WAG Flip fest

[Vivianflips]

I'm considering attending flip fest this summer and I was interested in hearing others experiences with the camp. It looks like a lot of fun!

 

[ascarter1]

I have heard it is more like play camp and less training camp. It just depends on what you want.

 

[Amber]

I have heard it is more like play camp and less training camp. It just depends on what you want.

Woodward (PA) is the camp where it is no longer gymnastics focused. It is BMX, skateboarding, filmography, horseback riding and more. Our entire team switched from Woodward to Flipfest because it is more gymnastics focused.

My girls went to Flipfest twice with our team. Half the price of Woodward (but that includes getting there). Way more gym training at Flipfest. My girls came home not only with more skills (younger got side gainer off beam), but a detailed sheet saying what they need to work on, and what looked good.

The two Johns make Flipfest a party every night. There are multiple contests. My girls met and were coached on beam by Jordyn Weiber! There is a friends and family camp that runs concurrently so you can bring someone with you that's not a gymnast. It's also for younger kids who can't hack 6 hours a day of gym. That camp does hiking, arts and crafts, goes on the lake, etc.

My younger dd hung out with her team. My older dd made new friends with girls who were there by themselves, or came with only one or two other people.

Our whole team is going back this year. It was really worth the money, they had sooo much fun

 

[JBS]

Woodward (PA) is the camp where it is no longer gymnastics focused.

Woodward is very gymnastics focused...just depends on what you are looking for. Just because there are other sports there doesn't mean it's not focused on gymnastics.

We have been to Woodward for the past two years since Lake Owen closed. We will be taking our entire team back again this year. Woodward is $250 more than Flip Fest if you take advantage of the early sign up discount. Woodward also does club rebates if a certain number of gymnasts attend.

There are contests and activities each night at Woodward also.

One of our coaches owns a skate park...so Woodward is a perfect choice for us.

EDIT: We had girls learn double backs on floor...one tkachev...first twisting yurchenkos...triple full off rod floor...full ins off TT...front giants. It was a great camp experience for us.

 

[Vivianflips]

Amber and Jbs, thank you for the input! If I lived everywhere near Woodward I'd definitely consider it

 

[proud-gym-mom]

We had girls go to various camps last year, Woodward, IGC and Flip Fest. We tried to at least coordinate them all going the same week together (different weeks per camp but all our girls going the same week to a particular camp) which was good. We were able to send a coach to Flip Fest and Woodward. All the girls seemed to have an awesome time at all the camps and I think they all got a lot out of it. Do note that while Flip Fest is cheaper it's actually one full day less than the other two (Sun-Fri vs. Sun-Sat). I think it's still a little less expensive but not as big of a difference. My dd has been to Woodward for 2 summers now. I will say that one thing I loved about Woodward (not sure but I don't think the other two do it) is that if they are 7-9 yrs old they must stay in a junior cabin where the "counselor" is a mom as opposed to an older teen or 20 something. They have an earlier bedtime as well which my dd really needed. My dd actually opted to stay with the same mom last year even though she was 10. The cabin mom was awesome and she took pictures and video of the girls and texted it to the parents and tried to give us daily updates on the girls as she knew we were eager to hear ANYTHING! I think they all do a great job and my dd gained so much more than just skills while there - confidence, independence and great friendships too. Sorry, now I'm sounding sappy but I can't say enough good things about the experience in general for her.

 

[Amber]

We had girls go to various camps last year, Woodward, IGC and Flip Fest. We tried to at least coordinate them all going the same week together (different weeks per camp but all our girls going the same week to a particular camp) which was good. We were able to send a coach to Flip Fest and Woodward. All the girls seemed to have an awesome time at all the camps and I think they all got a lot out of it. Do note that while Flip Fest is cheaper it's actually one full day less than the other two (Sun-Fri vs. Sun-Sat). I think it's still a little less expensive but not as big of a difference. My dd has been to Woodward for 2 summers now. I will say that one thing I loved about Woodward (not sure but I don't think the other two do it) is that if they are 7-9 yrs old they must stay in a junior cabin where the "counselor" is a mom as opposed to an older teen or 20 something. They have an earlier bedtime as well which my dd really needed. My dd actually opted to stay with the same mom last year even though she was 10. The cabin mom was awesome and she took pictures and video of the girls and texted it to the parents and tried to give us daily updates on the girls as she knew we were eager to hear ANYTHING! I think they all do a great job and my dd gained so much more than just skills while there - confidence, independence and great friendships too. Sorry, now I'm sounding sappy but I can't say enough good things about the experience in general for her.

Proud-gym-mom, sounds like your dd had a great time at Woodward. I have to pipe in here. I wish my dd had what yours did-supervision. My younger dd went when she was 7, with some of her team. The counselor mom they got had a daughter in an older cabin. She did the absolute minimum. Just made sure they went to bed and kept cabin clean. The counselor really just wanted to be in her daughters cabin.

That was the main issue I had with Woodward, was zero the supervision over the girls. My dd didn't know where she was supposed to be (counselor could care less), so she always went back to the gym. She was in the gym 3 sessions + per day! She did manage horseback riding, but hung out at gym because she didn't know where to go.

When dd came home, she had been "tapped". They said they noticed a lot of dedication for a 7 yr old. Haha! It was because she didn't know where to go!

Anyway, I wanted to give another perspective of a Woodward experience from a young kid.

 

[emilykatherine]

I love flipfest. There is a plenty of time to play but there's also a ton of gym time, your put in group for the week and you stay there. I go in the summer and for the fall camp and I always have fun

 

[JBS]

We recommend that our gymnasts only attend camp during our "official" club week...and we highly discourage them from attending other camps unless it is approved. We will recommend appropriate college camps and such for L9/10's...but for the most part...we want our entire club at our camp of choice at the same time. This year we will be closing the gym down during camp week.

Camp is a bit overwhelming for the little ones...and Woodward is a very "open style" camp...that's why we like it...but that is also why we have an official week and our coaches go with. Last year we had 4 coaches attend...I think we had around 30 campers.

 

[JBS]

I'm considering attending flip fest this summer and I was interested in hearing others experiences with the camp. It looks like a lot of fun!

Now to actually answer...

@Vivianflips What level are you and what are your goals for camp?

 

[proud-gym-mom]

Proud-gym-mom, sounds like your dd had a great time at Woodward. I have to pipe in here. I wish my dd had what yours did-supervision. My younger dd went when she was 7, with some of her team. The counselor mom they got had a daughter in an older cabin. She did the absolute minimum. Just made sure they went to bed and kept cabin clean. The counselor really just wanted to be in her daughters cabin.

That was the main issue I had with Woodward, was zero the supervision over the girls. My dd didn't know where she was supposed to be (counselor could care less), so she always went back to the gym. She was in the gym 3 sessions + per day! She did manage horseback riding, but hung out at gym because she didn't know where to go.

When dd came home, she had been "tapped". They said they noticed a lot of dedication for a 7 yr old. Haha! It was because she didn't know where to go!

Anyway, I wanted to give another perspective of a Woodward experience from a young kid.

That's so unfortunate. I think you're right though… no matter where you go you can have a good or not-so-good experience. Congrats on your dd being tapped though. My dd was as well and that was a nice experience for her. I feel fortunate that we did get this cabin mom. Dd even asked if she was going next year and could stay in her cabin… I'm thinking 11, maybe she needs to be in a big girl cabin!

 

[GymSurvivor]

I've been to both Woodward and FlipFest.
There were definitely pros and cons of both. Mind you I went when I was 16 and 17, so not young.
Woodward I felt like I learned more gymnastics wise. I was able to take advantage of the open gyms (2 a day!) and work on what I was working on that morning in the structured gym time. I felt as though the coaches were more helpful during open gym and were welcoming to all gymnasts no matter what age/level they were. Even with attending both open gyms most days there was also time to participate in swimming, horseback riding and other things.
I hated my cabin (I only went with one teammate not my entire team) as it was filled with a group of Canadian gymnasts. At least half of them had been coming to Woodward since they were 7/8 and no longer participate in gymnastics just came to fool around and chat with the boys etcc..

FlipFest I also enjoyed. I liked my cabin a lot better here, it actually had girls my age and even though they were a higher level they all chatted with me and we're still friends on facebook etc.. I liked the staff in the gym here but I didn't feel as though I learned much. During the structured time we were put with younger girls (I wasn't a very high level, level 5 at the time) and the younger coaches were A. The same age as me and B. Not able to spot me. (Love love love Mattie Larson, just not as a coach) the open gym time I found that a lot of the coaches focused more on the upper level girls, this could have just been the week I went as some of the coaches were very picky and outright ignored others (Again, love Courtney McCool, but prime offender)
I also found I had a harder time finding things to do in free time as there wasn't as much space to just walk around and chat and such.

I found FlipFest to be geared toward the 'traditional gymnasts'. Like 8 yr old usag level 4. Following the typical usag levels from a young age. I was not a typical gymnast as I was 17 and a level 5. Woodward catered more to this.

If I had to go back at an older age I would go to Woodward. If I was sending a younger child I would go to FlipFest.

Overall, FlipFest was a great camp and I think you'd really enjoy it!

 

[Vivianflips]

@JBS, I'm about a level 3 (I can't compete because of newly arising time conflicts) and my goals would to be learn level 4 skills and enjoy the summer camp experience with other gymnasts. This would just be something fun for me to do and for my family to visit the area while I'm at camp.

 

[proud-gym-mom]

We stayed up in Pennsylvania area when my daughter attended camp for the first time at Woodward and found tons of great stuff to do!

Amish country is not far away and there's a load of great stuff to do and websites that will tell you all about it. We went to a miniature pony farm, and another place that was like an amusement park that had a farm theme called Cherry Crest Adventure Farm. There's also Knoble's up there which is a really old-fashioned style amusement park and that was a blast as well. You pay by the ride or you can get a band for the whole day but it has things like a Ferris wheel bumper cars and feels more like a carnival type place, very family friendly as well.

We had my seven-year-old son with us so while DD was at camp so we headed to the Philadelphia area and went to Sesame Place and the Philadelphia Zoo also but depending on the age of the folks in your family there's also it's of stuff to do in that area.

Woodward is right near State College PA which is where Penn State is located and there's lots of good stuff to do there as well.

 

[JBS]

@JBS, I'm about a level 3 (I can't compete because of newly arising time conflicts) and my goals would to be learn level 4 skills and enjoy the summer camp experience with other gymnasts. This would just be something fun for me to do and for my family to visit the area while I'm at camp.

I'm sure you would have a blast at Flip Fest or Woodward.