Woodward Camp ends gymnastics, cheer programs at all locations, including in Penns Valley
A top training ground that brings in some of the world’s best action sports athletes discontinued Wednesday their gymnastics and cheer programming at all of their locations, including one in Penns Valley.
Woodward Camp — which is attempting to become the global leader in action sports — axed the programs because they “are not as complementary to the core of action sports,” spokesperson Alana Watkins wrote in an email Thursday.
“We know this news is a great disappointment to campers, parents and teams who have spent their summers with us at Woodward Camps,” the company wrote in a statement posted to their website. “We have enormous respect for the 52-year history Woodward has had with the sport of gymnastics in particular.”
In an email sent to gym owners and coaches obtained by the Centre Daily Times, the company wrote, in part, that gymnastics is “one sport where we have found it is not possible to have consistent sport leadership.”
In an email to the CDT, Watkins further described the change as “purely a business decision.”
The facility was sued twice in the past year over allegations they improperly responded to allegations of sexual misconduct at the Penns Valley camp.
The parents of one teenage gymnast alleged former coach Nathaniel Singer groped and digitally penetrated her during a summer camp in 2018 and 2019.
The federal lawsuit filed in December accused a camp administrator and her assistant of trying to dissuade the gymnast from reporting the allegations, saying it could “wreck her chance” of becoming a collegiate gymnast.
A Canadian woman who worked as a junior counselor sued Woodward in September. She alleged Singer groomed her by sending unwanted photos of himself partially nude.
She also accused Singer of pressuring her into “inappropriate sexual contact.” Both lawsuits are pending.
“We are aware that the Woodward camps have stopped their gymnastics program,” said attorney David K. Inscho, who represents both females. “We will continue to investigate all of the misconduct that took place at Woodward in their gymnastics camp.”
Singer, who was ruled permanently ineligible in May by the nonprofit tasked with investigating claims of abuse and misconduct in Olympic sports, was also charged criminally. No trial date has been set.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.