Parents school camp interfering with international competition what to do

[trampolinemom]

DS (10) school has come up with a pretty cool school camp which will run wednesdaymorning untill friday afternoon. But... DS has an international competition in trampolining in the weekend for which we will have to drive friday morning really early (9 hour drive), have training friday night and competition on saturday and sunday, drive back on monday.

DS prefers competition over school camp but is also pretty sad about it.

So, it is not obligated to go to school camp but all of his classmates will go.
He can : go on wednesday and I'll pick him up thursday afternoon but then he will miss two practices so close to competition. I don't really know if that matters much but he will be more tired than he would be without camp.
He can not go to camp and just work at school with another group.
Or???

What would you do?

 

[mommyof1]

If he goes to camp, I would be worried about the fatigue more than anything else. Last time she went to camp, my kid literally won the prize for sleeping the most , and she still fell asleep on the living room floor as soon as she got home and was a crabby mess for the next three days. Can he just go to camp during the day on Wednesday and Thursday, or is it too far away for that?

 

[trampolinemom]

Can he just go to camp during the day on Wednesday and Thursday, or is it too far away for that?

Yes unfortunately it's too far a 2 hour drive single way. And yes not getting enough sleep bothers me the most as well. The competition weekend (we have been there twice now) is a very exhausting experience on its own.

 

[thefellowsmom]

My dd had to give up a school camp last year for gym. It was extraordinary circumstances as well. Different but of similar weight. She was very sad, but it was the right decision to skip camp and she doesn't regret it at all.

It's a tough decision and one you and your son have to decide together. After lengthy discussion, In the end I left it up to her, I trust that she knows what is most important to her.

We made a pros cons list and that really seemed to help her see it from all sides and identify and talk through what was really at stake on each side both from risk and reward.

I empathize and wish you all the best of luck with your decision!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Does he need to attend training on Friday?

Can he not have a good training session or even a private on Tuesday evening and then go to the camp. Then he gets home Friday night and has a good rest for Saturday.

I have often found myself that whether or not you train in the day or few days leading up to a co,petition has little bearing on the results.

 

[e'smum]

My dd had to give up a school camp last year for gym. It was extraordinary circumstances as well. Different but of similar weight. She was very sad, but it was the right decision to skip camp and she doesn't regret it at all.

It's a tough decision and one you and your son have to decide together. After lengthy discussion, In the end I left it up to her, I trust that she knows what is most important to her.

We made a pros cons list and that really seemed to help her see it from all sides and identify and talk through what was really at stake on each side both from risk and reward.

I empathize and wish you all the best of luck with your decision!

i agree it should be up to the gymnast. i'd rather dd miss a competition and be able to participate in life events like prom, ect.... but it would need to be a big happening in order to miss a competition....

 

[trampolinemom]

@aussie coach. The meet is in germany close to denmark. We live in holland. It is a 9 hour drive there from.home and Camp is 2 hours in the other direction. That is what makes it difficult. He has 2 big international meets this year and this is one of them.
But if the meet was nearby that would probably what we would do.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

In that case, if it was me, I would say no camp.

Its not like there wont be another camp next year, and this is an international competition, not a local meet. And if its only one of two, the experience trumps camp in my eyes.

 

[trampolinemom]

We are tending towards no to camp. Thing is if we go ahead and do both things half, nothing will be really fullfilling I think.
There is a small chance school might choose other dates so fingers crossed.

 

[Aussie_coach]

It can become a great opportunity for him to work on weighing up the pros and cons and making a life choice.

I missed my senior prom in 12th Grades to travel interstate to compete at nationals. I never regretted the desicion, when you make the desicion yourself you own it.

 

[auswi]

Gymnastics, especially at this level, takes up all their lives, so we absolutely let our kids choose. Although as other posters suggest we get the kids to make pros & cons lists. Girl goes gymnastics all the way every time. Younger in age brother- not so much.

But their sport- they own it

Good luck - never easy being a gymnasts parent!

 

[JMACAZ]

I would also go with what he wants to do. But if it was my decision I would say no camp...

 

[blueredzone]

I agree and let the kid choose.

Although kids need to be kids. If he wants to hang out and go to camp let him. Going to camp as a kid is part of the experience of being a kid.

Kids think it's awesome being away from mom and dad for that long. I remember camps I went on when I was younger and wouldn't change it at all.

School should be more important than gym

 

[trampolinemom]

Well, How this ended, We just agreed in janury to 1 day of camp on wednesday, then school, rest @ training on thursday and of to Germany friday early morning. But just now we found out that school wants to charge the whole amount of 250 euro for the whole camp and that is really a lot for just one day. Since we have to juggle money anyway and DS is really focussing on the international competition (which is a camp in itself, the gymnasts sleep together in classrooms in a schoolbuilding next to the venue. ) We decided no schoolcamp for him this year.

 

[txgymfan]

Sounds like a good decision. Good luck at the comp, it sound like fun. Unfortunately, we just can't do everything.