I also sometime think the younger kids are much less affected by pressure and/or expectations than pre-teens and teenagers and that in and of itself is a huge advantage.
Of course they were put on that team to fly, because they can out fly the heavier girl. Unless and until the rules change that's not cheating, its smart coaching. Why would you not fly the best flyers with the necessary skills for the team? Our little flyers are actually some of our strongest tumblers, but that isn't always the case. Either way, the coaches are putting the team in the best position to win by putting the best flyers they have in the air. There is nothing wrong with that, and frankly its necessary if you want to be successful.
This is the thing that bothers me, a lot of fetus flyers... Or even just tiny flyers In general, make teams they don't have the tumbling for. Their jumps aren't as great either (but that's fine depending on how many athletes are on the floor IMO). They just throw these girls on the team because they can fly that level and are easier to base. Totally not fair at all. Some of the Flyers we see on these well known teams don't deserve to be on them.
It is no less fair than a girl who comes from gymnastics and has never based before making the team by virtue of her tumbling. No one bats an eye at that, in fact it is encouraged. She cannot contribute to stunts right off the bat, and has to be taught everything from the ground up, often ending up as a stunt nugget. No one insists she be bumped down a level or 2 to learn to stunt properly, yet we want flyers who have the skills for the team to be willing to compete 2 levels down just because they are small??
this just isn't true. Its about physics, center of gravity and weight distribution. It is VERY difficult for a 5'5" flyer to achieve the same level of co-ed stunting as a girl that is 4'9". Its simple physics, and not the base's fault. Her center of gravity is higher and there is nothing she can do to change that. Compensate for it, yes, but that often isn't enough when you are looking for an NCAA championship. Same holds true for all girl, but to a lesser degree. A flyer that is 5'5" has an easier time on a stunt group that trying to do co-ed but if her bases are all in the 5'1" to 5'3" ranger they are going to be at a disadvantage.
I would bat the eye at that scenario as well, because you need to learn how to base a certain level before you compete that level. But I just don't like that fact that there are flyers who barely have jumps to tuck and a janky running through to tuck who are on L5 over flyers who have it all. Same w L4.
I am 5'5" and had bases who were 2-3 inches shorter than me last year and we were one of the most consistent stunt groups on the team. I don't think you can characterize all stunt groups with a flyer taller than her bases as being at a disadvantage, it really depends on each group.
Stunts count for almost twice what tumbling does and their are fewer flyers in the air making each heel stretch much more important than each tuck from a scoring standpoint. It makes sense when trying to max out a score sheet to pick the stronger flyer even if she is a slightly weaker tumbler, or even id she doesn't have all the tumbling. Flying ability gets you more points than tumbling, and if that means using a flyer who does a better job hitting but may not be a a good a tumbler then it makes sense to do it as long as you have enough tumbling to max out the score sheet. I highly doubt that anyone would purposely choose a girl who is a weaker flyer AND tumbler just because she is small.
