All-Star Anyone Else Notice Alot Of 12 Year Old Flyers On The Floor?

[F!ERCE]

TL;DR: From an athlete and coach standpoint, I certainly understand the little ones on the older teams, and if I had the opportunity to utilize them myself, I would. I recognize that two exactly identical routines would generally score the same, independent of the size of the flyers. But from a strictly spectatorial perspective, I have no qualms about saying that I like to watch bigger flyers and appreciate stunts performed with them more than I do their smaller counterparts.

 

[TXcheermom]

i can honestly say on Texas Cheer RED all girl medium my daughter Kayla is the smallest and youngest. She is the only one in jr high on our team. All of our flyers are senior size flyers except my daughter Kayla. she is the littlest one but shes 5'2 98#. We have a true looking senior team.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

I agree with @Mclovin 100%, its about having a well rounded team. A well rounded routine. I personally think that things vary per gym. Some gyms prefer one thing while others prefer another, I get that those at a particular gym live and die by those preferences but why criticize others for theirs? I just don't get it. So much has been made about the age thing how 12 yr olds shouldn't be on a team with 18 yr olds, blah. Most teams aren't made up of 19-18 yr olds and one 12 yr old. We have 12 yr olds on our senior team bc they are good, worked hard and have the skills and maturity to be on a senior team, and they are doing an amazing job. We have 10 year olds on our Senior Restricted team, and they are doing a great job as well, judge me and my gym all you want but we take pride in our kids and feel when they work hard they deserve to be rewarded. We discuss this with their parents as well and what we expect of our senior team (heck most 18 yr olds are the immature ones) and we have their support. I feel like the exceptional 10/11/12 yr olds are the exception to the rule but they exist and work just as hard as the rest of the kids. If its within the rules and handled appropriately they deserve the same opportunities as everyone else. And from a judges perspective, its never been written on my score sheet that it looked bad, actually the opposite, "that little girl in your center stunt is amazing". I'll keep my score sheet and my young kids all day long.

I don't think it is the exceptional ones are the kids that people have an issue with. What people have an issue with is 8 year olds that are only on teams to be utilized for stunts, and then nuggeting or standing in the back throughout the running tumbling section, being hidden in the back tucking down during standing tumbling, and then jammed in the back during the dance and jumps.

We had an exhibition a few weeks ago and I am dead serious when I say that one gym there used the same half dozen minis (mini 1) to fly on 3 or 4 of their older teams. I lost a lot of respect for that gym that day. Could they not find ANY other flyers in the whole gym? It wasn't like these kids were throwing up beautiful body positions or anything, they were average ::shrugs:: whatever floats your boat I guess.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

i can honestly say on Texas Cheer RED all girl medium my daughter Kayla is the smallest and youngest. She is the only one in jr high on our team. All of our flyers are senior size flyers except my daughter Kayla. she is the littlest one but shes 5'2 98#. We have a true looking senior team.

Yes, but Kayla looks 18.

 

[LARAFiERCE]

If you are from a state that you can't just pick from anyone and everyone(ohio). You have limited options to pick the people who will make up your worlds team. A few years ago our worlds team had ALL senior flyers and they were all a very decent size...but so were the bases. Last year, for the most part we had bigger flyers besides maybe 2. This year all our bases and older flyers graduated...we have no choice but to have tiny flyers and thats not to say they aren't good...most of them have doubles. Theres 3 flyers from last year that now have to base this year, just because over the generations the girls are smaller. I'm 18 and My flyer is 14 and I know I was not as small as her when i was 14. lol

 

[TXcheermom]

Yes, but Kayla looks 18.

ha ha SO true!

 

[retiredl5cheer]

ha ha SO true!

Yeah WTH. I'm 21 and she looks older than me. The world is not a fair place.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

If you are from a state that you can't just pick from anyone and everyone(ohio). You have limited options to pick the people who will make up your worlds team.

Worlds teams are not mandatory.

 

[Mclovin]

Worlds teams are not mandatory.

And 12 year olds are legal for a worlds team...

 

[IzzyFierce]

There is a gym not too far from where I live that I used to cheer at that has flyers that are 11 and 12 on the senior level 5 team. Like I said before, I used to go there, so I know how old they are. :/ Its not fair to the other senior teams that actually let their flyers fly. :/

 

[xxjanialovesyouxx]

There's a girl at my gym who is only 8 and on our Level 4 team O.0

 

[mecheermom]

There's a girl at my gym who is only 8 and on our Level 4 team O.0

And...

 

[cheer4ever0522]

On my sr5 team all of our flyers are 12 except 1 and shes 13

 

[retiredl5cheer]

There is a gym not too far from where I live that I used to cheer at that has flyers that are 11 and 12 on the senior level 5 team. Like I said before, I used to go there, so I know how old they are. :/ Its not fair to the other senior teams that actually let their flyers fly. :/

11 year olds can't be on level 5 teams.

 

[marissa.d]

There's a girl at my gym who is only 8 and on our Level 4 team O.0

there was a little girl who wass 10 (though she looks 8..) on the senior 4 team too, but she held her own - being one of the strongest tumblers, and a fierce little flyer.
I say age doesn't matter as long as the little one would have made the team if they were older, as in they have all the skills that everyone else does.