Parents How far away for camp??

[TexasRose]

Yes, I know it's November . However, I'm a planner- my career demands it of me, lol. I'm looking at summer camps for next summer for DD. I know it's super early but DH and I both work so we have to plan stuff like this as far in advance as possible. DD is 7, level 3. She has attended gym day camps in the local area in the past and has asked to go to sleep away camp next summer. She's been away from home before when DH and I had training so I'm not too concerned with her getting homesick.

My question is this- how far away do you send your kiddos to summer camps? I keep hearing about how great Flip Fest and IGC are so I'm tempted to try them. Flip Fest is more affordable and closer so that would probably be the one for next summer. If she sticks with gym another year maybe IGC summer 2013. So is it ridiculous for me to consider sending her to camp in TN when we live in Texas? It's a 15 hour drive. Have any of ya'll sent your kiddos so far away? I'm an RN so I've considered volunteering at the camp for the week she is there- it would probably help my sanity, lol . We will be sending her to Karolyi's camp for sure- a lot of her teammates go so she'll be with a group that she knows.

Thanks for any advice

 

[DND]

I don't think the distance of the camp matters as I sent my DD last summer to IGC PA at 7yo (she had never been away to camp before) and we live in central Canada.

She loved the camp and the experience was great for her and me! At least this way I know if she has to go to competitions with the coaches this year she will be able to handle it.

 

[gymgal]

For me, 7 is too young for a camp that far away. And spending the money and travel for level 3-4 seems a little overkill. I would use it more as an incentive for a couple years from now.

Dd was 9.5 when she first went with her team and coaches to woodward and she still had some homesickness. If her coaches weren't going I wouldn't have sent her. I hear to much from coaches here about how girls come back from camp with all the wrong form. I don't want to mess up her training.

Where we live, one of the universities hosts a gym camp in the summer - overnight. you might want to loook into this. It would be much closer and still offers the sleep away component. Doesnt karoli's offer sleepaway as well?

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[NGL780309]

Personally for that age and level I would look for a day camp if there is one in your area or within a short distance. Several girls from our gym did the OGC camp the past few years. Its a day camp. Some girls also went to the WOGA camp which was also a day camp. Ultimately, you know your budget and child best, so follow your instinct.

 

[Quadqueen]

I personally would not send my 7 year old level 3 that far away for camp. I would send her to a day camp for a few years.

I am currently deciding whether to send my daughter, who will be 9 in August and is currently in L5, to a 3 night camp at a college that is 30 minutes away...some friends think I'm crazy for considering it! LOL

 

[TexasRose]

Thanks for all the replies! That was exactly what I was looking for. She will definitely be going to Karolyi's, it's ony a couple hour drive away. I might actually send her for 2 weeks. I thought it might be a little crazy to send her so far when she's so young/new to gym. I was thinking if she stayed in gym and made it to level 5 or 6 that would be more appropriate. Does that sound reasonable?

 

[gym law mom]

I wouldn't do 2 weeks at an overnight camp until the child is much older and probably in optionals. Karolyi's camp is pretty good although the cabins etc are not as nice as Flip Fest, IGC and Woodward. She might catch a glimpse of Barta, but with the Olympics coming up quickly, my guess is they will be elsewhere.
Honestly for a 7yo at L3, a day camp that runs all week is plenty. Like others suggested I would look for some good college camps in TX--there should be a pretty good selection. I would not do 2 camps in one summer though. At her age and level, 1 camp is more than enough.

 

[bogwoppit]

My girls have done sleep away camps since they were 7 and loved it. When they were young we stuck with the ones closer to home, two hours. When oldest was 12 we took them to IGC and they enjoyed that as well. We took a vacation in the region at the same time.

 

[cher062]

My dd did sleep away camp that was a 2.5 hour drive from the house and loved it. Some think7yois too young but when my DD was 7yo she loved it - it will depend on the kid if they can handle it or not.
at the one she went to in Mt Holyoke, MA There were kids from all over the country (CA, TX, West coast of Canada as well as local ones) Away camp really doesn't matter for the kid if its around the corner or 500 miles away if they are going to be home sick. For the age you are talking about Go with what is close - the one you do is a good camp with a good name to it.

This past year my DD tried a new camp really close to home she did one of the gym camps offered by the local college and she loved it but wished it went from Sun - Sat instead of Sun - thurs. With her being a freshman in HS I though some of the college camps would get her looking at the campus and start thinking college choices.

If we could have afforded it my dd would want to be at gym camp 2 weeks or more.

 

[sportsmommy]

My dd who just turned 9 went to flip fest last year. Her coach was there and several other girls from her team. For us it was about 6 hours away. She loved it. It was an excellent experience for her. I think it depends on the girl.

 

[mayestra12]

My dd is 7 and is going to IGC next summer (she will be 8 by then). IGC is only an hour away. I would consider sending her maybe up to 4 hours away but nothing more than that until she is older.

 

[TexasRose]

Thanks everyone for your insight! I really apprecaite it. I was hoping I would get a nice range of responses and I did . Obviously some of us would send a 7 year old that far and some wouldn't- that's ok. If we all agreed with each other about everything this forum would be boring, lol . I just wasn't sure if sending DD so far away was something that other parents had done before at her age. I'm not worried about her getting homesick- she's been away from DH and I for long periods in the past and has done really well. She is very outgoing and secure, which makes our jobs a lot easier .

Budget wise- she's our only child and we've been very lucky that our careers have not been affected by the economy. We both work full time so she will either be at day camp (locally) or sleep away camp somewhere this summer- so we're used to having to pay extra $ in the summer for "child care". So the cost isn't really an issue fortunately. I'm not a fan of the YMCA camp here so I usually have to fork out some $ for different camps.

I've looked at college camps. I think we'll try the one at Texas Women's. Day camp at WOGA wouldn't work because it's 3 hours away. The day camp that she attended here was at the "other" gym in town- it is in direct competition with her gym- she went last summer before she was on team. It's a great summer camp but there is no formal training- they just have 4 hours of open gym each day and the kids play around. She loved it but I was really hoping she could go to a camp where she could learn something or polish skills. She'll probably go for a couple of weeks just because she has so much fun. I just hope it won't make her coach upset since it's the "other" gym.

Our gym does some summer camps- but they're only from 9-12 each day and last 1 week. It was fun for her but we work so those times are really difficult. We really need a full day camp where we can pick up at 5:30 or 6. That's why I figured a couple weeks of sleep away camp would be good. Not back to back though- I'd miss her too much, lol . I really appreciate everyone's replies though. It definitely gave me something to think about.

 

[mayestra12]

It is hard to find good camps. My dd's gym has camp from 9-4 but I think she's outgrown it. Last year when she went she was angry that she couldn't work on level harder skills because either the instructors (college kids) couldn't help or were too busy with the little ones.

 

[gymmomtoo]

My youngest has been to sleep away camps since she was 7 and loves it (not a gymnastics camp). My 13 yr old has been to Lake Owen for 2 yrs (11 and 12 yrs)-and there were younger girls there. If your daughter does well sleeping away, I don't see a problem with it. She'll have a great time and I know FlipFest has gotten good reviews, so she should have fun.

 

[gymmomtoo]

I've looked at college camps. I think we'll try the one at Texas Women's. Day camp at WOGA wouldn't work because it's 3 hours away. The day camp that she attended here was at the "other" gym in town- it is in direct competition with her gym- she went last summer before she was on team. It's a great summer camp but there is no formal training- they just have 4 hours of open gym each day and the kids play around. She loved it but I was really hoping she could go to a camp where she could learn something or polish skills. She'll probably go for a couple of weeks just because she has so much fun. I just hope it won't make her coach upset since it's the "other" gym..

I would talk to your coach about it first. He/she might not want her doing that--I know our coach would NOT be okay with my daughter going to a camp at a competing gym. In this case, I'd definitely ask before you do it.

 

[TexasRose]

I would talk to your coach about it first. He/she might not want her doing that--I know our coach would NOT be okay with my daughter going to a camp at a competing gym. In this case, I'd definitely ask before you do it.

Yes I definitely would. No need to start drama, lol. I would hope they would be ok with it because it doesn't involve any gym training. It's more like a regular summer day camp and just happens to be at a gym. DD loves it. They take the kids to the local pool, waterpark, state park, skating rink, etc. It's a great day camp- which is hard to find. I asked DD's coach if the gym would offer a full day camp and they said they said they don't have enough demand.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Yes I definitely would. No need to start drama, lol. I would hope they would be ok with it because it doesn't involve any gym training. It's more like a regular summer day camp and just happens to be at a gym. DD loves it. They take the kids to the local pool, waterpark, state park, skating rink, etc. It's a great day camp- which is hard to find. I asked DD's coach if the gym would offer a full day camp and they said they said they don't have enough demand.

Sounds like what our gym does during the summer too--they offer it all summer long. Becca, my youngest, went for two years--a day or two a week. She loved it!