WAG Camp Woodward

[Gymnast4life.2016]

People who have been to Woodward only!!
Im a gymnast and yes I've been to their website and seen their magazines. I want to know from people who have been to Woodward, PA, how its like. What the groups, coaches, food, activities, and other stuff is like. Also did you improve from going there? Is it worth the amount of money you have to pay?
Any other tips!!
Thanks <3

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

The first year I went I was going to be competing 8 the next season and I was placed in the 2nd highest group. My coaches were pretty good and I basically learned my straddle back that week. Every year I went after that I was placed in the highest group and I was a level 9. The highest group obviously gets the best coaches so the coaches I had were really great! The one year I had a leg injury so I could only do bars (unfortunately I did not get the rip record. I think the record was 16 or 17 and I had 15). But I really did learn a lot. You learn a lot more at the open gyms because the groups have so many people in them.

However, some of my teammates were in the lower groups and some of those coaches were pretty terrible. You can't guarantee you will have good coaches if you are not in the two highest groups. I think there are 5 groups.

The food is pretty standard cafeteria food. We always liked the chicken grill or the burger grill. But we also ate a lot of lucky charms those summers too.

The activities are fun, but I didn't do that many because I was always in the gym.
The ropes course is something you definitely should do. I went go-karting too and that was fun. We always tie-dyed too.
Some of my teammates went zip-lining and horseback riding and paddleboarding in the lake.

It is a really awesome experience but I don't think it is worth the money if the gymnast is not self-motivated. Only 2.5 hours of class per day is mandatory and you don't learn as much in class. I learned a lot at the open gyms. If you don't go to the open gyms then it is probably not worth the money.

 

[GymSurvivor]

I went to woodward a couple years ago. I had a great time!!Every day you had to go to a mandatory workout and you have 2 other open workout options. The first day you get tested on your skills on floor and bars and they split you into groups. There were all ages in these groups.
As for the food there were SO many options. I always found something to eat that I liked and I'm a pretty picky eater.
Other than gymnastics there was plenty of things to do.

Was it worth the money? It depends if you have the money to spend. If you have it available, it was a lot of fun and a great experience. I wouldn't say I improved a bunch but they did have a bigger facility than my gym so there were lots of different skills I could do into pits of bars etc... but I didn't really gain any skills.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I agree that you have to be self motivated. I went with my dd a few years ago. There were girls there that were in the gym all the time. There were girls that were only in it for the 2.5 hours that were mandatory. You will get out of it what you want. There are a lot of fun activities as well as gymnastics. it really is an all around summer camp - which is great! Was it worth the money? Since I went with her we got a discount so yes it was worth the money.

 

[vagymmomma]

My DD loves Woodward - this will be her 5th summer going. Self motivation is very important though because there's a lot of open (not mandatory) gym times. The benefit of that is they can work on what they want and need. Lots of pits so I think great for working on skills. Last summer did her 1st real db dismount on bars at Woodward (she had been doing them off pit bar onto a mat at her gym before going). She learned her cartwheel on beam there many moons ago. She always with a particular skill to focus on. I like the variety of other activities, but she loves the gym time.

 

[kitkat]

My dd has been to Woodward a couple of times. The last couple years she has taken a break.
Not sure how old you are but she was 8 and 9 when she went. She was in the little girls cabin. I was a camp mom in the 10 and over cabin and let me say I am glad she was in the little girls cabin. The girls are mature and talk about mature things.

Cons: Beds are horrible, pizza is horrible. Hard on her body.

Pros: Food is cafeteria style, BBQ is good, fajita grill is very good, main cafeteria was ok but eat at the other places when you have time.
Rope climbing and horse back riding was great. Pool is good.
She got to meet a lot of Olympians which is loved.

My dd did the mandatory training. She also went back to the second training and then again for the third training. The third training she stayed maybe half the session.

I found that its a lot of gymnastics if you are there for gymnastics. My dd did about 8-9 hours a day and still did all the extra stuff.

I found that when she went with a small group of other dedicated gymnasts they worked really hard and had set goals for what they wanted to get. She got her giant there the first year - she was so happy.
But in the big group she went the second time - a couple of gymnasts had to break away from the group as most of them wanted the camp experience rather then the gym experience. Honestly its a lot of money to just hang out by the pool.

Last year she chose to go to Chicago and this year I think she might try Penn State. She said she didn't want to go back to Woodward for a couple of years. She said she will wait until she is 13 as her dream is to get scouted for a university.

I thought Woodward was good but its very busy and there are a lot of kids both girls and boys. As a mom of a 8 and 9 year old I would not let her go there without me being camp mom. I didn't find the security of the camp that great as well as there was 16 or 19 campers in one cabin. Thats a lot for a camp mom to handle. I just felt more comfortable.

If you are older and not too too serious about gym - you will have a super time as there is lots to do.
or if your older and serious about gym - you too can find something you want.

Good luck

 

[GymSurvivor]

She was in the little girls cabin. I was a camp mom in the 10 and over cabin and let me say I am glad she was in the little girls cabin. The girls are mature and talk about mature things.

Speaking of this, I had an awful time with the cabins. This is the main reason I didn't want to go back. I'm a person who would like a full night of sleep (Or at least mostly a full night) I went to camp as a 17 year old but had a friend from my gym come with me as a 14 year old so I put in the 12/13/14 cabin to be with her.
There was a huge group from Canada the week I went and they weren't series about gymnastics, they literally didn't take anymore and were ONLY there for the extra activities and the boys. They would talk loudly until 3 and 4 am every night.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

There was a huge group from Canada the week I went and they weren't series about gymnastics

Those damned Canadians..... hard for us to be serious

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

Yeah you definitely don't get enough sleep for the amount of gymnastics you are doing, but that is part of the fun. Almost like showering with rips.

 

[GymSurvivor]

Those damned Canadians..... hard for us to be serious

Haha, definitely not ragging on Canadians!! There are also several that were great to work with and I met quite a few coaches that were great as well!
Just this certain group of girls. They had been going to Woodward since they were 8 and 9 and so even though they had quit gymnastics they kept coming every year for the other stuff which I guess is not why I was there.

I get staying up at camp. But it was every night and not just till midnight or 1 am but 3, 4 and sometimes even 5am.