Parents Developmental Invite Camp

[Sidnito]

My daughter made TOPs national testing last year and as a result got invited to the August developmental Camp.

Her coach was pretty confident she would make TOPs again this year so I hesitated on going to the August camp. It is expensive to keep making the trip out, that is basically my issue. Long story short a minor injury which required some rest made up our minds for us.

How important do you think it is to attend? How do they select who gets invited?

She is training Elite and is 9. I guess I also feel that there is time being that she is young. We will be going to National testing again and she has a good chance of being invited back.

 

[LoveMyGymmie]

I am just learning about this part of the sport, but I think you can be invited to developmental camp by sending in video, being seen at something like TOPS camp or if you are participating in the HOPES events. There is also a different types of invitations....for some developmental camp invitees, camp is paid for by USAG for gymnast and coach. Some invitees have to pay out of pocket.

 

[LemonLime]

Curious. Anyone know how many 8yo Tops A/B team members are invited to developmental camp the following year? Meaning, attend dev camp the year they turn 9 as opposed to the year they turn 10?

As for the original question, if you are actively competing hopes, it's nice to be seen at camp and to perhaps verify at camp (especially with the compressed hopes schedule next season). If you are ready to do the skills expected and have the mentality to perform well, camp can be a great experience. If there are specific deficits or goals that your personal coach may not have focused on, camp can be an excellent way to disseminate information, technique, and long & short term goals.

Ultimately, I believe a lot depends on your coach as to how worthwhile the camps are. Veteran coaches may not need or want the experience. Also, any coach can get intoxicated with performing at camp instead of listening to their inner expertise about progressions that work for a particular child. JO is also a very valuable experience - one that even Valeri recognizes - and camps can interfere with a solid JO season.

 

[Sidnito]

Thanks for the feedback.
My dd missed B team by a small margin, she was 8. She got an invite to camp in August. She also got a contingent invite to camp for this past May. She was on a standby list. That was why I was wondering how they determine who gets invited.

I would think if a child made the team they would surely be invited back for another camp the following calendar year.

 

[Blue123]

My dd made b team as an 8 y/o, and went to the invite camp in May. Not sure if she was invited back to the August camp, as our coaches could not have attended due to the older girls in hopes, schedule.

 

[twocurlygirlz]

For the ones that got invited to camp after going to Tops National testing- do you pay to send them to those invite camps? Or are costs covered?

 

[Fijiwater]

I think some of you are confusing Developmental Invite camps with Developmental camps. The Invite camps are for TOPS girls and they are invited in order from A teamers and Diamond team then B teamers, and so on down to state testers. I think some athletes that are not TOPs are invited if they don't fill the camp up. You do have to pay for the Invite camps. The following is from the 2014-2015 Rules & Policies for USA Gym: Athletes competing in HOPES/Elite competitions, TOPs and Junior Olympic Nationals may be invited to attend training
camps.
Coaches who have an athlete that they believe is ready for the International Elite level competition or training camp
program may submit a DVD or YouTube video to the National Team Coordinator and request admission to a Training
Camp. If accepted, all costs associated with their attendance at camp are the responsibility of the gymnast and coach.
Subsidies for these costs may be available and vary from year to year.
You must include the full name and age of the gymnast(s), gym name and coaches contact information.
DVD’s should be sent to: USA Gymnastics National Training Center, Attention Martha Karolyi, 454 Forest Service Rd.
#200, Huntsville, TX 77340
YouTube video link should be sent to BOTH Martha Karolyi at [email protected] and Steve Rybacki at
[email protected].
The video must include the following:
2 best Optional Skills or sections on bars, beam and floor
1 Optional Vault
Coaches who have an athlete 13 years old or younger who are preparing for the elite program may request admission to
the Developmental training camp program. These camps provide hands on training for both athletes and coaches to help
each athlete reach their potential. If accepted, all costs associated with their attendance at camp are the responsibility of
the gymnast and coach.
You must include the full name and age of the gymnast; gym name and coaches contact information.
YouTube video link should be sent to BOTH [email protected] and [email protected].
The video must include the following:
5 Press handstands (with the same criteria as TOPs physical ability testing)
10 Leg Lifts (with the same criteria as TOPs physical ability testing)
Elite Compulsory Routines commensurate to the age of the athlete
2 best Optional Skills on bars, beam and floor
1 Optional Vault

 

[twocurlygirlz]

So as you describe above (notwithstanding potential subsidies) all camps the athlete/family must pay for- I know that A camp you do not pay for- I was wondering if the other camps either invite or dev. camp are also paid for--- I guess the answer is NO?

 

[Fijiwater]

If someone gets a free camp other than A camp and National team camps, they are probably very talented. I'm sure many do receive the subsidy. They bring in at least $50k per invite camp, so it's not like they can't give a talented girl/coach a break. I just don't know how all that works.

 

[LemonLime]

I was not confusing the camps. I was referring to developmental camps, not developmental invite camps. https://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/calendar.pdf Are the littlest gymnasts invited from A/B camp to developmental camp or now do they go through developmental invite camps? I do know gymnasts invited from qualifiers and video into both DC and DIC, but they were older in the 11/12 age range.

Everyone I have ever known that was invited to developmental camp had their camp paid for by USAG, but they had to pay for travel expenses. Some gymnasts may have travel expenses paid as well.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I am just learning about this part of the sport, but I think you can be invited to developmental camp by sending in video, being seen at something like TOPS camp or if you are participating in the HOPES events. There is also a different types of invitations....for some developmental camp invitees, camp is paid for by USAG for gymnast and coach. Some invitees have to pay out of pocket.

No.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

For the ones that got invited to camp after going to Tops National testing- do you pay to send them to those invite camps? Or are costs covered?

YOU pay.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

If someone gets a free camp other than A camp and National team camps, they are probably very talented. I'm sure many do receive the subsidy. They bring in at least $50k per invite camp, so it's not like they can't give a talented girl/coach a break. I just don't know how all that works.

No. Additionally, it's $65 a night in the cabins. times 4 nights. that's $260.00 per kid. 100 kids would be $26,000. no way they'll ever let 100 kids in there for anything. just for vault, bars, beam and floor and then dance that would be 20 kids per group. nope, it'll never happen.

and you don't know what it costs for staff. and i'm not at liberty to disclose that.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I was not confusing the camps. I was referring to developmental camps, not developmental invite camps. https://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/calendar.pdf Are the littlest gymnasts invited from A/B camp to developmental camp or now do they go through developmental invite camps? I do know gymnasts invited from qualifiers and video into both DC and DIC, but they were older in the 11/12 age range.

Everyone I have ever known that was invited to developmental camp had their camp paid for by USAG, but they had to pay for travel expenses. Some gymnasts may have travel expenses paid as well.

No.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

listen folks, don't talk about what you think anything costs or what they pay for if you're getting this info from your coaches. only speak on this subject matter if YOU have experienced camps as coaches. some of you are not told the truth.

and this is how and why USA Gymnastics gets a bad rap. thank you. Dunno

 

[Fijiwater]

I was talking about the gross income. I understand there are a lot of costs associated with running the camp. I think people see or hear about that "subsidy" in the rules and want to know how to get it.

 

[Fijiwater]

To the OP I have paid for 2 camps this year. The camps are worth every penny. Some girls or coaches may not like camp or whatever but for my DD it was worth the cost. I will pay for them next year too if she qualifies. I say try one if she enjoys it and learns from it do it again as you can. I consider the opportunity a once in a lifetime chance for DD to work with the best of the best. Not to mention they get to go to the Ranch which is awesome for a little gymnast.

 

[aksaunders]

I am not quite sure of the difference between all the camps that everyone is discussing but I do know this: my DD went to TOPs testing at the ranch last year, she went to TOPs B camp last year, she is at the Elite Developmental Camp right now, has national TOPs testing next month, and will go to A or B camp if she qualifies. I paid for the first four trips (as Dadderob stated) to include lodging (as Dunno) stated. It is worth the money. My DD may never become an Elite gymnast but the smile on her face in the pictures with the other girls or in front of the wall at the NTTC are priceless.

 

[aksaunders]

I am not quite sure of the difference between all the camps that everyone is discussing but I do know this: my DD went to TOPs testing at the ranch last year, she went to TOPs B camp last year, she is at the Elite Developmental Camp right now, has national TOPs testing next month, and will go to A or B camp if she qualifies. I paid for the first four trips (as Dadderob stated) to include lodging (as Dunno) stated. It is worth the money. My DD may never become an Elite gymnast but the smile on her face in the pictures with the other girls or in front of the wall at the NTTC are priceless.

Ok, my wife corrected me and said we didn't pay for the Elite Developmental Camp just the ticket to get her there. She also said the gym or boosters may have paid. Either way, the camps are worth it and we would have paid.

 

[Sidnito]

Perhaps a coach can answer this, If someone is invited to fill spots others have turned down to cover costs, would it still be worthwhile?
Are all the participants looked at equally?

I think the misinformation comes from the different gyms policies on camp costs. I know that if dd makes A camp we do not have to pay the camp costs just travel. The booster club covers the cost. Thankfully, they have also started covering coaches costs for accompanying gymnasts to camp.