Does your gym allow team gymnasts to attend other gym's camps?

[GymGirl's Mom]

I was just wondering. Our gym has never said anything about this, but a friend of mine whose daughter is on the team at another gym said her daughter cannot attend another gym's camp without their team and coach attending too- even in the lower team levels (3,4,5) Is this the norm?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

most of us are concerned with our level 9's and 10's. i would not say it is the norm for lower levels. but as long as you pay your tuition to the gym you attend while your child is gone you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[TumbleBunny]

Yes,our gym does allow the gymnast to attend other gym's camps(more lower levels). When you mean other gym's camps are you speaking of gym's in your area that offer day camps? or more somethng like Woodward ,IGC,or a College Camp? There is one gym in our area that does not allow their gymnast to attend open gym, at other gyms. My DD's gym does not have these policy's. The gym is confident in their team program and so does not put this type of "control" on their gymnast. But most of the higher levels would not be going to other gym's day camps. They are practicing in the summer so much anyway. The one thing that the coaches would not appreciate is taking privates at other gyms.

 

[Shewhodrives]

There is a gym in our area that has an entire article on their web page with REASONS NOT TO ATTEND A SUMMER CAMP. One of the reasons they list is, why would you support another gym. I'm sure the article was directed towards every level. I think that is probably the "norm" here, but some are more outspoken than others, obviously.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

She said all levels any camp are not to be attended without team and coaches (including IGC, Woodward, etc.). I can see this for higher levels, but for a compulsary level kid it never crossed my mind.

 

[lhmom]

I know that my daughter's HC does not want team kids going to the local gymnastics day camps (doesn't want bad habits to form with a more "casual" approach). She's fine with the camps like Flip Fest though. In fact, some of the older team girls will be going this summer to Flip Fest while the coaches stay back.

 

[Empowered]

At my daughter's old gym they were forbidden to attend any gymnastics camps, period. This was for all team level gymnasts. This summer a few girls went to Woodward and the gym flipped out and sent out flyers and emails letting everyone know that girls were not to attend any camps unless provided by the gym and would be asked to leave the team if they did not comply. The reasons that we were given were as follows:

1. They may end up teaching your child skills in a way that is different from the gym. Then the gym has to take extra time fixing what you learned wrong.
2. At the larger camps, they often let the girls try and learn skills they aren't ready for and then they show up back in open gym a week later trying them when they aren't ready.

They head coach said that if the coaching staff was excited enough about a specific camp they would invite the entire team program and bring our coaches to work with the girls while attending.

There were many parents surprised by this rule when it was enacted.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

At my daughter's old gym they were forbidden to attend any gymnastics camps, period. This was for all team level gymnasts. This summer a few girls went to Woodward and the gym flipped out and sent out flyers and emails letting everyone know that girls were not to attend any camps unless provided by the gym and would be asked to leave the team if they did not comply. The reasons that we were given were as follows:

1. They may end up teaching your child skills in a way that is different from the gym. Then the gym has to take extra time fixing what you learned wrong.
2. At the larger camps, they often let the girls try and learn skills they aren't ready for and then they show up back in open gym a week later trying them when they aren't ready.

They head coach said that if the coaching staff was excited enough about a specific camp they would invite the entire team program and bring our coaches to work with the girls while attending.

There were many parents surprised by this rule when it was enacted.

Oh my... this just seems like such excessive control!!! As has been quoted many, many times... gymnastics is a marathon, not a sprint!!! One week away at a camp like Woodward or IGC is more about keeping the girls interested in the sport by allowing them to try new things, have that total camp experience and just be a kid for a week.... geeze. Seriously, even if they learn a trick the wrong way, in one week, those bad habits are definitely NOT permanent. I know my DD never really learned anything new that she could bring back from camp, but she DID have great memories of meeting new people, meeting past olympic gymnasts, and trying things out on her own for a week.

 

[Beekeeper]

Our gym allows gymnast to attend summer camp. My DD has attended but it seemed like it was more for the experience of being away from home. She has attended Woodward and IGC.

 

[gym law mom]

One gym in the area is fine with team girls going to a camp like IGC etc. and another is not.

 

[gymdog]

Most gyms discourage this. However it's not that unusual for girls to attend week long camps, but usually coaches have preferred ones for higher levels that are attended by top-level NCAA coaches or other experienced coaches. Most likely a higher level gymnast wouldn't just choose to attend a local gym's day camp, but at lower levels the gym usually doesn't track that or forbid it. But all gyms have different policies. It's possible they've had issues in the past.

 

[virginiacoach]

WE send a coach with our kids to Woodward and this year have over 45 gymnasts attending with three coaches.. it is fun. The kids get to work with other coaches etc. but also we have a coach there who can just check in with kids, make sure they are spending enough time in the gym etc. etc. and not at the skate park etc. We also get to do a lot of really fun team building activities that normal campers don't get to do - ropes course as a team, special pool party, pizza party , olympian and college coach meet and greet.. it has been a great time for everyone

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

At daughters gym you have to get approval of the head coach. She was fine with daughter going toIGC probally alittle more okay with it than I was from a point of allowing other coaches to work with my daughter. Now I am sure if I requested for daughter to attend the local gyms camp up the street it would be a problem. They are not allowed to go to other gyms for open gym and privates.

 

[All Chalked Up]

We're allowed but they're not crazy about it since 2 gymnasts left our already small team... but that's another (very dramatic) thread.

 

[girlygirl]

At my daughter's old gym they were forbidden to attend any gymnastics camps, period. This was for all team level gymnasts. This summer a few girls went to Woodward and the gym flipped out and sent out flyers and emails letting everyone know that girls were not to attend any camps unless provided by the gym and would be asked to leave the team if they did not comply. The reasons that we were given were as follows:

1. They may end up teaching your child skills in a way that is different from the gym. Then the gym has to take extra time fixing what you learned wrong.
2. At the larger camps, they often let the girls try and learn skills they aren't ready for and then they show up back in open gym a week later trying them when they aren't ready.

They head coach said that if the coaching staff was excited enough about a specific camp they would invite the entire team program and bring our coaches to work with the girls while attending.

There were many parents surprised by this rule when it was enacted.

that surprises me I think they should be able to go to camp!

 

[cher062]

At my daughter's old gym they were forbidden to attend any gymnastics camps, period. This was for all team level gymnasts. This summer a few girls went to Woodward and the gym flipped out and sent out flyers and emails letting everyone know that girls were not to attend any camps unless provided by the gym and would be asked to leave the team if they did not comply. The reasons that we were given were as follows:

1. They may end up teaching your child skills in a way that is different from the gym. Then the gym has to take extra time fixing what you learned wrong.
2. At the larger camps, they often let the girls try and learn skills they aren't ready for and then they show up back in open gym a week later trying them when they aren't ready.

They head coach said that if the coaching staff was excited enough about a specific camp they would invite the entire team program and bring our coaches to work with the girls while attending.

There were many parents surprised by this rule when it was enacted.

Your gym needs to lighten up. No gym or organization is going to tell me or my kid what camps we can attend or what my family can or can't do period and if they kicked my kid off the team because of it I wouldn't care. I would just go and find a new gym for her.

 

[bookworm]

Your gym needs to lighten up. No gym or organization is going to tell me or my kid what camps we can attend or what my family can or can't do period and if they kicked my kid off the team because of it I wouldn't care. I would just go and find a new gym for her.

totally agree with you...our old gym tried this approach and i said to them "really? you want to ask your 3 time JO National qualifier to leave because she goes to Woodward for a week? suit yourself, I've already paid for it and we're going"...fast forward...she went to camp, did not get any "bad habits" in a week , she was not asked to leave and the subject was never brought up again....

 

[cher062]

totally agree with you...our old gym tried this approach and i said to them "really? you want to ask your 3 time JO National qualifier to leave because she goes to Woodward for a week? suit yourself, I've already paid for it and we're going"...fast forward...she went to camp, did not get any "bad habits" in a week , she was not asked to leave and the subject was never brought up again....

And seriously in this economy many of the gyms are low in numbers and struggling. A business isn't going to throw a customer out because of a week of gym unless they have something better waiting in the wings.

 

[CoachTodd]

Any coach that has anything against kids going to camps is either too arrogant or has no self esteem. I do agree that there may be certain gyms whose camps are a complete waist of money and may even have a negative effect on skills. It is not up to the coach to decide what the parents do with their money. I've also seen gyms that require kids to go to specific camps. I figure if the gym handles all of the fund raising for this, that's fine but don't tell me (as a parent) I have to spend hundreds of extra dollars because you like going to a certain camp. It seems to go both ways.

 

[JBS]

Every gym has it's own policies. Sometimes gyms have this policy due to things that have happened in the past. I would think that most gyms like to know what their optional gymnasts are doing. Compulsory levels...not so much.

Another thing to remember...camps are not a good indicator of day to day workout style at a particular gym. Camps run like...camps.