High School Scared Flyer! Help!

[dropdeadcheer_cameron]

I am captain of my high school squad and we only have nine girls. Four of us have done all star cheer and have experience but the others don't. We have two girls that can fly on the team: the first girl has done all star cheer and knows how to fly and the other is just light. I would love some help from anyone who knows how to fly or understands how to teach it. Here is some more information on our team:

Five of us understand how to stunt. 3 bases, one flyer, and me who can back and fly. The other four don't know how. We could make one stunt group that could do up to level four skills, but the other would be at a super basic level.

One of the flyers is good and experienced, but will only stunt if she has the other experienced bases under her. She also always looks down and never locks out her arms in her high V.

The other flyer is just light, but she is bad at flying and never locks out her knees. She also refuses to base but she could back.

I am a very experienced back spot and understand what I am doing, but I can also fly. I am 5'6" and 120 pounds but I fly for my All Star team.

Now that you understand more about my team, here are the questions I have.
How can I teach the experienced flyer to tighten up and look better in the air?
How can I try to convince the experienced flyer to stunt withy he less-experienced stunt group?
I am worried that I can only fly withy the more experienced group because I am heavy but I can't because the other flyer doesn't want to fly with the less experienced one or even a mix of the two.
How can I make the other girl a better flyer?

Thanks for your help and I would love any other tips about making my team better. Thanks!




The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android || Upgrade Your Account!

 

[pvcheerclauds5]

I think you should mix up all of the girls and help the under developed girls to improve their skills. Being on the ground is a better idea for you just because you do not want inexperienced people under you. Just try to teach them up to be real varsity cheerleaders.

 

[cheerforeverever]

Sounds like both flyers need to do some tightening drills.

"Board drill: Have the flyer lie on her back on the floor and ask her to squeeze tight. If you pick up her feet and she bends at the waist, she is not tight. Have her lift her hips and get them in line with the rest of her body. Try again from lying on the floor and have her squeeze harder, focusing on her stomach and backside. If you lift her feet and there is no bend anywhere in her torso this time, then she is squeezing correctly."

Some step lock drills as well would be a good idea, especially for the new flyer, as it doesn't sound like she understands what she is supposed to do (no muscle memory yet). Have her step up onto a higher level stationary object and lock out/squeeze. The quicker she understands that her job is to be a wooden board, the better. After that, try putting the new flyer with the experienced bases after she understands the step lock (never bending the knees once locked out) to step and lock out into a thigh stand. If she is looking down or wiggling/not staying tight then it is a no go to move on. She needs to perfect that step up.
While working on that, the new bases can be learning their individual spots for a thigh stand. In reality anyone should be able to do a thigh stand with them basing, regardless of size if correct technique is used.

So to answer your questions:
How can I teach the experienced flyer to tighten up and look better in the air?
Drills and basics. Start from the beginning and make her start over if she is not tight enough or looks down. It will probably be a hard habit to break, so repetition is key.
How can I try to convince the experienced flyer to stunt with the less-experienced stunt group?
Get the bases more experience. Start off with thigh stands (anyone that wants to correctly fly for one), and have them keep stunting until they get a feel for it. Then tell the hesitant flyer that you would like to try her in the thigh stand (see the bases aren't so bad right?). Baby steps. Do the same thing with a shoulder sit....start with showing them what they are supposed to do, have the experienced group do one, then practice with the light flyer (assuming she learned how to lock out and just stay stiff as a board). Then switch flyers and focus on technique. Another possibility is to mix up groups a lot, so its never just one completely inexperienced group. That may make her feel more comfortable and also help lessen the factors of what could go weird during the stunt.

 

[cheerforeverever]

Also, here is the list I came up with for my flyers and bases to follow each year. I briefly explain why each rule is important before we stunt, so that everyone is on the same page and what I tell them makes sense later on (i.e. "oh right, I have to lock out my legs otherwise gravity WILL make the stunt fall! It's scientifically proven!")



Flyer Safety Quiz (for my flyers to go over)
What is the way to stay tight in the air?
Squeeze everything, shrug shoulders, “Pinch a Penny”
why?
Gravity. Try to hold a pencil straight up in the air vs. a cooked spaghetti noodle.
What is the best way to stay balanced in the air?
Stand on the ball of your foot , with either toes spread or curled under.
why?
makes your foot muscles hold in one position & tightens ankle typically
Who should control the stunt?
Bases. They adjust the foot while the flyer stays tight.
why?
because a flyer's job is to stay tight, not lean herself
What should flyers do at all times while in the air?
Look up
why?
your body goes where you look. Look down, that is where you will go
What should a flyer do if she is falling?
Hit a T so her bases can catch her.
why?
If a flyer doesn't open up to a tight T, she could slide through a base's catch.
If she opens up but is loose, she could elbow someone and cause injury*
What is the number one rule of flying?
Don’t bend your leg. Someone will get hurt!!!
why?
Again, the pencil vs. spaghetti noodle visual. Physics says, you bend the knee, you fall down.
Also, when a flyer tries to bend her knees in a cradle, she jumps out of the stunt instead of correctly
riding the base's pop*
What should a flyer visualize while cradling?
A string pulling her chest towards the ceiling.
why?
Helps a flyer think to ride the cradle and not look down to the bases with dead weight





10 commandments of flying:
1.Thou shall not bend your knees when in a stunt (not including load ins, ect.)
2. Thou shall stretch at home as well as at practice
3. Thou shall support your own weight when required (sponges, load ins, baskets)
4. Thou shall stay tight and squeeze when flying
5. Thou shall always look up
6. Thou shall not cradle or balance yourself
7. Thou shall fight to keep your stunt up
8. Thou shall not stick your booty out and bail
9. Thou shall not blame others for whatever happens in a stunt. It is a group effort
- “we should catch higher” NOT “you need to catch higher”
10. Thou shall be confident and smile




10 commandments of basing/ backing:
1. Thou shall NEVER let a flyer hit the ground
2. Thou shall stay focused when stunting. No goofing off
-when stunting, we are in stunting mode: serious and focused so no one gets hurt
3. Thou shall always look up at your flyer
4. Thou shall not step away from the stunt
-step in to catch
5. Thou shall be ready to stunt when asked to
6. Thou shall not put anyone in the air unless a coach is there
7. Thou shall understand that bumps and bruises are part of stunting.
-if a fall should happen when stunting, take a breath, and try again. Don’t complain/be overdramatic, just take your battle scars with honor
8. Thou shall not blame others for whatever happens in a stunt: it is a group effort
- “we should catch higher” NOT “you need to catch higher”
9. Thou shall be confident and positive to your teammates
10. Thou shall fight to keep your stunt up


The better everyone understands these rules and the reasons behind them, the more the stunting basics make sense mechanically.

 

[CaliCoach]

Also, here is the list I came up with for my flyers and bases to follow each year. I briefly explain why each rule is important before we stunt, so that everyone is on the same page and what I tell them makes sense later on (i.e. "oh right, I have to lock out my legs otherwise gravity WILL make the stunt fall! It's scientifically proven!")



Flyer Safety Quiz (for my flyers to go over)
What is the way to stay tight in the air?
Squeeze everything, shrug shoulders, “Pinch a Penny”
why?
Gravity. Try to hold a pencil straight up in the air vs. a cooked spaghetti noodle.
What is the best way to stay balanced in the air?
Stand on the ball of your foot , with either toes spread or curled under.
why?
makes your foot muscles hold in one position & tightens ankle typically
Who should control the stunt?
Bases. They adjust the foot while the flyer stays tight.
why?
because a flyer's job is to stay tight, not lean herself
What should flyers do at all times while in the air?
Look up
why?
your body goes where you look. Look down, that is where you will go
What should a flyer do if she is falling?
Hit a T so her bases can catch her.
why?
If a flyer doesn't open up to a tight T, she could slide through a base's catch.
If she opens up but is loose, she could elbow someone and cause injury*
What is the number one rule of flying?
Don’t bend your leg. Someone will get hurt!!!
why?
Again, the pencil vs. spaghetti noodle visual. Physics says, you bend the knee, you fall down.
Also, when a flyer tries to bend her knees in a cradle, she jumps out of the stunt instead of correctly
riding the base's pop*
What should a flyer visualize while cradling?
A string pulling her chest towards the ceiling.
why?
Helps a flyer think to ride the cradle and not look down to the bases with dead weight





10 commandments of flying:
1.Thou shall not bend your knees when in a stunt (not including load ins, ect.)
2. Thou shall stretch at home as well as at practice
3. Thou shall support your own weight when required (sponges, load ins, baskets)
4. Thou shall stay tight and squeeze when flying
5. Thou shall always look up
6. Thou shall not cradle or balance yourself
7. Thou shall fight to keep your stunt up
8. Thou shall not stick your booty out and bail
9. Thou shall not blame others for whatever happens in a stunt. It is a group effort
- “we should catch higher” NOT “you need to catch higher”
10. Thou shall be confident and smile




10 commandments of basing/ backing:
1. Thou shall NEVER let a flyer hit the ground
2. Thou shall stay focused when stunting. No goofing off
-when stunting, we are in stunting mode: serious and focused so no one gets hurt
3. Thou shall always look up at your flyer
4. Thou shall not step away from the stunt
-step in to catch
5. Thou shall be ready to stunt when asked to
6. Thou shall not put anyone in the air unless a coach is there
7. Thou shall understand that bumps and bruises are part of stunting.
-if a fall should happen when stunting, take a breath, and try again. Don’t complain/be overdramatic, just take your battle scars with honor
8. Thou shall not blame others for whatever happens in a stunt: it is a group effort
- “we should catch higher” NOT “you need to catch higher”
9. Thou shall be confident and positive to your teammates
10. Thou shall fight to keep your stunt up


The better everyone understands these rules and the reasons behind them, the more the stunting basics make sense mechanically.

I love this! I hope you don't mind that I use it. These are things I explain all the time, but I think writing it out for the kids and having them sign as their "stunting contract" will make them really think about the rules more and feel more of a sense of responsibly.