Congrats to Rebecca and GMS Gymnastics!

We have been loving gymnastics this year.  Savannah started at GMS before they started advertising with PwcMoms (which is my favorite way for this to work- then I already know I love the business before I start telling you guys about them!) and it's been great for her coordination and flexibility.  I don't expect we'll have anything like this happen, but it's such an incredible story that I have to share!

Congratulations to GMS and to Level 10 Gymnast Rebecca Chong, who trains there, on Rebecca signing with Yale!

What?

Her parents have GOT to be freaking out.  I know I would be! Way to go Rebecca!

Meet DPGolf Academy!

Today we delve a little bit deeper with DPGolf Academy! They've got a GREAT giveaway coming up next week, so pay attention- you might just learn something that can help you win!! 

PwcMoms: Thanks for chatting with me today! To start off with, can you tell me a little bit about why inspired your business? 

As many of us approaching retirement ponder, in 2008 after serving in several capacities for 25 years with the Prince William County Police Department, I began to think “okay, what’s next?” I had a very rewarding career with the PWC Police Department as an officer, leader and teacher and needed to come up with a plan for my “2^nd career.” While with the department, I had a unique opportunity to develop my teaching experience in a wide range of disciplines, gaining extensive experience and earning several certifications as a physical fitness specialist and teaching professional. I designed and coordinated the physical fitness training programs and requirements for new officers as well as the SWAT Team. One of the most rewarding experiences was my time at the police academy – providing a solid foundation for success and helping new recruits reach their individual goals.

I had played high school golf but drifted away from the game for many years. After looking into the Professional Golf Association of America’s certification program, I thought, “wow, what an opportunity to combine my formal teaching experience with my love of the game.” In 2003 I opened the DPGolf Academy in Bristow, VA. It has given me a chance to grow even more as a business owner, professional golf instructor, and mentor to my teaching staff and students.

PwcMoms: What's your favorite aspect of working with children?

While I enjoy working will all age groups and skill levels, teaching juniors is one of the most rewarding. Kids come to the game with much enthusiasm and energy, and an open mind. That means we have a great opportunity to get them started early on the right path to learning the game – they tend to be more open minded and trust what we are trying to teach them. And when they connect the dots – well, seeing that and their smiles is the best part.

PwcMoms: What do children gain from golf? 

I think that some of the most important things children can learn from our programs and working with me and my staff is as teachers and mentors is proper sportsmanship, effective problem solving, good listening and learning skills, and most importantly, building self confidence.

PwcMoms: What all do you offer for families? Are there any programs people can do together?

Yes, we have several options for families:

Family Golf Lesson Package:

Our five-part series is designed to bring families together through golf, and provides significant savings. We cover course familiarization, etiquette and rules, and basic fundamentals of the game. Schedule according to your availability.

·       Five – 60 Minute Sessions

·       Cost: $400 per Family

Custom Group Lessons:

A great lower cost option for couples, friends, or co-workers who want a more tailored instructional program. Semi-private instruction is customized to the group’s experience level and can cover any part of the game – short game, putting, full swing, or any combination. Take single 60 minute lesson or save on 5 lesson series. Schedule when convenient for you.

Lesson Time: 60 Minutes

Number of Students                       Cost               Series of Five

Group of 2                   $50 Per Student          $200 Per Student

Group of 3                   $45 Per Student          $175 Per Student

Group of 4                   $40 Per Student          $150 Per Student

Get Golf Ready:

This instructional program is designed to teach you everything needed to play golf in just a few lessons. Our PGA Professionals will show you many ways to play by combining fun, friends and fitness. Each session focuses on the various golf skills you’ll use while playing. In addition to learning the basics, you’ll put your skills into action on the golf course in a casual, friendly setting. Register with a friend and save $20 on your class registration.

PwcMoms: Do you offer any special programs for schools or scouts?

Yes, we have delivered our Pee Wee Golf Class to PWC schools and have also designed a program to help Boy Scouts earn the Golf Merit Badge. We also offer a High School Golf Prep course to help students prepare for the HS golf season and explore collegiate opportunities.

PwcMoms: Where can people find you online? 

https://www.facebook.com/DPGolfAcademy

https://twitter.com/dpgolfacademy

https://www.youtube.com/user/dpgolfacademy

Water Polo in Lake Ridge

Do you or your kiddo want to check out Water Polo? It's a fun, fast-paced sport and there are both adult and child teams forming in Lake Ridge!

You can try Water Polo for free on Sunday June 7th from 8am-11am.  Want to play? Email Randy Cooper for more details at waterpolo@lakeridgeswimclub.com.  Lake Ridge Swim Club is located at Harbor and Old Bridge, and you can also find details online at the team's website.

Giveaway: Majest Martial Arts

Our friends at Majest Martial Arts are bringing you this weeks' giveaway! Check it out below! 

In a society that likes to glorify violence, the idea of enrolling your child in a martial arts training class may seem crazy. The image of martial arts instructors as the over the top "Karate Kid" Cobra mental cases makes the prospect seem totally insane. Contrary to popular image, martial arts is actually extremely beneficial for children.  Led by Master K.B. Kim of Korea, Majest Martial Arts - Montclair is dispelling these myths, helping develop our students in both body and mind.  Tae Kwon Do helps children by increasing respect, developing skills in listening and self-control, encourages teamwork and support, helps children learn to set and achieve various goals, and fosters increased self-esteem and physical fitness. 

Our programs are geared for students ages 3 to 99, with a variety of special classes, including our brand new HOME SCHOOL Tae Kwon Do Program!  Whether you are young or old, looking for self-development, or helping your child set and achieve personal goals; Majest Montclair has a fit for you. Programs include:

            Ø  Tiny Tigers (Ages 3-5)

Ø  Evening Color Belt Classes

Ø  Family Classes

Ø  Teens and Adults Classes (Ages 12 to 99)

Ø  Demo Team

Ø  School Break Camp Programs

Ø  *NEW* Home School Program (Ages 5 and Up)

Ø  Leadership Team

Ø  *NEW* Silver Tae Kwon Do (Age 55 to 99)

Ø  Olympic Style Sparring (Gyeorugi)

Ø  *NEW* Cardio Kick Class

Ø  School Age Child Care Programs (Serving Pattie, Henderson, and Ashland Elementary, as well as  Saunders and Graham Park Middle School)

Enter to win 3 Free Classes and a FREE Uniform (a $90 value!).  To win, visit the Majest Facebook and click "like".  Then, check out their reviews and pictures from class.  While you're looking, watch for the picture where PWCMOMS is hidden and comment on the photo to win! You must comment AND like to win! If more than 25 people enter, two winners will be chosen.

Want to check out Majest? They've got an open house coming up, too! Saturday, November 1, 2014 from 10am-2pm. 

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As always, giveaways are governed by our giveaway rules- and by entering you agree to be bound by them.  Good luck! 

Soccer Skills School Summer Sessions

Registrations now open for upcoming summer sessions!!

Training will be held at SNF (Sports Network & Fitness) 8320 Quarry Rd, Manassas VA

Includes 6 sessions at 1.5 hours each. Each session will take place once a week over the summer season.

Training will focus on shooting, passing, shooting in transition and finishing.

Ages 6-9 will be held Wednesday starting June 25^th from 7-8:30pm

Ages 10-13 will be held Thursday June 26^th from 7-8:30pm

$99 per child – Sign up now through June 15^th and receive a $15 discount!!

www.soccer-skills-school.com

This is a sponsored post brought to you by Soccer Skills School. 

Readers Recommend: Gymnastics in Prince William County

We recently had a momma looking for gymnastics and Prince William County, and, as always, you all had plenty to say on the subject!!  If you'd like to add your thoughts, please leave a comment on the bottom of this post!! Love to hear from you! 

Apollo Gymnastics x12- "Apollo Gymnastics right off of Hoadly and PWPkwy." "APOLLO especially if they are serious and want to compete." "3 of our 4 have gone to Apollo and we have really liked it a lot.  My one daughter had a teacher one session we did not like, but other than her the experience has been great." "My son does gymnastics at Apollo.  He has had great coaches." "Apollo is great, but there are some instructors who work better with different kids.  The parent area is great to watch and ask around about instructors (and can be visited before you sign up to research)." "I am a former gymnastics coach and currently a personal trainer.  I highly recommend Apollo.  My daughters love it and have improved by leaps and bounds.  It is expensive, but one of the best around here." "Very well run"

Apollo is located at 12700 Apollo Drive, Woodbridge and offers classes for ages 18 months and up, and birthday parties for ages 4-12. Their phone number is 703-580-9144.  45 minute classes are $80/month at the time of publishing. 

Dale City Rec Center- "My daughter does tumbling at the dale city rec center and loves it! All the 

instructors are great!"

The Dale City Rec Center is located at 14300 Minnieville Road, Dale City, and offers classes through the Prince William County Park Authority.  They offer tumbling for ages 1.5-4 years.  703-670-7112. Classes range from $42-$68 for a 6 class session.

Freedom Center-  If you're just looking for a quick intro class to see if your preschooler/toddler likes it at all, Sally at the Freedom Center funds a great class and the sessions are short and inexpensive"

The Freedom Center is located at 9100 Freedom Center Drive in Manassas, and offers classes through their recreation department.  They offer classes for children ages 3.5-12 years old, and classes appear to be $10 per class in 4 or 5 week sessions at the time of publishing. 703-993-8444.

GMS x4- "GMS in Manassas off Balls Ford.  They have beginner and rec classes and stuff for girls that want to compete in a team.  Great all around gym." "GMS by 66 in Manassas great for competitive and has brand new facility for rec classes." "GMS is the best around!! They have been around for years and years and the owners are amazing. You can't find anything better for sure."

GMS is located at 7226 Newmarket Court, Manassas and offers classes for ages almost 3 and up.  1 class/week is priced at $150 a month at the time of publishing.  703-369-7800.

Novaks x6- "Off stage coach rd Dumfries" "We've done Youth Sports and Novak...like both" "Novaks is great" "Affordable, with a world championship to back them up."

Novaks is located at 17535 Old Stagecoach Road, Dumfries.  They offer open gym, play gym, classes, competition team, birthday parties and camps for ages 5 and up, with a special play gym for ages 5 and under.  Class prices are not listed. 703-221-5833

World Gymnastics- "I love coach Isben at World Gymnastics.  I can't vouch for any others.  He has figured out how to work with five kids on the autistic spectrum and it is better than any OT."

At the time of publication, their site was down.  

Youth Sports Gymnastics x 11- "Love youth sports gymnastics near BJs in Wdbg!" "We checked out quite a few and really liked Youth Sports....the coaches there are really great." "I've heard great things about Youth Sports, we did not have a good experience with our children at Apollo." "We've done Youth Sports and Novak...like both" "Great for girls and boys." "Most have a free trial class; however, Apollo does not.  I did not want to sign up for a class without trying it first.  We have been at novaks, world, and youth sports.  Most impressed with youth sports. It is clean and does not smell like feet!" "My daughter goes to Youth Sports.  She loves it." "My son has been at Youth Sports for 6 years.  Clearly we love it there."

Youth Sports is located at 14023 Noblewood Plaza, Woodbridge.  They offer classes in tumbling, cheer, rhythmic gymnastics, jumprope and regular gymnastics starting with parent/tot.  Sessions are 5 weeks, prices aren't listed online.  They also offer birthday parties, camps, and special events. 703-590-8400

Distance recommendation- 

Dulles Gymnastics Academy- "Dulles gymnastics academy is great.  For under 5yo, $8, 11-12pm on Fridays.  It's great because your kid can try everything out and they have two instructors present." 

Try Hockey Free at PWICE!

We love hockey in our family, and Prince William Ice Center wants to invite your child to try hockey FREE on November 2, 2013 from 2-3:30pm! Register online anytime for this program.

Soccer Shots Free Demo Day- September 16, 2013

Giveaway: Visit Richmond VA/Redskins Training Camp

It's Football Season.  According to my husband, it's the most wonderful time of the year, and it's technically just the pre-season.   (I'm not going to lie, though, as a Green Bay Packers fan, he's lying next to me telling Redskins jokes and trying to get me to add them to this post, which is not happening....and if it does, it was him, not me!) 

Photo From VisitRichmondVa.com

If you'd like to experience the pre-season up-close and personal, you can head just a short drive south to Richmond, Virginia.  From July 25th to August 16, 2013, Richmond is proud to welcome the Washington Redskins to the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Camp, and they'd be proud to welcome your family, too.  Admission to the camp is free, and you can take advantage of watching your favorite players, get autographs, take pictures, and even attend special events and possibly win a giveaway (or two!).  

The Omni Richmond has even put together a special package for those who want to start singing Hail to the Redskins a little early this year! 

We actually love Richmond.  My oldest son, Riley, has been incredibly interested in politics since he was five and has been invited down to the capitol for swearing-in ceremonies and tours because he's such a good campaign volunteer. We love the Children's Museum, which is right next to a science museum if you have older children, and we actually thought about getting married at the Botanical Gardens, which are beyond amazing. 

Photo from OmniHotels.com

Washington Redskins Ultimate Fan Experience Package: Omni Richmond Hotel

100 South 12th Street | Richmond, VA 23219 | (804) 344-7000

Redeemable: July 25 - August 15, 2013

Enjoy the Ultimate Fan Experience with VIP treatment when you stay at the Official Headquarter Hotel for the Washington Redskins Training Camp.

The Ultimate Fan Experience, from $149 per night, per guest, includes:

·         Luxurious accommodations in an Omni Deluxe Room

·         Breakfast per registered guest in Trevi's Restaurant for the Omni Art of Breakfast

·         One gourmet boxed lunch per registered guest to take to the training facility that includes: choice of handcrafted sandwich, bag of chips, house made cookie, whole fruit and bottled water

·         Pre-arrival call from the Omni Concierge to complete boxed lunch pre-order and to assist in any planning in order for you to more fully enjoy your visit to Richmond

·         Complimentary transportation to and from the training camp facility

·         Late check-out of 3:00 p.m. on your departure day

Visit Richmond has made it even easier for your family to take advantage of the training camp fun with a Richmond, VA Redskins' Training Camp Family Prize Pack! This package includes:

•         Four (4) passes to Valentine Richmond History Center or Four (4) passes to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

•         Lunch for four (4) at Anna’s Pizza (Not to exceed $30.00)

•         The Ultimate Redskin’s Fan Pack (Assorted Richmond, VA and Redskins branded items)

enter using the Rafflecopter at the end of this post! 

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclaimer: No purchase necessary, winners must be 18 or older and comply with any sponsor requirements.  Contest sponsored by VisitRichmondVa.com.  Winner assumes all liability, and risk, and any additional expenses, including travel to redeem prizes. Winner's name will be posted on the website and to Facebook, and by entering, you agree to these terms. 

Prince William Ice Center Camp

Guys, we've been friends for awhile, right? And, if any of you were serial killers or something, you'd have figured out my kids' names already, because it really wouldn't be hard.  It's mentally taxing for me to keep referring to them by ages or birth order, so let's just get real about it.

This is Savannah.  She's 5 and she enjoys pink, sparkles, soccer, math, kicking butt and taking names, swimming, and ice skating.  She does not enjoy dresses, tights, mosquitos, or when people do not realize that she is Lord and Master of the Universe.  Especially her brothers- they should know better.

Savannah checked out the Ice Stars Fun Camp last week, and I thought I'd share her feedback with you.  We thought about doing a video, but then I realized that not everyone speaks rapid-fire five year old, so typing her responses would be easier.

So, kiddo, tell me about camp.
Camp?  Camp was good.  I was just awesome and I skated and one day we got to do the slip and slide. Daddy let me buy lunch from the cafe and I got chicken fingers AND tater tots, which is a lot of food, but he let me do it.

What was your favorite part about camp?
Um, we did lots of different stuff. It was all good. I made a t-shirt, do you want to see it? (this is another good reason not to make a video- she just runs off.  For the record, I've seen the tie-dye shirt at least 20 times)

Was there anything you didn't like?
I thought we were going to skate too much, but we didn't, we just did it more times.  And now, I can skate while I jump.

You mean jump while you skate?
No, I mean skate while I jump.  And, I can do a spin on two feet.  And, Mrs. Marina (her coach) says I'm doing a good job.  Also, I liked the teachers.  When I grow up I'm going to be a camp teacher at the ice rink.  How old do you think I have to be to be a camp teacher at the ice rink?

I'd imagine you have to be a teenager.  Would you go back to camp again? Should I tell people their kids would like skating camp?
Oh, sure, I'd go to all the weeks.  They can come, too. We'll have fun.

That's Savannah on the far right- this picture is from the PwIce.com site. 

So, there you have it.  Savannah liked camp, and thinks we can all have fun together.  I was a little nervous the first day because it looked like many of the kids were older than her, but she informs me that this made it more fun because she got to hang out with the big kids.  Also, they mix the hockey camp kids and the figure skating kids together during some parts of the day, so there are plenty of people to play with. You can pack your child's lunch, or they can purchase lunch from the rink cafe.  Camp runs from 9am-5pm, but there is a before/after care option if you need a longer day.  For us, since we're not typically a daycare family, Savannah SLEPT after camp each day.  She also had a wicked crush on one of the hockey coaches.  In any event, she had a great time.  The mixed age group was probably my biggest concern, but she seemed to have a great time and came home talking about friends every day, so it worked out fine! Each week there are different off-ice activities, if you need to know about anything (like bringing a swimsuit for the slip-n-slide or a shirt to tie-dye) they'll let you know.  Also, the kids are on the ice several hours a day, but they break it into chunks so they're not bored or over-stressed about skating.  There is some outdoor play time, so we tried to dress in light layers so Savannah would be comfortable on the ice and outside.  It's a challenge, but you can do it :) Also, there's a form to sign if you want to leave sunscreen.

If you'd like more information on hockey or figure skating or learn to skate camps, you can find it here.
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Disclosure: Prince William Ice Center is one of our sponsors, but they didn't ask me to write this, nor was I compensated.  We paid for camp just like everyone else, and all opinions are my own. Yours might vary, but I'd be happy to hear them in the comments if you want to share.  We had a great week at camp, but are not responsible for your experiences as we don't control the ice rink.