Category Archives: Camping

Camping

Commercial Gymnastics Summer Camps?

Just What is a Commercial Gymnastics Camp?

There are two types of Commercial gymnastics camps. There are the large commercial camps that only operate in the summer and are designed to attract large numbers of gymnasts for huge profits. There are also other gym programs, ranging from YMCA programs to regular gyms to college programs, that use this as an additional profit center.

Large Commercial Camps

Charging the highest prices, these camps offer a wide-ranging array of normal camp activities (even a variety of different types of camps) in addition to their version of gymnastics training. Coaching quality varies from college gymnasts to college coaches free for the summer to coaches who just happened to bring their team along to the camp. The best-known name coaches at these camps are usually either the camp directors and do little actual coaching or are merely visiting. It is not uncommon for name coaches to trade the use of their name in the advertising for the right to use the camp facilities to train their own gymnasts.

Commercial Camps

Other programs that run their own versions of commercial gymnastics summer camps do so to boost their summer income, traditionally a down time in the gymnastics business. They count on drawing customers from other programs that have less talented coaching and poorer facilities than they themselves have.

High Quality Coaching?

There are only a handful of gyms in the country that both produce Elite level gymnasts and run a summer camp program. Coaches at ordinary gyms are sometimes hesitant to promote these camps to their gymnasts, because the difference in the level of their programs might become evident and because their gymnasts were sometimes recruited.

Meet the Stars in the Sport at Camp

Commercial gymnastic camps often have nationally known gymnasts and coaches visit which can be inspirational and educational. They usually do not coach in any significant way, but it is fun for young gymnasts to meet their heroes in the sport.

All the Best Equipment

Large commercial gymnastics camps have all the latest training equipment, which may or may not be available in your own gym. Those gymnasts who attend gymnastics facilities that still exist without pits often want to attend a camp that has them.

Gymnastics Camp Gives Your Gymnast the Summer Camp Experience

The other thing that commercial gymnastic provide is a camp experience including the social aspects of going to summer camp, meeting new people and making new friends and participating in traditional camp activities. If this is your goal, then the large commercial camps fill this need. If you want a camp that will give your gymnast a kick start in their gymnastics training, you will need to be much more selective and seek a gym that has high level coaches that will actually be working with your gymnast.

Camping

List of Camping Activities

If you are new to camping or have not gone for a number of years, you may be asking yourself what exactly is it that we will be doing out their. This simple question’s answer entirely depends on who you are going with and what you really want to do. The options are endless. Although most tent campers will stick with the basics of cooking, building a campfire, setting up a tent and sleeping under the stars, and sitting back and enjoying nature, others will do a wide variety of activities. Here, is our list of common and uncommon camping activities for things to do while camping.

1. Stargazing. Check out all the stars and constellations. Since you are away from the city lights, the view can be amazing.

2. Plant and Wildlife Identification. Go looking for leaves, berries, tracks, scat, dens, burrows, etc. Learn what things live in your camping area and be able to identify them.

3. Hiking. Go for a walk and see nature in action. Let the kid inside you come out as you explore areas you have never been. The kids will love the adventure of it and it is great exercise.

4. Start fires without matches. Use flint and steel or use a hand or bow drill. You can make a game of this to test your survival skills against others.

5. Go fishing or hunting. These are camping basics and quite a lot of fun.

6. Practice Knife and Hatchet Throwing. All you need is a target and you are ready for action. I will tell you from experience that hatchet throwing is much easier.

7. Tell Ghost Stories and Adventure Stories around the campfire. Some of my best memories as a kid were hearing these types of stories from my father and other adults. Give your kids this same experience by learning a few good stories.

8. Orienteering with map and compass or GPS. Set a course to find a location on the map. With the invention of the GPS, this normally mundane activity is now exciting.

9. Geocaching. This popular treasure hunting game uses a GPS device to find hidden treasures in the field. You can adapt your campsite for this very same function by hiding some objects in the area and allow for family and friends to go hunt for them.

10. Birdwatching. Being away from the city, you have the opportunity to see a number of different types of birds that you would otherwise not be able to appreciate or follow. Here, is a chance to see them in their natural habitat.

11. Watch Animals. Make a blind and stay down wind from the animals. If it is early morning or late in the day, you are likely to see a number of animals come down for a drink.

12. Build a Lean-To or some other man-made shelter. This is a great idea if you are camping with a number of people. A lot of team work will go into building this structure and there is always a lot of satisfaction out of building something with your bare hands. Why not let your camping group share in this experience.

13. Learn different types of knots and try them out. You can do this for fun to show off to friends or you can make it practical by using the knots to help with your camping. For example, create a rope that will hold up your water bucket from a tree.

14. Build a water still. This is another survival technique which gives you a chance to see if you could really survive using this method. Give it try as it is something you can set-up, go do other things and then, check back later to see how you did.

15. Create snares and traps. This works much like a water still would in that you set it up and check on it later. Just be sure to let all the people in your party know where they are and be sure to take them down when you will be leaving.

16. Glow sticks for the kids. Bring along glow sticks for the little kids to play with at night. Kids love these things and will make their own games with them.

17. Woodcarving. This grandfather favorite can also be a hit with kids. It allows them to be creative in what they might design and teaches them patience. Plus, the only tools that are needed are wood and a pocket knife.

With this list of camping activities, you should be well on your way to enjoying your camping trip. One final thing to keep in mind is to remember to allow some downtime during the camping trip. One of the best things about camping is the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the experience. Don’t be in such a hurry to get to the next activity and miss out on this experience.