Woodward Gymnastics Camp

Gymnastics has brought so many amazing things to my life. I have met life-long friends, been to amazing places, and learned essential skills including time management. Out of all of the thing’s gymnastics has given me, I am most grateful that it brought me to my second home, Woodward Camp. Woodward camp is a week-long sleep-away summer camp program designed to better gymnasts, cheerleaders, parkour athletes, and ac

tion sports campers’ skill while also allowing them to have fun in separate recreational programs. It is located in Pennsylvania. I spent my first summer at Woodward when I was 10 years old. It changed my life.  

My best friend on my gymnastics team went to Woodward the summer before I did and told me about the amazing experience she had. She described in great detail the amazing training facilities, fantastic coaches, the petrifying ropes course, Olympic sized pool, and so much more. I begged my parents to let me go the following summer and they did. I went with a group of five girls. One of the girl’s mom came with us for the week and was the cabin mom. This was my first experience ever being away from my parents. It was all extremely strange but exciting. I had to do chores every morning, make my bed, and be back in my cabin by 9pm each night because I was a mini camper (10 and under). Maxi camper (11 and older) got to stay out till 10pm. 

I had one mandatory gymnastics training session I had to go to in the morning and that was the only thing required of me. There were two open gyms after mandatory throughout the day I could go and train at. In total there were seven possible hours I could train each day. Most days I went to every session. I was obsessed with being in the gym and trying to improve my gymnastics. Although, I did miss open gym several times to just be a kid. I went on the 50-foot-tall rope course, down the insane waterslide, horseback riding, and on the go carts. By Wednesday I was so tired I did not know how I would make it to Friday.   

Woodward camp gave me an experience of a lifetime. I met lifelong friends at this camp that I still keep in touch with to this day. There is such a diverse group of people at camp tat I never would have met. I met people from different countries, people with different interests (the other programs at Woodward), and even Olympians. I have now been going to camp for ten total summers. The idea of going to camp got me through tough years at school where I was bullied or felt I did not belong. I had this level of confidence and happiness that I was never able to find anywhere apart from Woodward. I started going to Woodward as a camper, then as a junior counselor, and since I have turned 18 I have gone as a coach. You will hear about my junior counselor and coaching experience in a later blog post. 

Overall, Woodward has changed my life for the better. It made me more confident, independent, and strong. I highly recommend sending any young athlete to camp. Woodward has become my safe space and my second home.