Interview with Woodward West Gymnastics Director Andy Timm
Posted on 29 July 2009 by admin
Exclusive Interview with Woodward West Gymnastics Director Andy Timm
Woodward West is a thriving camp for gymnastics, tumbling & trampoline, cheer, skateboarding, inline skating and BMX biking. The camp formally refers to itself as an action sports camp, though after observing the outrageous stunts the gymnasts, skaters and bikers perform, extreme sports is a more apt description for us. StickItMedia recently visited Woodward West, and we found it to be in a stunningly beautiful location, surrounded by farms and ranches. We saw many horses, sheep, cattle and agricultural activity as we drove along a winding road leading into the camp.
Nestled in the surrounding mountains, Woodward West is located near the quaint town of Tehachapi, about 30 miles southeast of Bakersfield and about 130 miles north of Los Angeles. At an elevation of about 4200 feet, the summer climate is relatively mild compared to the nearby high desert communities of Palmdale, Mojave and Lancaster. Temperatures range from 85-95 degrees during the day to the low 60s at night. The camp is pristine and very well maintained. Dominating the campgrounds is a huge world-class concrete skate park, a huge wooden ramp park, competition vert ramps, countless rails and a dirt course. Skaters and bikers from around the world flock to Woodward West every year to ride these very challenging venues.
The summer camping season at Woodward West is eleven weeks long and is for campers age 7-17. The cost for a week-long session is reasonably priced at about $800, depending on the week. The camp has a wild west theme and has many nice amenities such as a bowling alley, pool tables, swimming pool, video games, snack bar, digital photography lab, airconditioned cabins and a dining area that serves great nourishing fare. The cabin counselors are very friendly and range from 18-year-old gymnasts to gym dads who want to stay close to their kids and/or to take advantage of the tuition discount.
The gymnastics camp is run by Andy Timm, who is the Gymnastics/Cheer/Equipment Director. Timm is a former gymnast who competed at Arizona State under Coach Scott Barclay. Many may also know him as an Event Coordinator at the Pacific Coast Classic. He greeted us at the entrance to the gym with lots of enthusiasm as he prepared for another week of camp. The impressive gymnastics facility is 24,000+ square feet, complete with state-of-the-art equipment. Thanks to Timm’s efforts, gymnasts are treated to guest VIPs/Coaches such as…
Igor Vihrovs
Pablo Capote
Kristy Powell
Alicia Sacramone
Brett McClure
Melissa Metcalf
Num Kutz
Guard Young
Doug Boger
Geoff Eaton
Jason Gatson
Jamie Dantzscher
The Platt Brothers
3 Danish National Team Members
Charlie Tamayo
Raj Bhavsar – coming week 11 (August 16-22)
Kerri Strug
Elise Ray
Mircea Badulescu
Jen Hansen
Kiara Nowlin
Aubrey Balkin
*** In the feature photo, the two lovely ladies Andy is standing next to are former Olympian Jaycie Phelps and his fiance Joelle Farrar. ***
Here is our recent interview with Woodward West’s Andy Timm.
SiM: How did you get started in gymnastics?
Timm: I started when I was three years old at Arizona Flairs with Mike Naddour. I’m a triplet (with a brother and sister) and I have an older brother that is 18 months older as well. We all did gymnastics when we were little and I was the only one to stick with it. I did quit when I was 10 to pursue wrestling and baseball, but did go back to gymnastics when I was 15 because I missed the gym. I still continued to do wrestling after that, but by high school I had to choose one sport. I chose gymnastics, and in college I decided to compete for Arizona State University.
SiM: What were the highlights of your ASU gymnastics career?
Timm: While I was there we won 3 National Championships. Those, of course, were the biggest highlights, but also the first time we beat Air Force Academy was a very big deal. I also enjoyed being captain of the team my last two years. Everything about competing for ASU was great. I loved the morning workouts and training 5 hours a day. The traveling to meets was also great as were the long weekends of doing homework on the plane. Those were the days.
SiM: How long have you been at Woodward West?
Timm: I came here in June 2008. I have been here about 13 months now.
SiM: What led you to your present position at Woodward West?
Timm: I have been working for USA Gymnastics since the 2003 world championships in Anaheim. I’m in charge of equipment for USAG and also am a floor manager for events. I still work for them today. I was recommended for the job by some people with USAG and AAI. I drove down to Woodward in between some events last year around the Olympic Trials and interviewed with Debbie Williams and checked out the camp. I then accepted the position about a week later and moved down here after Olympic Trials.
SiM: What is the best part about your job?
Timm: Making a difference in a kid’s life when they come here. My favorite is the kids that come and are very nervous, and by the end of the week they seem to know everyone and are a changed person. I also love seeing the kids faces when they see their favorite Olympians. It reminds me of the way I felt when I got to go to Fenway and watched the Red Sox play at Fenway for the first time!
SiM: What are some of the highlights you have enjoyed at Woodward West?
Timm: The major highlight for me is that I get to hire some VIPs/Olympians that I grew up with and competed against throughout my career. I grew up with Jason Gatson and get to have him come out here and coach for us. I think out of everyone that comes and visits camp, I usually know the VIPs the best going into it. It is nice to be a part of the sport for so long competing and now I run the best camp in the country. Also, In January, my fiance Joelle Farrar, moved out here from Arizona and accepted a position in the office. That has made working here even that much better!
SiM: How well do the gymnasts get along with the other campers?
Timm: The gymnasts get along great with the campers. The action kids respect the gymnasts very much because they learn and realize how hard it is to do what the gymnasts do. There is a lot of interaction with the two sports and they both respect each other very well. On Wednesdays, we have Olympic challenge night, where the action kids can come in with the gymnasts and try the gymnastics stuff. If the action kids do not have respect for the gymnasts by that night, after the night is over, they have realized how hard it is to do what the gymnasts do.
SiM: What are the biggest challenges to running the camp?
Timm: I would say not being afraid to tell people no. Since I was a gymnast for so long, and know so many people that come here to work, people think that you will always do special things for them. You have to really stick to your decisions and not give anyone any special perks, or you will have to give it to everyone. People understand your decisions, as long as you are even down the line, even if it is one of your buddies with an Olympic gold medal.
SiM: How much of your year is focused on running the camp?
Timm: I would say the whole year is based on the camp. Everything I do in the off season, whether it’s train-aways, or marketing at meets, everything is driven toward increasing camp numbers. I also run many meets in the off season and run a lot of equipment set-ups that help to put my face more out there to promote for Woodward. Believe it or not, even in the off season, I’m always working on the weekends and during the week to help make Woodward better for the upcoming camp season.
SiM: Is it true that you guys always have new equipment?
Timm: Yes it is. Every year, in the off season, we try to sell all of our equipment at low demo prices. Everything we sell is then replaced with something that is brand new. Because most of the equipment we get is from AAI, we have special programs for teams that bring a certain amount of kids. If a gym brings 10 kids or more, they can receive $75.00 per camper towards equipment from our gym. This helps promote bigger camp numbers and helps us to get rid of more equipment and get the new stuff in every year.
OTHER WOODWARD CAMP LOCATIONS:
Woodward at Copper Mountain, CO (skiing & snowboarding)
Woodward at Lake Owen, WI (gymnastics, cheer, skate & BMX biking )
Woodward Camp at Woodward, PA (gymnastics, cheer, skate & BMX biking)
July 30th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Great Article,
This guy is a great dude. We really enjoy working with him here at Woodward West. As one of the fellow directors here at camp Andy exemplifies what is most important,… the health, well being and enjoyment of a campers time here at Woodward West.
RV