All-Star Non-tumblers

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I remember that when I was a non-tumbler, I would watch those who could and wish I could do it too, cos it looks so cool. And I often felt like an idiot for doing only round offs in cross tumbling, cos that's all I could do. But now that I do tumble, I look at those who can't and occasionally wish I didn't tumble either, cos wow, our routine is so much harder when you have to stunt and tumble!! The rest of the time, I kick myself for not getting new skills faster cos I want to show off more of what I can do. I guess the grass is always greener, hey??
 
I remember one time at practice my coach must have said something about needed to get new skills and this girl who was a senior ( I was a junior), who I was good friends with, went on complaining (in front of the whole team) about how it wasn't fair that some people had to get new skills while others did or something. And I just remember my coach being like "okay, we all know you're talking about Hannah (thanks mental block) and blah blah blah" Definitely made me feel like crap.

I think that comment was more directly towards the girls who didnt have mental blocks but were not taking the time/ using their ability to increase their skills like several girls on the team had already done
 
I think that comment was more directly towards the girls who didnt have mental blocks but were not taking the time/ using their ability to increase their skills like several girls on the team had already done
Lol no it was because someone wanted the front tumblers to do round off back hand series instead of rbhs and I just couldn't do it. Trust me, I remember it clearly.
 
My son decided to try cheer this year. He is 15 yrs old, 6 ft tall and weights about 220. Obviously from those stats you can guess that his true love is football :)
He is good at it too but he needed a winter sport and he didn't like wrestling. He loves lifting the girls though. So he chose to cheer this year and he doesn't tumble at all for cheer but he is a stunting machine. The routine works out in a way that you hardly notice he isn't tumbling cause he is doing partner stunts and baskets during the standing and the tumbling passes which takes advantage of what he has to contribute to the team.
 
I don't tumble whatsover in our routine and I hate it! I don't really know if I have a mental blick because I've never actually had a skill to lose in my 8 years of cheer. I just get so scares when I'm about to try something like I shake and start crying etc. I'm a generally fearful girl, when I was a kid I never did things that went out of my comfort zone, I was even too scares to climb trees! So I guess my body isn't used to it. It's held me back in team placements: I'm still level 2 after all these years, I'm trying hard to improve my skills in other areas so I can finally move up next season!
 
I don't tumble on my level 6 team. And in college I think I was the only girl without a back handspring. I had it for about a month before became mental and stopped throwing it. I don't really feel bad about it - I'm on the team for a reason and you don't need to have 100% tumbling to score well.
 
I have a mental block with any backwards skill. I was on junior 2 for 2 years and I didn't tumble except for fronthandsprings. I've been on senior 3 for the past 2 years and I haven't tumbled in any of those routines. I worked so hard to finally get my backhandspring. I did it for a few months then I lost it again because my mental block has returned and it's worse than ever. This past season, on my senior 3 team and me and about 4 other people didn't tumble but in every tumbling section in the routine we did a basket or a stunt in the back. I don't think our coaches minded (because now on the Varsity scoresheet you have to do like 3 extra baskets to get into the high range anyway)
 
I think what a lot of people don't get is how bad these people that don't have tumbling feel. I was called lazy at my old gym for not having tumbling when really I've worked 10x harder than some other people on that team to get what little tumbling I have. It's just that tumbling does not come easy to me. I'm a fearful person and every time I get spotted on a back handspring I start crying or shaking because I'm that afraid. It's upsetting because I don't even know what I'm afraid of. I know I can do a BHS. I have the strength and I've done it before. It's just that my mind prevents me from going for it. It's always so embarrassing to have to do a round off from the corner when other people at my gym are doing double fulls. I always try to condition or work on my own tumbling when my team is working on tumbling, but I still feel like I'm being looked down upon.
 
I had a really bad fear or mental block for a while. I basically had my BHS but i would never throw it without someone spotting me, they didn't even have to touch me they just had to have their hand by my back. I have never tumbled in my 4 years of competitive cheerleading. I was on a level 2 team for 2 years then a level 3 for 2 more years. The only thing that REALLY sucks about it, is that when my team would do triple toe to bhs, I had to be in the back because I couldn't tumble out of it. Even though my jumps are really good. It's upsetting sometimes but It was worth it because I was always in the center stunt group and point for dance and stuff. But i would love to tumble more than anything!
 
on my level 2 team we have 2 level 5 tumblers and 21 level 1 tumblers with odd skills like front handspring, punch front etc, which can't really be used.
we all tumble cartwheel roundoff with the 2 other girls doing walkover r/o handspring combos which they hate because they are 'easy' when they have standing fulls etc.
tumbling is really an issue for us because we are from such a small town in the UK the 25 kids (and adults) on our senior team are the only people in the whole area who want to compete and most seasons we start with a completely new team. but because we train at a very talented gymnastics gym, we really on gymnasts joining as our tumblers and we've always been lucky to have so many on the squad although this year there are only 2

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I think what a lot of people don't get is how bad these people that don't have tumbling feel. I was called lazy at my old gym for not having tumbling when really I've worked 10x harder than some other people on that team to get what little tumbling I have. It's just that tumbling does not come easy to me. I'm a fearful person and every time I get spotted on a back handspring I start crying or shaking because I'm that afraid. It's upsetting because I don't even know what I'm afraid of. I know I can do a BHS. I have the strength and I've done it before. It's just that my mind prevents me from going for it. It's always so embarrassing to have to do a round off from the corner when other people at my gym are doing double fulls. I always try to condition or work on my own tumbling when my team is working on tumbling, but I still feel like I'm being looked down upon.

I feel your pain! Tumbling does not come easily for my CP either. I think it's a combination of a lot of things mentioned her. I think there is a strong element of personality in it. If you are more cautious in tumble too. Now its major stress time because it's my CPs final year coming up!
 
Do whatever you have to to get over your mental block and learn how to do atleast a back handspring. I say this because you have been cheering for so long and love it. Don't risk possibly not being able to cheer next year b/c of your fears. Take private lessons, practice drills at home, watch tips on youtube, condition ... Reach your goals.

I believe you can do it if you really want it and I don't even know you! :)
 
We have about 3 girls on my team (medium coed) that dont tumble. However we choreograph them in to make sure that their strengths are used. Our point jumper actually doesn't tumble, so she does a toe touch drop and then everyone else tucks. Just got to get creative sometimes!
 
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