Parents Going to FlipFest without your team?

[reillysmom2]

My DD is going to Flipfest camp for the first time this summer, week 10. That was the only thing she asked for her birthday. However, she will be going alone....as in knowing no one. No one from her team is going, and the only other camp she's been to is church camp but she knew several people there. Anyone with experience about sending your child to flipfest as a loner? She's pretty outgoing and friendly I just worry about her finding someone to buddy with.

 

[bogwoppit]

My girls have gone to many camps alone. They always end up making tons of friends, in fact when they have gone with friends/team mates it has been harder to make new friends. I think she will have a blast. Mine still stay in touch with people they met years ago.

 

[cbifoja]

My daughter did and she did okay. Not as well as I had hoped but her experience was tainted by an accident the very first day of camp that made her unable to participate for about a day and a half. She also struggled with some homesickness and I don't know that she was allowed to call home as much as she wanted.

But she did do a lot of fun things. Learned some gymnastics then came home and promptly lost it, which was also fine. She didn't make any friends but I'm sure she ran around with some buddies. She came home declaring that it was okay but that she wasn't going back next summer.....and she didn't.

But about two months ago, she hemmed and hawed before finally asking me if she could go to camp again this coming up summer. She's much further along in gymnastics now so we met with her coach to discuss going.

The coach did NOT suggest she go alone. Yours might not either. Have you talked to them???

In the end, our gym decided to send a group of girls to camp and my daughter will go that way. I expect it to be a much better experience.

 

[reillysmom2]

cbifoja-

Her coach actually tried to get me to send her last year; but I didn't have enough time to realistically make it work out. Our team is really small; there are 3 including my DD level 7's, and she's the youngest. No one else wanted/could to go. She suggested either Woodward or Flipfest, as she had attended both but Flipfest is much closer for me if I had to go back and get her middle of the week . DD insists she will be fine (she's 12). Our team is also going to a camp together that I feel will probably be more beneficial gymnastically wise than flipfest....I hope she has a blast there just doing gymnastics and I don't have any expectations on what she'll actually be able to carry over once she comes back. A trick or two would be nice though :0)
I would feel much better if they were allowed to have a cell phone in the dorm. I can see not letting them have it in the gym, but if she could just send a text or call when she wanted I would be more comfortable. I just don't want her to be lonely. But the more I sit here and type, I think I am actually worrying about it way more than she is and should just let it go. She's already picking out what leos she wants to take and clothes she wants to wear.

 

[cbifoja]

See, your circumstance is much better than mine was. My daughter had just started training team when she went and she had just turned 7. Your daughter has advantages in being older. But I agree about the cell phone....I hate that FlipFest won't allow them.

Our girls are going to Woodward this summer at our coach's request. She likes WW more than FF and since she's taking them.....LOL I am glad they can have a cell phone even though we've been warned that service up there is spotty.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Not flipfest but my girls have gone to various camps as loners and invariably had a great time. They come back with new fb friends and always want to return