Camp?

[gym4life123]

For the past few years I have been looking at IGC. It looks amazing, and I really would like to go, but it is far from here (canada). I was wondering if it is worth going. I would go for the experience, fun, but also to learn new skills. My gym is small, so I would be able to train in a better facility. If I were to go how long would you recomened staying? I would like to go longer than one week to make it more worthwhile (airplane cost). Also, I don't really know how to ask my parents about this, they would be hard to convince. I have already saved enough money for one week. How much time is spent in the gym? On the website there are 6 events for girls what are the other 2 (floor, bars, beam, vault). Next summer is really the only time that I would want to go. Are the cabins clean, bugs inside? Do you work with the visiting olympians, or is it only a few gymnasts that get that chance. Anything else I should know. If you, or you DD went, what did they think or it? Is there a varity of food? Thanks for your help.

 

[smileandflip]

I went to IGC last summer for 1 week. I liked it and wish i could have stayed longer but cost and time issues restrained me . I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I had been able to stay for longer. The other two "events" are conditioning and dance. Conditioning was good... I was sore but it was pretty fun!
These are my negatives. I honestly don't think dance helps you at ALL. It's supposed to help you with your dance for floor but honestly we didn't work on turns or jumps at all and did leaps ONCE during one of the practices. All of the other time was spent learning a dance for the end of camp routine. It was a total waste of time. I felt the instructor was not qualified and that if IGC is going to have dance, it needs to be dance that is going to HELP not pointless dance (which I can see how it would be fun to learn, but was also poorly choreographed for all levels in my opinion).
My second negative is that although IGC brags a lot about their "olympic coaches" and "qualified staff" and "olympic guests" only those who were (what seemed to be) level 9 and up got to be coached by them. Everyone else had to do the best they could with the MUCH younger and MUCH less experienced younger coaches who tended to be careless about the skills you're learning and couldn't explain how to fix problems you have with skills and also couldn't explain how to learn the skills. These younger coaches also very obviously picked favorites. I mean ridiculously OBVIOUSLY. It made me very irritated. Their lack of professionalism really tainted the whole experience for me.
Despite the negatives, I had a really good time at IGC. It was a lot of fun to meet different gymnasts from around the USA and even some outside of it. If you are to go, I would take advantage of the open gyms held every night. A lot of people tend to show up for the first one but after that spend their time on fun-but not gymnastics related-things like Space Ball and canteen and hanging out with friends. I took the opportunity to go to every open gym held. The open gyms are nice because REAL coaches help you then. Honestly not many people go at all so I had up to a 3:1 instructor to student ratio which was great. It helped me gain some skills I otherwise would not have gotten. You also spend a lot of time in the gym otherwise. I believe it's 6 or 7 hours but with open gym it was 8.5 i think. If you're a level 9+ gymnast this could be great for you and help you gain skills in a less intense environment than a competitive home gym.
IGC was a great experience but I don't think if given the opportunity to go back again, I would go. It's a lot of fun... it can be 24/7 gymnastics or it can be gymnasticshangoutwithfriendsdowhateverhavefun. I have gained more skills at my gym than i did there, though, and the money I spent going there could much better be put into private lessons and extra hours at the gym. If I were you, I would first see if there are any good gyms or college gyms in Canada that offer day camps or overnights. They are probably a lot less expensive and closer... maybe even driving distance which would be another point for convincing your parents to send you somewhere. I hope this helps you!

 

[smileandflip]

unfortunately it didn't separate my reply into the paragraphs I put it in. I'm sorry! It's rather long!

 

[gym4life123]

I am level 7. In Canada colleges and universities don't have teams and camps like in the us. Some have a club, but they are like any other club you would find there. Gymnastics is not a college sport here. There is one over night camp about 6-7 hours away from my city, and that is the closest one. Gymrep is flight distance, but it's outdoors so I don't know. There is a gym 4 hours away that I would like to train at, so I could look into spending the next summer there, and stay with someone on their team.

 

[gym4life123]

Another question. I was reading on here that they spot every skill, even if you already have it. Was that true in every group, where you spoted on everything. Where you doing skills that you already have, or mostly new skills.

 

[i<3thesmellofchalk]

Igc

yes it definitely is worth the trip. i have gone for 3 years and this year is my 4th. my gym is small too and it is a great experience to work in much larger gyms. the coaches help you through all of your skills and they are very careful and they wont let you get hurt. but if you do, there is a training center with very nice nurses. you do gymnastics most of the day. there are 3 breaks but 1 of them you can do open gym which my coach makes me do. the events are of course vault, bars, beam, and floor but the two extras are dance and conditioning. the conditioning is not too hard core that it will make u super sore but its pretty hard.. dance is one of my favorite events at IGC. emily, the dance teacher is a really really nice person and she is very funny and everyone loves her. there are certain days for certain things like ballet day. but the main thing you focus on in dance is the made up dance by her that you can preform in front of the whole entire camp. she makes up a dance and you learn it part by part throughout the whole week. it is hard at first but you will get it. there are tryouts to get in the front, second, and i think third row. you dont have to preform the dance if you dont want to. the cabbins are very clean and air conditioned!! there is sooooo much food you can choose from. it is different every day except the salad bar and the hot dog and hamburger line. there is also cereal and stuff like that if you dont like what is for breakfast. yes you get to work with the olympians there. they are great at helping you with your skills because they have been throught the same thing.

hope this helps =]

 

[Optionals United]

I would recomending going to one of the Woodwards in the U.S, because of the things I have heard about IGC. It is well worth the money! Wich is like close to a hundred dollars less than igc.

While I can't tell you about the Woodward in Pa I can tel you about the one in CA. You are not spooted on every skill.Basically,Sunday is screening. They ask you to show you your hardest skills you can so safely on each event and what level you last competed. You only do floor and bars.Then you are put in groups based on your skill level, if oyu feel you are not in the appropriate group then you are allowed to talk to the directors about your concerns. There are 5 events at woodward pa and 6 at woodward west. There is beam, bars, floor, vault, trampoline, and dance(woodward west) At woodward pa there is 2 1/2 hours of mandatory practice and an adittional 4 1/2 hours of open gym for 7 hours a day.

There are tons of things to do at woodward. And there are TONS!!!!!!!!! of activities to do at camp. The one in pa has: a talent show,lifesize chess tounement, billiards, rock wall, frisbee golf, camp fire, go karts,rock wall, target velcro wall, hip hop dance class, bungee tramp,create a skate(skateboard),ropes course, swimming pool,water slide,mechanical bull,digatal lab,recording studio,horse back riding, and arts and crafts!!!!!!!!! In ca there is: music,rock wall,swimming pool,talent show,bowling,ostrich farm, and bonfire. Pus there are different activities ever night. dogeball, cookies and kareoky, capture the flag. ect...

I would recommend stay a week. There is just soooo much to do at the end of the week you just want to go home and rest! If you are the adventurous/determind type stay two weeks. You will learn more than if you stay just one week. Although you learn sooo much in one week. The cabins are great! air conditioned,heated, good bunks,nice showers and bathrooms, and very clean. they are cleaned everyday by you and staff both.

As for convincing your parents just ask! Tell them you have already saved enough for one whole week. They will be suprised and will take into consideration how much you want to go!!!!!!p.s you will also need money for the canteen,new leos, pictures ect. and maybe they will pay for the plane and that money like $110.
hope this helped!!!!!

 

[bogwoppit]

My kids love IGC, but based on where you live and the coast you might consider going to GymRep in Quebec, it is a lot cheaper and they have great coaches. IGC is FUN and they spot everything, my girls don't go to get new skills, they go to do gym, meet new friends and have a blast. AT Gymrep you can work new skills and they will spot or not, you decide and they will intervene if they think you can't make it. They have two spotters on nearly every station. Their facility is not as awesome as IGC, but it is outside and the equipment is top of the line as the owner is also the Gymnova rep in Canada.

Lots of teams from you province go and the coaches can all speak English too.

IGC is great if you have the money, and parents with the time to do the drive. Gymrep is wonderful for the money and not as hard top get to.

I know there are some gym camps in Ontario that kids here have gone to, hopefully someone will chime in with their thoughts on them.

 

[coachmolly]

I want to IGC once many years ago and never returned. I had 2 coaches who were absolutely incredible and who I learned a ton from, but the rest were not memorable at all. Some of the coaches have worked at the elite level and others are very notable club and college coaches, but there are also a fair share of college aged kids coaching also. Who you get really depends on your skill level. Some of the college aged coaches are great, some not so much.
The gyms are great with tons of fun equipment to try out if you are from a smaller gym. I've heard that the cabins are also a lot nicer than they were when I went.
As for the Olympians, I had a few encounters with each. They had a Q&A session I think as well as opportunities for autographs and pictures. I was coached very briefly by all of them as well- Svetlana Boginskaya and Lilia Podkopayeva during dance and Amy Chow on bars one day. Not too much interaction, but it was fun to have them spot you or give you corrections.
When I went I had just turned 10 and was very shy and not great in social situations. I was also dealing with some health problems at the time which had not yet been diagnosed which probably greatly affected my experience.
I attended 2 other camps after IGC and got the most out of a much smaller university camp. The coaches are very qualified, the facilities are great, everyone is serious about gymnastics, and there is more personal attention. Depending on where you are in Canada, there might be a university camp that would be at least a little closer to you than IGC. There are schools in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and maybe some others that offer camps and could be at least a little closer.
There is also this camp in Massachusetts- US Gymnastics Training Camps
And some bigger clubs also offer camps, you might be able to find one a little bit closer but just as good.
IGC could be a fun experience for you, but there are also other options that might be a little less money but still just as fun!

 

[taximom]

My Daughter has been to both IGC and Gymrep. She prefers Gymrep because at IGC you basically do the skills you already have and are spotted. She is Level 6 training for 7 in Ontario. The other camp that has caught our attention but we have never gone is the U of Michigan camp held each year in June. Camp is a fun experience but to learn new skills your own gym really is best. Your own coaches care much more about your long term development than any camp coach would! I understand the small gym thing too we are about 5000 square feet no tumble track, no pit bar and low ceilings but great coaching trumps a great facility any day of the week!