All-Star Base Or Flyer...?

[CheerBank]

Back to the OP's post - cp is more than likely to become a backspot this year. She's been a base for the past 9 seasons. Am I nervous about her back spotting - and is she nervous about it? Absolutely. But she's tall and strong, and this is where she's needed.

@Just-a-Mom Good game plan. I rarely set foot in the gym. I'd rather sit in my car.

 

[cheer25mom]

Back to the OP's post - cp is more than likely to become a backspot this year. She's been a base for the past 9 seasons. Am I nervous about her back spotting - and is she nervous about it? Absolutely. But she's tall and strong, and this is where she's needed.

@Just-a-Mom Good game plan. I rarely set foot in the gym. I'd rather sit in my car.

CP grew like 3 inches last summer and made the translation from main base to backspot.


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[Belinda]

Whenever I read stuff like this, my brain just goes "???????". Why would you not want your kid to base? What's so horrible about basing? Not having enough strength? Hopefully she will build that up along the way, which is a good thing. Dropping your flyer? 1. That will happen. 2. She will learn to catch the fall, I hope. 3. As a flyer she gets dropped, which I would be more scared about..

I might be bias as basing is all I've ever done except for a few double hips for fun(which I hated), but I absolutely LOVE basing, the feeling when you hit everything for the first time, or when a stunt is about to fall and YOU are the one who saved it, or knowing your flyer can shine because of YOU, I love the feeling. I wish more cheerleaders would appreciate basing, and would want to base rather than fly. The mentality of many cheerleaders, already from a young age, needs to be changed. It's just as important to be under the stunt as it is to be on top, if not more important. Without bases, there would be no stunts. All bases need to take pride in basing, they're all amazing!

I don't really know what exactly you're asking for, but my answer would be, let nature run it's course, and encourage your child, no matter what! Show her that you're supporting her, and that being a base is just as amazing as being a flyer.

ETA: I'm the third shortest person on my team.. And pretty much always has been, but still a beast base!

 

[CheerBank]

CP grew like 3 inches last summer and made the translation from main base to backspot.


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We knew it was coming. She was supposed to transition this past season but one of the athletes decided to super senior. I think it will actually be better for her back but I'm worried about her face!

 

[Cheermom1969]

Ok, I'll add more than just my love of coffee to this.

My cp has only ever been "grounded" so I don't have experience with "the change" But on her J2 team this last season was a girl who had never cheered before. She had zero upper body strength and was only an average size girl. She could have flown or based because of her size. But the coach needed her to base so she did. That child struggled trying to keep flyers in the air but she never gave up. This was her job and she was going to do it. She listened to the coaches, worked on her hand placement, etc. It took the summer and into the first part of the season but she built up her strength and technique and she did it! She was a wonderful base, very solid.

I can almost guarantee that if you let things progress naturally for your cp as she learns to base, you will be so so proud of her as she gets this new skill. I know the ego takes a bit of a bruising (my son WAS a quarterback until he wasn't...) let's be honest, but I think you'll be truly amazed at how strong your girl becomes. I know for mine, the pride in keeping her flyer up, saving her from hitting the floor, making things work when they seem impossible, it's huge.

Good luck with whatever the coaches decide they need her to do.

 

[Cheermom1969]

We knew it was coming. She was supposed to transition this past season but one of the athletes decided to super senior. I think it will actually be better for her back but I'm worried about her face!

Oh the face! My daughter has braces and she's a backspot. I told her I'm going to get her one of those face guards that basketball players wear. lol

 

[amy1k]

Oh! I can relate this to an experience in another sport, too! My son had his first practice since high school baseball started with his summer team last night. His coaches told him that he's the only shortstop on his team. Except he's not a shortstop. He has played 2nd base for years and is a sometimes catcher. As his mom I'm pretty nervous about the switch of position. He has one year left of high school baseball...and he's a really good 2nd baseman. Anyway, he's excited for the challenge and glad to move to a spot where his coaches need him. It'll be an interesting summer.

 

[MzLyn23]

This.

@MzLyn you said yourself she is "JLo thick" - if she's only 11, my guess is that her coaches can see that she isn't going to be able to fly forever. Sooner or later she's going to have to be a base. Might as well learn now, while she's still eligible for juniors.

As others have said, please don't encourage this in your daughter. Whoever said it's toxic is dead on. And if she's hearing it from you at home, believe me, she's embodying it at practice.

**To be perfectly blunt, it's not up to you what she does. I'm confused as to what you're asking. Are you asking if you should demand that she fly because you're not comfortable with her basing because of her upper body strength? If that's the question, then a thousand times NO.

***If you're just asking what to do, then you have 2 options: either pull her from cheer or figure out ways to build her upper body strength (one of which is basing... She'll get stronger very quickly if she puts in the work at practice - but if you're genuinely concerned, there are plenty of ways to build upper body strength)

****Oh. Your third option is drop her off at practice, go to Starbucks, and let the coaches do their job.

** I'm not demanding she only fly... lol... as her mom/coach it was frustrating getting her to base... so i'm thinking of it in two ways... (1) how long before the coaches get frustrated with her lol - I've wanted to hurt my own child on the blue mat many times from frustration so I know what the coaches go through with her 80% of the time lol (they have commented to me "I don't know how you coached her for so long and she's still standing" and I get it, she great at certain things but not great at others and those are the ones she beats herself up about and gives up..... (2) will it affect her flying as in will she be too tired if she crossing over from lifting someone to then flying....

*** would only pull her from cheer if she wants out but definitely want to work with her during the summer to build up her upper body strength... this of course if she's motivated to do... yes we are hitting puberty... (she's lucky she has teeth in her mouth honestly cause the talking back and sarcasm is KILLING ME!!) so getting her to agree to like condition with me (which I know the exercises) is going to be fun... Her friends who's are neighbor and teammate and former athlete of mine loves coming over so I can show her stretches and other exercises, i'm hoping that will motivate my cp

**** and I never go to practices anymore... it was hard to resign from coaching and not be involved in some way with cheer other than cheer mom (parents are not allowed to watch practices so me going was just torture... lol) My DH started taking her back in January and I've only gone 2 or 3 times to catch with cheer mom friends or make payments lol I'm actually loving not being involved as much just took some getting used to.

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

Okay think this is a marathon not a sprint. If she is made a base then as a parent help her gain strength do push ups with her and leg squats - make it fun and be supportive. She can stretch and keep up her flexibility as well. Some bases have better flexibility than flyers and take that strength she will get too and bam watch her jumps become higher. Let it go and let the teams be what they will. Regarding fear of her dropping someone - she will (sure she has gone down at some point). But you need to reinforce in her that she can't have it happen and just say "I'm too weak". No different than flying and having to work on the core and being tight and light and flexible if she is a base she needs to take the responsibility to be the best base she can be. Either way she will take her lead from you... if you present basing as a problem or something she won't be strong enough to do she will think the same. Just be supportive and remember the more skills she develops the more options for her as she progresses through this sport.

 

[amy1k]

** I'm not demanding she only fly... lol... as her mom/coach it was frustrating getting her to base... so i'm thinking of it in two ways... (1) how long before the coaches get frustrated with her lol - I've wanted to hurt my own child on the blue mat many times from frustration so I know what the coaches go through with her 80% of the time lol (they have commented to me "I don't know how you coached her for so long and she's still standing" and I get it, she great at certain things but not great at others and those are the ones she beats herself up about and gives up..... (2) will it affect her flying as in will she be too tired if she crossing over from lifting someone to then flying....

You've got to remove yourself from this situation. You're biased as her mom and former coach (honestly, and really no offense meant, but this type of situation is exactly why I was eager to move my kids from teams with parent coaches). Give your child the chance to do something that you've decided she is unable to do. Don't underestimate her ability. I bet, if allowed to, she will surprise you. Try to forget everything you believed about her skills while you coached her and let the coaches you are paying do their job. #toughlove

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

This x1000! Anything is better (for both parent and child) than staying in the gym during practices.

I drop my boy at soccer and usually do one of the following:

A.) Park my car and do work things (scheduling, call parents, call some college reps, etc) while I'm sitting there.

B.) Park my car and work on "cheer job" stuff.

C.) Post on Fierce Board.

D.) Go down the road to Panera and read.

E.) Take a 30 minute car nap.

 

[amy1k]

This new season I'm committing to walking as much as possible while my daughter is at practice. I figure we're both training for another trip to Disney and being active supports the message of health I'm hoping to send to her.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

Oh the face! My daughter has braces and she's a backspot. I told her I'm going to get her one of those face guards that basketball players wear. lol

A little trick I learnt from when I did horse riding was buy some wax and mould it over the braces that way if she gets hit in the face the braces shouldn't cut through her lip

 

[Pebbles49]

I drop my boy at soccer and usually do one of the following:

A.) Park my car and do work things (scheduling, call parents, call some college reps, etc) while I'm sittinB.) Park my car and work on "cheer job" stuff.

C.) Post on Fierce Board.

E.) Take a 30 minute car nap.

I do all of the above, but especially E, but I gotten at least 1.5 to 2 hrs of sleep tops...When I do stay inside, it is because my daughter wants me to witnessed something the team is doing or watch them go full out.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

We knew it was coming. She was supposed to transition this past season but one of the athletes decided to super senior. I think it will actually be better for her back but I'm worried about her face!

They learn to move their head and catch pretty quickly from experience. I have been sat on a lot but I have learnt when it goes wrong if I have time to move slightly and I mean by an inch to the side so I can catch and help push up but if she falls she normally lands on my chest of shoulder