WAG It may be winter, but let's talk Summer Camps!

[DisMom]

Ok, I know it is December and summer seems a million miles away! But we have already started getting literature/e-mails about summer camps.

Some of them are REALLY expensive. (what in gymnastics ISN'T expensive?!?!) But seriously, there seems to be a wide range for overnight camps. I have seen everything from $500/week to $1500/week. And I am willing to bet there are some that are even more per week.

Are the "big name" camps really worth it? (IGC, Woodwards, and the like.)
Are the super expensive ones really worth the extra cost?

What are some of your favorite summer camps and why?
How many weeks (if any) do you send your kids for?
Is it beneficial in terms of gymnastics to do a camp? Or is it really more the camp/away from home experience?

All opinions welcome!

 

[Gymmommy71]

My daughter has never done a camp, so I'm curious to see everyones answers to this thread. My only opinion is that when girls I've known over the years go away to them, I rarely see them come back doing anything new that they couldn't do before (or if they can, it's just something minor that they were already close on before they left)...if new skills are what you're after, could it be better to spend that ~$1,000 on private lessons with the top coach at your home gym? . And if it's the away from home experience you're looking for instead, well, there are probably a lot cheaper ways to go about that too . That said, I may have her try a commuter type camp this year just to check out how they work first hand, as well as see how my daughter responds to such a thing.

 

[bogwoppit]

Mine loved gymnastics camps, they went to do gym, make new friends and have fun. I always knew that new skills were not the aim, so it didn't bother me. Hubby and I often used the weeks they were at camp for a grownup holiday.

 

[Aussie_coach]

For some of us it is Summer now! It's very, very hot at the moment!

 

[emorymom]

I think at my kids' levels where they can miss training for a week and it doesn't matter a huge lot, then we will probably never do one.

They usually go to team day camp at their gyms. I have no idea if they learn more there than on a regular week.

DD will likely go away to Girl Scout camp and DS will go to a gluten-free camp.

If my child really wanted to be at camp for 2-4 weeks and we had money to burn, I'd send her to Flip Fest which seems to be a great general summer camp with a daily workout to keep them in shape. But heck, we're already paying for year round sports here and a pool club.

 

[cbifoja]

Very excited about upcoming summer! Summer before last, Bella went to FlipFest and had a decent time but really suffered from homesickness brought on by an accident she had the first night at camp. It left her unable to do much the first couple of days which gave her lots of time to get homesick.

This fall she asked if she could go back to FlipFest which made me so happy! She doesn't separate from me well so I took that as a very positive sign. I talked to her coach and she said she would like to take a group to Woodward. We canvassed parents and there is sufficient interest that we're going to Woodward in PA this summer, probably Week 2.

And yes, I'm going with! I've always wanted to visit Pennsylvania so that's what I'm going to do!

 

[krisnkids]

My daughters will be going to the University of Kentucky's camp. It usually runs 450 for Sunday through Thursday, overnight accommodations on campus. They have never been but I have heard good things about it. Rather reasonable.

 

[GymSurvivor]

I've gone to both Flipfest and Woodward.

I had a blast at both camps but if I went back to one this summer it would be Woodward. Flipfest was fun, but I felt as if there was something...missing. I don't know maybe since I'm an older girl in a lower level (But I did have a friend with me and we were in the same group)

Although if I was sending my daughter who is under the age of 10 I think I would do Flipfest (not only is it closer to where I live) it doesn't have the cheerleaders and the boys and girls from BMX, skateboarding etc... around.

But woodward seemed to be a little bit more laid back. Activities weren't mandatory (Mud Tug-o-war is mandatory at flipfest....you don't have to actually do it (Although you will get mud on you no matter what) but you have to be at the event)
Food it run a little better in my opinion. The gym is bigger and there is more open gym time.

Although others can correct me if I'm wrong but I think Woodward upped there cost a bit.

If her gym is going to a certain camp, I would send her with the gym. It always seems like they have more fun with teammates and others there that they know!!

 

[cbifoja]

My daughters will be going to the University of Kentucky's camp. It usually runs 450 for Sunday through Thursday, overnight accommodations on campus. They have never been but I have heard good things about it. Rather reasonable.

We had several of our last year L3s go to the UK camp and while I don't know the specifics, all of them came back VERY pleased with the experience. Said they had a blast and the camp leo was beautiful!

 

[cbifoja]

I've gone to both Flipfest and Woodward.

I had a blast at both camps but if I went back to one this summer it would be Woodward. Flipfest was fun, but I felt as if there was something...missing. I don't know maybe since I'm an older girl in a lower level (But I did have a friend with me and we were in the same group)

Although if I was sending my daughter who is under the age of 10 I think I would do Flipfest (not only is it closer to where I live) it doesn't have the cheerleaders and the boys and girls from BMX, skateboarding etc... around.

But woodward seemed to be a little bit more laid back. Activities weren't mandatory (Mud Tug-o-war is mandatory at flipfest....you don't have to actually do it (Although you will get mud on you no matter what) but you have to be at the event)
Food it run a little better in my opinion. The gym is bigger and there is more open gym time.

Although others can correct me if I'm wrong but I think Woodward upped there cost a bit.

If her gym is going to a certain camp, I would send her with the gym. It always seems like they have more fun with teammates and others there that they know!!

Yes, we all prefer that she go with her coach. I would have sent her with her coach the first time if we had found enough gymnasts who wanted to go. I do think she will get better training at Woodward with our coach there than she would ever get in a large group at FF.

 

[kayjaybe]

I'm thinking of sending dd to Woodward this year. The team goes every year, but it isn't mandatory. Only a few from her group (L5 shooting to move to L6) went last year, but it sounds like more are going this year and she really wants to go.

Our team pretty much "forbids" you going to a camp other than with the team. They have a required week-long camp at our home gym and then the optional Woodward camp. It is $$$, but at least it isn't too far from me as I'm in PA.

 

[Muddlethru]

Are the "big name" camps really worth it? (IGC, Woodwards, and the like.)
Are the super expensive ones really worth the extra cost?

What are some of your favorite summer camps and why?
How many weeks (if any) do you send your kids for?
Is it beneficial in terms of gymnastics to do a camp? Or is it really more the camp/away from home experience?!

My daughter only did 1 camp. It was the Elite/TOPS "invitational" camp at Excalibur Gymnastics in VA. Like you I felt the camps were expensive and I was not sure if it was worth it. Here is my take, if you are looking to learn new bigger skills, improve her gymnastics, hoping your daughter benefits greatly gymnastically, then you may be disappointed at any summer camp and in that sense it is not worth it. If you are looking for your daughter to have fun, meet new friends whilst doing some gymnastics, it is worth it. Many of my daughters teammates went to IGC, Woodward, WOGA etc. and when they got back there really is no difference in their strength, skill level etc. in fact, our coaches claim they lost some skills.

The camp my daughter attended had a few national team coaches coaching and as I watched, they did many drills, strenght training, form work our gym never does. But at the end of the day, if your gym is not strong and/or does not have a successful program or workout routine, you lose pretty much everything you've learned.. I think the success of a gymnast is in the day to day coaching and training. And one or two weeks at even the GREATEST camp in the world will only make a difference if things learned are carried forward.

 

[MaryA]

Here is my take, if you are looking to learn new bigger skills, improve her gymnastics, hoping your daughter benefits greatly gymnastically, then you may be disappointed at any summer camp and in that sense it is not worth it. If you are looking for your daughter to have fun, meet new friends whilst doing some gymnastics, it is worth it.

I think the success of a gymnast is in the day to day coaching and training. And one or two weeks at even the GREATEST camp in the world will only make a difference if things learned are carried forward.

I totally agree. DD has gone to Woodward for the past three years and loves it. I mean LOVES LOVES LOVES it... Christmas and puppies and chocolate and all things wonderful in this world are not as wonderful as Woodward. But especially now that she's an optional and practices pretty much as many hours in a normal week as she does at Woodward, and especially now that she goes to a really great gym with really great coaches who are interested in her gymnastics progression througout her "career" and not just for that week, I don't think it really helps her gymnastics at all. In a way, I wish we had never sent her because now I feel like a summer without Woodward would crush her, but it's SO expensive, and I truly think she would learn as much, if not more, at home going to her regular gym.

 

[thegymfreak]

At my gym, our coach doesn't like us going away to gymnastics camp, but I have heard great things about Woodward from friends that attend other gyms. So I would recommend Woodward.

 

[LizzieLac]

My DD has gone to IGC two years. I would say she makes some progress on her gymnastics, but she goes with goals for things she wants to try or fix. That being said, the real progress she makes is just working hard at her own gym. She loves IGC for the freedom, activities, and the motivation and inspiration she gets from being surrounded by Olympic gymnasts. And she goes with her cousin, so they get a whole week together. However, there is a sleepaway camp not from where I live that a lot of kids from school go to and my son went to last year. I think she wants to try that - but she isn't going to both!

 

[GymSurvivor]

I also have had teammates who have gone to the University of Kentucky camp and have said only good things about it. With the exception of a group who went a while ago and said there was no air conditioning in the gym or dorm...hope that has changed!! I'm assuming it has!!!

I also know Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy has the Firecracker camp which has received only positive feedback from our gym! But this is a day camp, so if you're traveling you'd have to stay at a hotel with her.

 

[vagymmomma]

My DD feels the same as MaryA's. We tried a couple college camps last summer, but nothing gets the love like Woodward. I think her favorite part is the amount of open gym. She goes to every open gym possible and feels she can focus on the skills she really wants to.

 

[MaryA]

DD says being at Woodward makes her feel "free." I get it. It's just the right amount of supervision and just the right amount of freedom for a kid, plus she's surrounded by other girls as passionate about gymnastics as she is.

 

[gymboymom]

Wow I just looked at the Woodward website and I know my ds would love it someday. I would only worry that he would come home telling me that the next year he will go as a skateboarder! Wow do they have a skateboard set up.

 

[MaryA]

Funny, I worry that one of these summers (in the DISTANT future) my daughter will come home WITH a skateboarder!