All-Star Can A Flyer Outgrow Their Flyer Position ?

[wallflower]

husband and I notice that CP has had a growth spurt this last year . She use to be the short one, but she is now either the same hight or even taller then most of her friends . She has even noticed it at school . She'll be ten this summer and we've also noticed her body changing shape, not fat, start of puberty basically and body changes. She always flown , never based , I've told her this may not always happen .

 

[Cheer Dad]

Yes a flyer can outgrow being a flyer for various reasons and height being one of them. Not all tall flyers are grounded for bring tall, sometimes they can just be more valuable on other positions.


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[Pebbles49]

Since she is 10 y.o. The possibility of outgrowing her flying position is highly probable, particularly if she cheer on a Youth team...on my daughter's Youth team, many of the bases were former flyers making the hard transition... However, if your daughter was placed on aJr or Sr level team, she still have a few years of flying, but it really all depends on the coaches and how well your daughter fly...
Ps: FWIW, getting this growth can be a blessing in disguise for your daughter...She will get a chance to learn other positions, which will make her a well rounded cheerleader....

 

[Keep_Believing]

It is nice to see honest and informative responses. So, many times people ask similar questions and people reply as long your tight size/height doesn't matter at all. That is not realistic. Many times a very strong and tall girl is extremely valuable as a back spot. It is a team sport you go where you are needed. My oldest CP use to be a flyer. She had a growth spurt, now she is a main base. I feel her previous experience as a flyer has helped her become a good base.

 

[NJ Coach]

She may be at a point now where she has to fly up an age, or learn to back/base at her age. It's very common as kids get closer to the end of their age groups. A lot of times, this presents the perfect double teaming scenario. Child can stay with her true level and learn how to base/back, and cross up an age to continue flying. If at some point, she is no longer a flyer, she has already learned how to base on her peers.

I have found many times, the best bases/backs were former flyers. They understand the stunt, know what the flyers need, and many times can anticipate what needs to happen to make a stunt successful.

 

[mommadonna]

My daughter is doing the same thing! She's almost 11, and has for the most part always flown. Now that puberty is kicking in, she's doing some big changing! She had a MAJOR growth spurt this year. This season she is basing on a junior team and flying on seniors. She LOVES basing, and said she's fine if she doesn't fly at all. She said that flying experience is making her better at basing and vice versa. She couldn't be happier basing!

 

[12stepCheermom]

husband and I notice that CP has had a growth spurt this last year . She use to be the short one, but she is now either the same hight or even taller then most of her friends . She has even noticed it at school . She'll be ten this summer and we've also noticed her body changing shape, not fat, start of puberty basically and body changes. She always flown , never based , I've told her this may not always happen .

Yep. Mine went to basing around age 10 and is now a backspot. #tallkids


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[MaineStar234]

Happened to me. Flew from age 4-11, then was taller and such than my peers and ended up basing because it was a better fit for me after that for the rest of my cheer career.


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[kickdblcj]

puberty is such a awkward word...

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Definitely happens.

Some of my Y2 flyers have made the transition to basing while having the opportunity to still fly on a junior or school cheer team.

I'm not saying it's an easy transition. For some, there have been tears and "omg I don't think I want to cheer anymore if I can't fly" but eventually they come around and realize that this is a team sport and that them flying is currently not what is best for the team.

It's a common occurrence as many girls are just not going to stay youth flyer sized forever. I try to prep kids and let them know that versatility is likely going to lead them to a longer cheer career. Why? Because if you are in a growth spurt, and you do the "I'm done cheering if I can't fly" thing and actually follow through with that, you'll be done cheering around 11.

Why cut your cheer career short because you're married to the idea of flying?

 

[NerdMobile]

My cp is on her age appropriate youth team and a senior team. We assumed she would base on the youth team since she just turned 10 (and of course there are 8 and 9 year olds you expect to be smaller). We thought she had grown taller recently as well. She is flying on youth, despite being taller than all but perhaps 2 other girls. She asked her youth coach if she could have a turn basing- she said she wants to see how strong she can get. We are guessing that even though she had a growth spurt that made her taller her lighter weight has her stuck in the flyer role. I suppose whether or not you grow out of a flyer position is relative to the size of the other girls on the team.

 

[cheerisloving]

I flew on my senior team, after being a base or aux flyer on youth teams. I consider myself a base at age 18, because I've had more time in this position. However, I know that as I transition out of high school into college, I may have to become a flyer. Being a former flyer helps me communicate with my flyer, and the other bases, because I understand where my flyer is coming from.

We have a girl on my HS team who is taller than me and looks like a backspot at first glance. However she flies in our strongest stunt group. She is losing her backspot and main base this year and there is a strong chance that this may ground her for the rest of high school. That being said, if the team is stacked with strong bases, a taller flyer maybe able to fly.

 

[SmileCat]

I was a flyer till senior year (still flew for school cheer) and based on my senior 2 team. Not that I grew, I just was on a team with smaller girls. Now that I'm on an open coed team I'm back to flying, still haven't changed size.

Sometimes it's not your CP, it's your CPs teammates that are growing. (If that makes sense)


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[armycheermom]

Definitely happens.

Some of my Y2 flyers have made the transition to basing while having the opportunity to still fly on a junior or school cheer team.

I'm not saying it's an easy transition. For some, there have been tears and "omg I don't think I want to cheer anymore if I can't fly" but eventually they come around and realize that this is a team sport and that them flying is currently not what is best for the team.

It's a common occurrence as many girls are just not going to stay youth flyer sized forever. I try to prep kids and let them know that versatility is likely going to lead them to a longer cheer career. Why? Because if you are in a growth spurt, and you do the "I'm done cheering if I can't fly" thing and actually follow through with that, you'll be done cheering around 11.

Why cut your cheer career short because you're married to the idea of flying?

I love, love,LOVE coaches who do this! My cp had a coach, who prepared all of her flyers,that it's a high chance,that you'll grow out of this position,so when it was time for them to learn to base,there weren't tears or tantrum and the girls accepted it.

Wallflower, why it maybe a good idea,to prepare your cp,that one day,she may not be in the air,with little ones,you can never really pinpoint,how they will grow. My cp started out small,in 3rd-5th she leveled out and then was the tiniest one in 6th grade and stop growing at 13,if not a little earlier. She's in college and "grown" now and she still wears a size 3 girls shoes,wears a size 12/14-14/16 in girls clothes and is exactly, 4'11 and 1/2 inches....and she's officially done growing. You never know what kids bodies will do in puberty.

 

[stuntjumptumble]

I outgrew flying. From about 8th grade to sophomore year I was very very tiny so I always flew. But then I got taller and filled out a bit and I'm a base now. But it's no big deal because I love basing. It's also good for an athlete to be versatile and learn multiple positions. For example a friend of mine flies for hs cheer but back spots on her junior 5 team. So it's an advantage to learn different stunting spots


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