Any thoughts on Varsity & JV squads not going to camp?

[firedup]

I am the parent of a varsity cheerleader.  We are facing yet ANOTHER year of the girls not attending cheer camp.  Our sponsor, who has been the sponsor for 25 years made a decision a couple of years ago that our girls are "too good to attend camp" and they are better served by having 2 UCA cheerleaders just come to our school gym or cafeteria to teach the girls.  She has also pointed out on several occasions that this "allows her to sleep in her own bed."  The parents and the girls all want the girls to attend a good summer camp because we feel the skills and experience they gain from it can't be replaced.  It is extremely difficult for the girls to get excited about going up to the school 3 days in a row to learn a cheer and a dance.  We pay over $4000 for the girls to do this but would gladly pay more for a real camp.  Everyone is frustrated because she is not even open for discussion.

If there are any coaches out there that can tell me what the benefits of taking the girls to camp are I would love to hear from you.  If there are any Varsity coaches that have camp at their high schools I would love to hear from you as well. 

[coolcoach]

I know you don't like the idea, but here's some info from a coaching perspective.

Private camp (having UCA instructors come to your school) has some benefits. It is a "real" camp, just without dorms and other teams.

The JV team where I coach has private camp.  It's good for them because they don't have to worry about the competitve aspects of away camp, the instruction is TAILORED to the needs and goals of team, and there is alot of individualized attention (which is good for them because they are a JV program). 

You have the team's undivided attention, and they aren't so enthralled by the dorms, other teams, etc.
Even for a more advanced Varsity team, private camp has some benefits. The focus is on YOUR TEAM. With away camp, there is the potential for a very advanced squad to get bored because the material is set at a certain difficulty level because there are so many teams present. 

Traveling to camp itself can be expensive, and private camp is very cost effective.

In contrast, my Varsity team goes to an away camp, which also has benefits:

There is a competitive element, which is good for a competitive program. For my new girls, it's their first opportunity to see what it's like to compete against other teams.

It allows you to see what other squads in your area/region are doing. The girls can learn material (sidelines, rally ideas, etc) from other teams and I can learn from other coaches.

The girls have the opportunity to be 'apped' and be invited to staff tryouts. That's a bonus.

At the end of the day, coaches make decisions based on what THEY feel will benefit the squad the most, and it appears that this coach feels that private camp is what's best. It's a good idea to respect that and just be a supportive parent.

[ucaCHEERalum]

Coolcoach's answer was dead on.

Its likely that with 25 years under her belt that the coach of your daughter's squad knows what it takes to put together a squad.  So I'm in agreement that you should probably just go with her decision on this one.

If the teams attend a private camp they'll get great attention from the same staffers that staff the group camps and your coach has the peace of mind of turning the kids back over to their parents at the end of the day.

Don't think of it as second rate...look at it as exclusive.

[Stunt Double 4U]

If you're worried about their lack of enthusiasm and excitement, I would suggest you give her that as your reasoning alone.  There are plenty of other things a coach can do to get the kids excited about a season and get them to bond.  You could hold a cheer spirit week every year before school starts.  Have five days of themed events, parties, dinners, games, scavenger hunts, outings, etc and end the week with a group sleepover.  Just make sure if you suggest something like this, you and the other moms are willing to cover the cost AND organize/host it!  In the end, your coach knows what's best for her team.

[LCSD1 coach]

I am the parent of a varsity cheerleader.  We are facing yet ANOTHER year of the girls not attending cheer camp.  Our sponsor, who has been the sponsor for 25 years made a decision a couple of years ago that our girls are "too good to attend camp" and they are better served by having 2 UCA cheerleaders just come to our school gym or cafeteria to teach the girls.  She has also pointed out on several occasions that this "allows her to sleep in her own bed."  The parents and the girls all want the girls to attend a good summer camp because we feel the skills and experience they gain from it can't be replaced.  It is extremely difficult for the girls to get excited about going up to the school 3 days in a row to learn a cheer and a dance.  We pay over $4000 for the girls to do this but would gladly pay more for a real camp.  Everyone is frustrated because she is not even open for discussion.

If there are any coaches out there that can tell me what the benefits of taking the girls to camp are I would love to hear from you.  If there are any Varsity coaches that have camp at their high schools I would love to hear from you as well. 

I am a coach from a small town in Wyoming I always bring the instructors to us.  The one on one time that the kids get is awesome.  You can not get that by going to camp.  Everyone sleeps better in their own beds.  My kids are excitied about camp because we make it fun.  We start by giving each of the kids paper(like a half sheet of construction paper)  By the last day of camp they are to make awards for each of their team mates.  I like silly stupid awards and my cheerladers have followed so we give out things like squeaky brace award, bed head, takes a licken but keeps on ticken.  They can only use items they have at home to make the awards.  So if they only have markers then thats what they use.  We also do team bonding activities like create t-shirts, make spirit sticks and read the history of the spirit stick, make megaphones out of corkboard and have the girls decorate them.
Then on the last day we do a show for the community and then we have a swim-pizza party at our pool.  There is no reason the girls can not learn everything they need to by attending a private camp.

please don't take this the wrong way but I don't think that parents realize all the time coaches put in and all the time that we take away from our families so that we can coach these girls.  Private camp is just as good as going to camp.  Give your coach a break.  Let her coach.  She has been coaching for 25 years I think by now she knows what she is doing.  Talk to your child and encourage her.  If you want to help make it a better experience talk to the coach about bringing in snacks.  Have a team sleepover or dinner before camp starts.  Turn the attitudes around. make it fun.

[candcrew]

I wonder if part of this is about $ for the coach?  With a home camp, the coach has no fees.  With a resident camp, the coach has to pay.  I know some coaches have each girl pay $x more to cover the coaches fees but I don't feel comfortable with this.  If fundraising is an issue (as in it's limited or not allowed) then that doesn't help.  I coach from the end of April to the beginning of March and make approximately $2300.  When I pay for myself to go to camp, that's 10% of my coaching pay--no, I don't do it for the $ but still, it's $ out of my pocket.  I know in some schools that $230ish could be 1/2 of what the coach makes--hardly seems worth it if that's the case.  Also, some schools require school provided transportation and that tacks on more $ (so each girl spends more or there is more fundraising).  For us to take a school bus, it costs $600 to go to a camp 75 miles away.

Another issue is time.  With private camp the day is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. usually with maybe 30" before and 30" after to get ready/get gone.  With residential camp girls often have to be up by 6 a.m. to start getting ready for the day, go eat and get to class by 8:30 a.m.  The classes/activities often go to 9-10 p.m. and "breaks" are spent practicing/preparing for evaluations.

Yet one more issue is if a squad is struggling to bond, resident camp amplifies it sometimes.  It's not like the girls can go "home" and cool off/forget about things for a while.  At resident camp, they're all on the same wing/floor and are around each other constantly.  Plus, sometimes you just need time to get away from preople--really hard to do at resident camp. 

Like others have said, private camp *IS* a real camp.  In fact, we learn MORE at private camp than a residential one because everything is tailored to one squad's need with a private camp.  I know many elite level squads that do private camp because they learn MORE than they'd learn, even at an elite residential camp.  When we have private camp, we plan squad lunches, "after camp" activities + organize "treats" (popsicles, sundaes, slushies, etc.) each day.  Plenty of bonding activities can be done to provide that aspect of resident camp.

BTW--I'm confused about the sponsor saying that the girls are "too good to attend camp" and then you say that they learn a cheer and a dance.  Surely that's not all the material they learn?  My squad is average/high average and we typically learn 8+ sidelines, 3 cheers, 3 intermidate/advanced dances, tons of stunts/pyramids, + work on jumps.  Plus, there are the "fun" camp activities just like they do at resident camp.  If what they're learning isn't useable, maybe it's more of a "style" issue than private vs. resident camp.  UCA is very crowd oriented and if that's not the style of the school/squad much of the material doesn't get used so it's a waste of time for that squad--don't get me wrong, the material is good just maybe not what the particular squad might use.  Case in point, we did NCA one year and camp itself was a great experience but we learned 2 sideline chants, 1 cheer and 2 dances that WE liked and fit our style.  Plus, the bonding activities really weren't our thing either (and this particular camp really didn't do many in comparison to other NCA and non-NCA camps I've been to).  If it IS a style issue, going to resident camp isn't going to change that.  What gets taught at private camps is the same thing that gets taught at resident camps.

[ucaCHEERalum]

I wonder if part of this is about $ for the coach?  With a home camp, the coach has no fees.  With a resident camp, the coach has to pay.  I know some coaches have each girl pay $x more to cover the coaches fees but I don't feel comfortable with this.  If fundraising is an issue (as in it's limited or not allowed) then that doesn't help.  I coach from the end of April to the beginning of March and make approximately $2300.  When I pay for myself to go to camp, that's 10% of my coaching pay--no, I don't do it for the $ but still, it's $ out of my pocket.  I know in some schools that $230ish could be 1/2 of what the coach makes--hardly seems worth it if that's the case.

Consider this as well (to go along with what Candcrew said above):  the coach, whether they take the squad(s) to a private or residential camp will probably have to take off work (their REAL work, the kind of work that pays the bills) to spend time with your kids. 

In the case of a residential camp this not only means time away from work (that really isn't as relaxing as it was intended to be), but time away from home and family.  Add in the personal costs and a private camp, with the proximity to home base and all that personal attention you can receive, starts to sound VERY inticing. 

[Megan0504]

As a cheerleader, I personally preferred private camps rather than ressidential camps.  I've been to both and I think I learned more and got my money's worth at private camp.

[candcrew]

Consider this as well (to go along with what Candcrew said above):  the coach, whether they take the squad(s) to a private or residential camp will probably have to take off work (their REAL work, the kind of work that pays the bills) to spend time with your kids. 

In the case of a residential camp this not only means time away from work (that really isn't as relaxing as it was intended to be), but time away from home and family.  Add in the personal costs and a private camp, with the proximity to home base and all that personal attention you can receive, starts to sound VERY inticing. 

Guess I should've also mentioned that if the coach has children of his/her own, that factors in.  In order for me to go to residential camp (which I do every other year), my husband has to take 4 days of vacation to stay home with MY 5 children OR I have to find someone to watch my kids . . . which means $$$ for child care in most cases.  I still have to find someone to watch my kids for a private camp BUT since I'm in the same town/vicinity my options are much broader than when I'm going and my husband is 3+ towns away.

[LCSD1 coach]

The only thing that a residential camp can offer over a private camp is classes for the coach.  Otherwise you get more from a private camp