I have read the reviews and I understand the concerns that a lot of parents have, but it IS camp...it IS summer, the kids are supposed to have a little free time and fun. My son started to attend Woodward train-aways when he was 5. He went to his first summer week ALONE when he was 6, he was one of their youngest campers EVER. He is a gymnast and spends 23+ hours in the gym regularly, so the 36 hours a week, YES, 36 HOURS a week they spend, very well trained and watched and well looked after in the gym at Woodward, wasn't a problem for him. Although, I would understand that it would be a problem for most 6 year old's. My son didn't like the food in the cafeteria...I LOVED it. The salad bar is wonderful, and there were MANY veggie options. The kitchen is very helpful with ALL food allergies, and gluten free options. In summer, the Burger Shack is open as well, and offers breakfast burritos in the morning, and burgers and hot-dogs for lunch and dinner...so NO, your kids don't HAVE to eat at the canteen...veggie dogs and veggie burgers are available as well I believe. My son spent most of his free time in the pool because it was hot. They had a log rolling competition, jousting and all kinds of other things. Yes, he did run free like a little crazy Monkey, but he had to check in with his cabin dad, and the staff are very conscientious of the kids, and their hygiene. There are all kinds of activities including tie-dye and crafts, and foam tag...the list goes on and on. There is even a "prom" at the end of the week. My son went with a 16 year old cheerleader...it was VERY cute. I do not work for Woodward, but I know the staff personally, and I know that they do not condone children consuming caffeine...or sugar in mass quantities. It is unhealthy, and they REALLY care about these kids. This will be my sons' 5th time going to Woodward, and I have no qualms about letting him go to his "second home". At some point, you have to let them be kids, and let them have fun while they are perfecting their sport, otherwise it isn't any fun anymore. read more

I was very disappointed with this company! When I notified them 3 months ago that my daughter was injured and per the dr orders that she couldn't tumble, I asked for my $300 deposit. They not only denighed me a my refund, I even asked to roll it over to a friends account. They wouldn't work work with us, even with a Dr note! I'm completely unhappy and disgusted with these types of people! I would think again if you wanted to do business with people like this. read more

I went to camp at Woodward West this past summer and it was pretty lit. I did cheer and the program was pretty good. It was hot as hell but you get used to it pretty fast. There is a ton of free time which makes this camp really fun. When you're not cheering you can go in the pool, hang out on a porch swing, or throw mini parties in the cabins. There are a ton of skaters, and pretty much all of them are boys. There is a rule about limiting interactions between members of the opposite genders called the purpling rule. It's enforced for younger kids but not really older kids. I'm 14 and the rule was talked about but not enforced. My friends and I would have like 4+ boys on our porch with us and the counselors didn't really care. Cheer instruction was good and the counselors were awesome. And as some of my friends and I put it some of the cheer counselors are fine... at coaching. lol. I made a ton of dope friends in my cabin. We bonded over early 2000's jams and similar tastes in everything. We were also super loud and weird. My problems with this camp were that there was no stunting and the food sucked. The only good food was at the canteen and you had to pay for it. Otherwise this camp is epic and I can't wait to come back next summer and see all my friends. #CANIGETAHOYA #LAVENDERISNOTPURPLE read more

This company has a horrible refund policy. I registered my daughter for gymnastics camp on the Woodward website, under Tahoe. I did not receive a confirmation confirming the camp location. I did receive a link to view my statement, but that also did not confirm the camps location, nor was there any explanation of how to find the information. Several weeks later, feeling uneasy, I called the Tahoe camp and was told that they do not have gymnastics camp at that location, nor were they able to help me find out where I had registered my daughter. So I called Woodward West. They confirmed she was registered there, but did not know if I could transfer her to Tahoe or not(I could not, because Tahoe does not have gymnastics camps, which they must have known). After several days of confusing emails back and forth with Darlene at Woodward West, in which she just some how could not grasp the situation, I was finally informed that I would not be entitled to a refund of my deposit. Okay, well, when my my daughter is old enough to go away that far for camp, it will not be a Woodward camp. Thanks for nothing. read more

My son signed up for the video/editing camp. They didn't show him how to use our camera. They only shot with gopro. He didn't edit anything nor bring home a video of any kind. None of his footage made any videos that they supposedly worked on. He says he mostly rode a scooter all day every day. Sounds like there is no structure for the kids and no goals to accomplish anything or create any sort of final product. This was a huge waste of money and time. I could have bought 5 gopro's instead, or one gopro, a laptop and software and had him learn for free on youtube. read more

I'd probably give this camp at 2 1/2 to 3 stars. My daughter did the gymnastics camp and if you're child isn't big on dancing, don't take him/her here. The gymnastics does a ridiculous amount of dancing for a gymnastics camp. I really thought there would be more gymnastics based on all the supposed hours of instruction. And then open gym had more dancing instead of actually being open gym!! The other thing I wasn't too keen on was that there were all these older boys doing their action sport thing (the camp allows pretty much any age) walking around. I was nervous about my 9 year old girl walking around at night with these older men walking around the same areas. Most of the gym coaches were nice except for the one who said "I hate children". They should probably not ask her to come back! My daughter did enjoy her camping experience overall but we're probably not coming back. read more

Sent the kids to the November Scooter camp. Was not the experience that they were hoping for. There is no structure to this camp and no supervision of any sort. The older kids barely slept the entire weekend as they were scared to go to sleep out of fear what the bullies in the cabin would do to them while they slept. There were things going on in that cabin that definitely crossed the line of simple pranks and teenage fun. So incredibly inappropriate and unacceptable. Where was the supervision or counselor who was supposed to be staying in the cabin?? Apparently the counselor closes his door in the cabin and lets everyone run wild. The instruction piece of the camp is non existent - you are assigned an instructor but they don't care what you do or where you go; they are just there for selfish reasons so they can ride. Overall this camp was a huge disappointment. read more

Okay, now my daughter has actually been there and while I hold the position that they shouldn't have soda and caffeine drinks at a camp for athletes, she had such a great time! It is a beautiful place, with fantastic equipment, tons of staff, tons of activities, oh yeah and gymnastics. Clearly if you want your daughter to have the gymnastics camp experience this is the place to send her! read more

We were so thrilled to send our daughter to Woodward West for cheer! Super high expectations of learning her next element for cheer, or at least working on it daily considering they were supposed to be tumbling over six hours a day. She was only assisted with the new elements a handful of times on the last few days. We also were under the impression she would be working on stunting. Not once! She is a flier and we were hoping she'd gain some more experience there. She didn't even get placed in a tumbling group with her teammates. She said the food was terrible, and she is not a picky eater. She bought a water bottle from the gift shop which leaked and ruined her phone. As disappointed as I was to hear that she didn't work on any of the things she had gone there to work on, I wish she would have at least come home with a smile and said it was a wonderful experience. Nope. She said she'd never go back. BTW she is 10 years old. read more

This was going to be the second year our son attended camp. He won a certificate for 500 and we paid the difference of 579 for the week of camp he would have been attending. We were informed our son needed immediate surgery, we called and spoke with an individual at the camp and was assured they would have Gymnastics camp until the end of July. So we scheduled his surgery. We call back to reschedule his camp and get informed they only have 3 weeks for male gymnastics training! Of which he can't attend because they fall within his recovery period. When we registered, 6 months ago, there was a small section about buying the insurance with little detail. What parent plans on skipping out on camp for their child NONE so we didn't purchase it! My husband has been quite kind in communicating with them to get them to refund our money so we can find another camp later in the summer for our child to attend SINCE THEY DONT OFFER MORE THAN 3 weeks for a MALE GYMNAST! Instead this person my husband spoke to felt it necessary to hang up on my husband! So this is what I want that person to know. The man they hung up on, can't do much because he is fighting a rare disease that already stopped his heart once needing a pacemaker/defibrillated implanted and now it has reached the advance stage requiring chemo therapy. My husband felt it necessary to defend his sons camp experience and get back the little money we paid to find something else for our son to enjoy later this summer. Did we plan our sons surgery no, did we plan for my husband to need such excessive medical treatment no. But this company expects everyone to plan for such situations! Life happens and sometimes a company needs to respect a campers situation as an individual case and actually do the right thing when they don't offer what they have previously!!!! read more

CAMP RIPOFF We went up to Woodward West on a Family Weekend in April and only the large hanger was open, which is plenty of skating for a first time. My boys loved it, but my husband and I felt entirely ripped off. Not only are you required to pay for your stay at the Lodge in order for your kids to skate that day, but they also charge a full entrance fee for one parent and a nominal fee for the other parent -- to sit and watch! The Lodge is a dump. It is old, run down, the beds are quite overused and sunken, and the whole place smelled like a bad dorm. I took hold of the blow dryer in the morning and the entire unit pulled right out of the wall! The weekend, for the 4 of us (2 adult non skaters & 2 boys who skated) was over $1000 and that did not include food! Not worth it! They should offer a day pass on those weekends because we have family in the area we would have preferred to stay with. read more

the skate park is great. the 'lodge' is awful. there was no working shower in our room. there is no number listed anywhere to call for service. the contact numbers on the room phone (front desk etc) are over 20 years old and do not connect to anything. we were given a key to s room on yhe other side of campus where we could shower. i went to front desk and rang the buzzer for 10 minutes and no one came. i stayed with my kid on this visit. i would never leave them alone for one of their week long camps. it's pretty filthy as well. the rear wsll on yhe outside of our room is completely gone. its pretty clear they are only concered with the skate park adpof this place. read more

We watched the shows, we watched the videos. But nothing compares to showing up in person and walking the grounds of the camp. I was blown away with the quality and the amount of all features in the camp. The staff was super friendly, helpful and down rite good people. It was our 10yr old sons first time sleeping away from family. His first two nights were tough. But day 3 was the game changer. He made some buddy's and really learned to flow in the dirt sections. He races Bmx and needed help with his jumps and manuals. Mission accomplished and he well on his way to excelling in his sport. He wants to return again to spend time at the camp. I definitely noticed a touch of independence in his character. Thank you Woodward for having a place like this for the kids. Wish this was around when I was a kid. Shoot I may try to get my self some time to ride next time. read more

This is an amazing experience and location for kids (and even adults). The place is beautiful and the staff is equally impressive. My only complaint, why didn't Woodward exist when I was a kid? Of the fun I would have had. We also love staying at the lodge when there is availability and Sharron in the front office is extra helpful! WE LOVE IT! read more

After reading the reviews and my son going to Woodward east, the issues are pervasive throughout this camping system. Powdr cares little about issues, tries to placate you with "we'll fix this", but when you press them you get a nasty response from a childish HR person. The "nurses" working there have no medical director, so they are truly legally unable to do anything at all, including administer medications or provide any kind of care....but Woodward will do nothing about this situation. I was a nurse there, so I know this for fact. The counselors are there to ride the park, and just want to get the training over with so they can ride. This place is about money, plain and simple. I am unsure how this is a world known sports camp because it was a big disappointment. if my son returns, it will be with the full knowledge that there will be no real education like at Ohio Dreams- just riding the parks for a week with essentially no supervision. If you send your child there, know that this is what you are getting, and if you have a complaint after spending all the money, know that nobody cares. read more

I sent my kid to camp for Gymnastics and felt overall it was a great experience. I would recommend this camp for kids in compulsory levels (1-6). They seem to focus on skills that they already know and allow them to "get" the ones they are working on. A nice bonus for the kids is having former Olympians visiting and coaching the kids. read more

Kid heaven! My 8 an 10 year old attended gymnastics camp in july. The gym was big, they had several skate parks and activities for the kids. My girls loved it, they did plenty of gymnastics at least three hours a day. You can also apply for scholarships to help cut costs of camp which we did. Friendly staff. Bowling alley, video games, archery, mechanical bull, snack bar. You can also send your children with anacks and drinks to keep in their cabin. Such an awesome camp, I wish I could of stayed!!! read more

Wow. I didn't realize how fast camps fill up! I put off signing up until today, and when I went online to take care of it, the week that all my daughter's friends were going was all filled up. Full on panic!!! I called their number hoping to get on a waiting list. I spoke with Darlene who then got me in touch with Deb, the gymnastics camp director. There were two extra beds, and thankfully they were able to get my daughter in one! I am so thankful for the quick turnaround from Deb and Darlene. You guys are AWESOME! read more

The skateboarding facilities at this camp are fantastic. However, the camp experience is not so good, as stated by one of the previous reviewers. They claim to provide supervision and instruction, but for the most part it is very unstructured and un-supervised. My 13 year old son went there for camp this summer and we ended up picking him up early. He is very into skateboarding and was looking forward to a great experience, but ended up extremely let down. They provide a couple hours in the morning of so-called instruction which really amounts to an instructor leading a group of kids around to various areas of the park to let them skate. Then they have nine hours (!) of unsupervised time from 1PM - 10PM for them to have free skate or other free activities like bowling, swimming, crafts, etc. Despite his love for skateboarding my son got bored because he didn't know anyone there, there was no requirement to stick with a cabin group to get to know them, and he ended up wandering around during free time looking for things to do. Also, his so-called counselor that lived in his cabing was "never there." The food was mediocre and according to my son the portions weren't large enough (but he could always spend extra money to buy milkshakes and junk food if he wanted to). Despite the negative camp experience, there is a cool family opportunity during off-season (September-May) to visit for a weekend, stay at woodward lodge (practically right next-door) and use the camp's skate/BMX facilities. This works especially well if a parent is also into skating. They call it the weekend getaway. There is also a golf course nearby. Bottom line - don't waste your money on the camp. There are local skateparks (at least in L.A. where we live) that will do skateboard lessons/instruction and are probably a better option than this camp. read more

For the last 10 years my family and I bring a large group of skaters from Hawaii to WW Summer camp. We save up all year long to attend. We look forward to it every year and more and more kids join us every year. The professional staff treat us with lots of "Aloha" and the incredible facilities make for great, unforgettable memories. We love Woodward west and their staff is like "Ohana" to us!!! We are very grateful for Woodward West. read more

Woodward West is AMAZING!! My boys ages 7 & 15 attend BMX here on a regular basis. The staff is so kind, patient, attentive and always willing to go the extra mile to insure that my boys are learning and having the time of their lives. If you are looking for a once in a lifetime, AWESOME experience... then this is the place to be! This is not a place where boredom lives...there are TONS of activities for the campers! As far as safety....I have complete confidence that safety comes first here. We couldn't be more pleased with our experience at WW West!! My BMX riders can't wait for their next session!! My daughter also attends gymnastics at Woodward West....the coaching staff is top notch. They are all so kind and positive, so helpful and caring...we have been attending for over three years and have yet to meet an unfriendly staff member. The positive atmosphere here is contagious...the state of the art gymnastic facilities are incredible!! read more

Parents sending kids to this camp: DONT BE STUPID AND SIGN YOUR KID UP FOR GYMNASTICS YOURE STUPID. IF YOU WERE SMART YOU WOULDNT SEND YOUR GYMNASTICS KID TO A LARGELY SKATE ORIENTED CAMP. DONT BE A STUPID PARENT. FIND A SPECIALIZED CAMP. My experience was amazing because I am a skateboarder and I had already known how to skate. Woodward is a bad place to learn how to skate. You need to know how to get your money's worth. The food was ok and I guess it was pretty good and you don't have to eat at the canteen. Advice to kids: bring stickers and money also extra shoes and decks/wheels/wax read more

If your kid is interested in nothing more than skateboarding, then this camp might be one you'll check out. But beware: They claim that the kids are scheduled with activities all day, but that's not the case. From 1:00 until 10:00 it's "open play" with a small range of activities kids can choose from, but there is no structure at all. There's not even a requirement that the kids eat dinner with their cabin group. Oh no, you don't have to eat in the cafeteria because they sell food in the canteen for $4 a milkshake, or $3 for a slice of pizza. And guess who the camp sponsor is? Red Bull. Yes, high energy caffiene drinks are availble any time your 7 or 8 year old wants it. They even give it away for free on Fridays. Kids were drinking Red Bull at 10:00 at night in my kid's cabin (he's 10). If you're looking for a real camp experience for your child, this is not the place. For 100% skateboarding all day long and unsupervised free play, it is. read more

Relaying to us that an older kid held him down while rubbing his clothed genitals on him was not the experience we were hoping for. I trusted my young son to these people and two significant things happened. Upon his return it was obvious something was bothering him. I learned later that an older camper had held him down and rubbed his clothed genitals on my son. My son had to yell at him to get off. Where were the counselors? I have no idea. Is this the place for your young child? I sent an innocent child there and he came back with an experience that robbed him of that. I informed the camp director and received one follow up call that nothing had been done yet and then no further communication. The only thing that has stopped us from filing formal charges and more is the further embarrassment and humiliation this would subject our child to. Second, I saw no discernible improvement from this camp. Not the experience we were hoping for. read more

I dropped my daughter off for gymnastics camp the other day, and there were a few unpleasant surprises. The atmosphere was way too loose and laid back for my taste. When I came to sign her in, we were sent to her bunk on our own to settle her in. There was no counselor to greet her, or show her the way. Apparently there was a staff meeting from 4-5pm? and the kids were on their own with what looked to me like no supervision. We found her cabin on our own and there were two girls just hanging out on their bunkbeds, with their devices. The packing list said explicitly not to bring devices so I complied with that. ("sing yourself to sleep" the packing list said, rather than bringing an ipod) Apparently, they don't enforce this rule. I am in favor of kids not being distracted by their technology in a camp atmosphere, and that was dissappointing. I did leave my daughter with her basic cell phone, but we didn't bring the plug so she has been texing me very sparingly (but apparently, nobody is telling her she can't text througout the day) Also, there are a few (very cute, I might add. The whole place feels like a mini town) eateries around campus. The camp does provide meals, but in case your kid doesn't like them, or in case they want snacks or slushies on top of that, they are available for purchase. The recommened amount to give your kid for this, above and beyond the cost of camp, is $100. Oh, and my daugher spent $41 of that to buy a leotard for "Woodward day". Yes. That's right. in addition to the cost of camp, and the cost of your kid getting to buy junk food like everyone else, your child will feel pressured to buy Woodward paraphernalia for "Woodward day". Finally, there is no communication from the camp. Because of this, I am gald she has her phone. The one thing I do have access to is her store purchases. So, like Safeway can gather information on me based on my purchase habits, I can get a window into my kid's camp experience, based on her purchases. If my child comes back home and says she had an aweseome time. maybe I'll adjust my review. So far, I am getting mixed reviews from her. Based on my experience, I would definitely not recommend this place for younger kids, kids who aren't on a gym team etc, or an older kid who needs a program with more than the loosest structure. I imagine this place is heaven for hard core skate boarding tweens/teens who already know the lay of the land and have friends going with them. There seemd to be a lot for them. read more