Women Gymnastics Camps is there a difference?

[bklyngymom]

I wonder is there a difference in instruction for an optional gymnast( level 8) attending Gymnatics camp at an NCAA institution like Penn State or Rutgers vs an iindependent camp like IGC or Gym Momentum? Are there any advantages of one versus the other?

 

[MaryA]

My daughter (finishing up her level 7 season) has gone to Woodward for the past three years but will be going to PSU this year. She is trying PSU because her coach recommended it and there are a bunch of girls from her gym going. Looking at the schedule, I think the PSU camp is going to be much more gym-focused... At Woodward there is only one required training session per day, plus two open gym times. There's a pool, ropes course, zip line, bungie tramp, horse back riding, etc. In other words, it's a camp! At PSU, all of the training sessions are required, and there are some scheduled excursions. Very little "do what you want" time. If I had to guess, I think that DD will enjoy her time at PSU but that next year she'll want to go back to Woodward. I'll report back in June if anyone wants to hear the 12-year-old's opinion on PSU vs Woodward.

 

[chalkbowl]

The weekend Gym Momentum camp is highly gymnastics focused, none of the extra fluff such as swimming or arts & crafts. I wouldn't compare the Gym Momentum camp to ANY Of the other camps you mentioned. However, I would highly recommend it. Fantastic staff, amazing gymnastics, great food, and just a fantastic over-all experience. They YMCA also hosts two week long camps (National Gymnastics Camp) which includes more of the fluff.

ETA: They do all differ, and it really depends on what experience you want for your athlete. As a coach I want my gymnasts going where they will get good gymnastics instruction and may even get a new skill or drill we can use in the gym. I'd rather them not go to a camp where gymnastics just HAPPENS to be part of the day, but the main focus is really out of the gym.

 

[coachmolly]

In my experiences the college camps are more gym focused because those campuses don't have all the bells and whistles typically (archery, trapezes, horseback riding, jet skiing, etc.) so more time is spent in the gym. There are recreational activities and fun evening events so it's not all serious hard work all the time. I much preferred my experience at a college gym camp over mega camps and am quick to recommend college camps to anyone who asks. The sessions are smaller, so more individualized attention and a better chance of working with the higher level coaches (college coaches, top notch club coaches), the facilities are incredible at most of the bigger schools, it is very gymnastics focused and seems to be more focused on reasonable skills for a child's skill level rather than just spotting them through "fun" camp skills they won't retain upon returning to their home gym. That's not to say your kid will come home with a bazillion new skills, because it is still camp after all and mostly for the fun experience, but I think there's a better chance of picking up something new in the college camp setting.
I also just read an article recently about a gymnast who attended a college camp for years and was ultimately awarded a walk-on position to the NCAA team when the time came as the college coaches were familiar with her gymnastics and knew she had a great work ethic. This is just one example and I'm sure not the norm, but it never hurts to get your name out there.

 

[flgymmom]

My DD is dreaming of going to Woodward, I told her maybe in a few years (she is new level 4) but I think she will prob end of going to U of FL where we hope she attends college (and of course is on the gym team)

 

[my4buffaloes]

We went to Woodward a few years ago and it was fun. Dd picked up some new skills that she promptly lost because she never used them in the gym. But it was fun and a great experience for her. yes I would absolutely do it again. But as she gets older and really wants to compete in college I will likely send her to college camps once she gets into high school. At this point she is still so young who knows what will happen, but attending a college camp is a great way to get your name known to them for whatever sport you are interested in. We are doing the same thing right now with my freshman. good coaching and hopefully an in when it comes time for scholarships and choices and such. of course you can't count on anything though.

 

[vagymmomma]

I think the age and level of the gymnast is very important in considering gymnastics camps. Over the years DD has gone to IGC, Woodward, PSU and Maryland camps. She still is completely enamored with Woodward and it would be her first choice every time. Our experiment with the college camps last summer was a huge flop. On the positive side, several level 8 and 9 gymnasts from our last gym went to PSU and they learned the yurchenko. That's a pretty big gain and a couple competed it that year. They were all high school girls. DD went last summer to both PSU and MD because she really wants to do college gymnastics and I thought it would be a great introduction. Her reaction after both was she was never, ever going to stay in a college dorm again.

Part of the issue at PSU was the general lack of supervision. DD called me panicked the first night because it was 10:50 and her roommate wasn't in the room yet. It was a 1030 curfew and lights out. She returned around 11:20 and asked DD if she would mind sleeping somewhere else because she wanted her friends to sleep in the room. DD didn't leave and the 3 girls tried to sleep in a single bed. It didn't work. Not much sleep. Over the next couple days these same girls were throwing tampons on people thinking it was oh so clever. DD did not know what to think. And then there was an incident in the cafeteria. After hearing story after story, all I could think was who was watching these girls? Pretty much no one was my conclusion. I thought maybe we just had a psycho roommate, but a girl who joined DD's gym had a similarly miserable experience there last summer.

At Maryland, I thought the program was nice (it was during the Olympics and they had a lot of fun events), but DD was completely misplaced. They placed in groups based on an application that was sent in 6 months earlier. After a day of doing tap swings, DD asked if they would mind if she practiced her giants. They were surprised to know she could do giants. No one even asked. And even with a fan in the room (bring your own), the dorms were miserably hot. I hope to try there again in a couple years, but there's no way she would do it again this year.

I actually like a camp with a little more than just gymnastics. They spend so much time in the gym, I'd like it to be a little bit of a break. Hope the above helps. My experience only, but I think college camps are better for older and more advanced gymnasts.

 

[Gymmommy71]

Gosh, that experience in the dorm sounds awful, my DD would be crying for me to come get her. I also hear that a lot of those dorms don't have air conditioning, the beds are small and the food is bad (my DD is the type that just won't eat food if it is bad, so I'd worry she be starving :/). And it's more than one college I've heard this stuff about. I think I may try something commuter this year for her early in the summer to see how she likes camp training environment in general (she is only 10 and has never been to one).

 

[kayjaybe]

My dd is going to Woodward for the first time this year. Our group goes as a team, but it is optional. Our team also strongly discourages doing any sort of camp on your own.

For us, Woodward is not that big of a reach because we are only about a 3-hour drive. If we had to fly, we would NOT be doing Woodward.

As an aside, I went to Woodward many.....many....many years ago. From the website, I can see it has CHANGED. There was only gymnastics when I went there. I think there was a pool, but nothing amazing. Other than that, there was horseback riding (which I got injured on when my horse got spooked) and some neat trampoline game. That was it.

 

[3gymgirls]

One of our state universities puts on a camp that I hear is quite good. We may consider it when we have more than one daughter old enough to go so they can buddy up and look out for each other. Our gym does a three day camp that is good so we will do it again this year.