast. People from all over the US are there. As soon as they got there, they were asked to put bags in the dorm and come back to the gym to begin workouts. They love it.

 

[NeDadof3]

That's great news that Em is having a blast at camp! Makes me feel better about DD's first sleep away camp. DD starts at Woodward the week after next. She's going with her old team mates and Coach so at least it's comforting knowing that she's in good hands and won't feel alone. It's a really big deal for her, we moved out of state last year and this is the first time she really gets to see and work out with all of her old friends and Coach again. She's very excited!

 

[Gymnasticsparent]

Horrible Experience with IGC

Our daughter went for the first 2 sessions at IGC this year. As far as fun it was a 10. As far as gymnastics training it was a total disaster.

Our daughter is a level 5/6 gymnast and was basically doing all remedial skills. Despite her telling them repeatedly what skills she had and those she was working on or had goals to achieve, they kept her working on skills she was already proficient in.

In her second week, she was placed in the wrong group (an error by one of the coaches writing down her test out score) and although she repeatedly told them, she was told "it is what it is".

When she returned home, we were mortified to learn that she not only had no new skills, but she now would not throw her existing skills without a spot. Apparently, regardless of their skill level, the girls are double spotted on almost every skill. Our daughter broke her wrist last fall and it took quite some time for her to return to skills without being dependent on a spot and to have her return home "spot dependent" was a giant step backward. We also found out that the girls, regardless of skill level, are not allowed to do any landings on the floor or mats (except of course on bars). All landings are done into a pit for vaults, floor skills etc. Apparently they are now "hyper sensitized" to liability issues.

Even more troubling, is the fact that despite numerous phone calls to IGC during her stay and after concerning several issues, they did not respond once and still have not responded to emails and phone calls to date. The only response we did get was on issues with pictures at the camp (will explain below) and they were "disingenuous" about that issue.

While at the camp, campers are not allowed to have cameras etc. IGC takes tons of pictures which you WERE allowed to download hi res copies of for $1.69 each, or order prints for $15 EACH! Halfway thru the second week, they took the download option away and now only offer prints at $15 each. (this is no joke....$15 each). When we called we were told by IGC there were technical issues with the download and it would be fixed, however when we contacted the company that manages the pictures and purchase system, they told us that IGC made the decision NOT to offer the downloadable versions any longer. To spend over $3000 to send our daughter to IGC for 2 weeks and then have them expect us to pay HUNDREDS just to have pictures of her experience is an outrage.

Another issue was that, although IGC states the girls and boys at the camp are completely segregated, we found out that during rec time they are not segregated at all, and at times are together with little supervision.
Our 9 year old daughter was apparently asked to go to night time functions or dances by a 13 year old boy. Sorry, but we did not send our daughter to IGC to improve (or in my daughter case DEVELOP) dating skills! On her last Thursday at the camp, she sprained 2 fingers after an "over zealous" boy was roughhousing in one of the recreation areas, basically ending her training for the week.

Well to cap a long story....she will be going to FlipFest next year!

 

[emandelsmom]

OMG!! What a horrible week! I highly reccommend LSU. It was a great week for daughter. Expensive at near 500 in cost, but a great week.
I am so sorry you all had a horrible week. I would be so upset about that.

 

[Gymnasticsparent]

OMG!! What a horrible week! I highly reccommend LSU. It was a great week for daughter. Expensive at near 500 in cost, but a great week.
I am so sorry you all had a horrible week. I would be so upset about that.

She was actually there for 2 weeks, so horrible 2 weeks!

Thanks for the tip on LSU, will look into that one. IGC is just under $1000 a week (which makes their nickle and diming parents over photos even more amazing). So $500 a week is quite a bargain in comparison!

It was such a HUGE disappointment after hearing so many great things......

And to be clear...our experience was not isolated....about 6 other girls from our gym also attended for at least 1 week and had similar bad experiences.....

 

[emandelsmom]

LSU was awesome. The head coach Didi was in constant contact with our coach for the weeks leading up to the camp. Then she allowed our coach to be there as a coach in training for the week. They took the girls at their level and worked with them. Spotting was there if you needed it, but not otherwise. It was gymnastica all day long and no boys. The girls lived in dorms and ate in the cafeteria. At the end, the girls did a parent expo of their dance. They were able to get the gymnasts signatures and take pics with them and Didi. We purchased level pics of the girls and Didi. It was a great week.