All-Star Coed Stunting Saga...

[Keep_Believing]

I am SICK and TIRED of hearing people complain because the "fetus" flyer is put on the team. Are you people dumb!? Have you ever looked at let's say University of Kentucky!? One of the most well respected, DYNASTIES in the country. The smallest flyer, with the best skill makes the team. As a coach, when I'm picking my team, your damn right I'm gonna pick the smallest flyer. Until there is a, "senior XL" division that is judged strictly on the size of the flyer, I'll put any age eligible flyer I want on my team. If she is age eligible, then I will place whos best for my team, and YES this year I will have several 12 year old "fetus flyers" in my team, they will do a great job and you know what, they work their asses off and deserve it!

My daughter is a flyer and she is small for her age. She stretches every day, wants to be like Gabby Butler, also conditions outside of cheer (planks, V ups, etc.) to try and make herself the best flyer possible. I hate to see her penalized because she is small and petite. In basketball being tall can be an advantage. If you work hard, are flexible, strong, stay tight, and have the whole package why can't being short be an advantage.............. I hate to see her not given a chance just because she is tiny for her age.

 

[SheCheers]

I'm thinking a few things here:

1) If you or your cp are part of a team/gym that is putting incapable flyers in the air simply for their size and grounding better flyers simply because they're bigger, then you might want to find a different gym. The coaches clearly don't know what they're doing!

2) If it's not your gym, then just be thankful that they are going to be weaker than your gym.

3) Bigger flyers are probably not flying because they are MORE NEEDED as bases, than flyers, not because they're bigger. I doubt many "fetuses" are really beast bases and if they don't have the tumbling and are pulled up to be inferior flyers, well, then see #s 1 & 2 above.

 

[lv1212]

My daughter is a flyer and she is small for her age. She stretches every day, wants to be like Gabby Butler, also conditions outside of cheer (planks, V ups, etc.) to try and make herself the best flyer possible. I hate to see her penalized because she is small and petite. In basketball being tall can be an advantage. If you work hard, are flexible, strong, stay tight, and have the whole package why can't being short be an advantage.............. I hate to see her not given a chance just because she is tiny for her age.

 

[lv1212]

My daughter is a flyer and she is small for her age. She stretches every day, wants to be like Gabby Butler, also conditions outside of cheer (planks, V ups, etc.) to try and make herself the best flyer possible. I hate to see her penalized because she is small and petite. In basketball being tall can be an advantage. If you work hard, are flexible, strong, stay tight, and have the whole package why can't being short be an advantage.............. I hate to see her not given a chance just because she is tiny for her age.

You know what is worse than not being given a chance? Making the team as a 12 yr old after 7 years of hard work, conditioning and proving yourself over and over, and having other people claim the only reason your kid made the team was because she is tiny. Do they honestly think a successful level 5 gym would put up a lousey flyer just because she's small?

 

[Keep_Believing]

You know what is worse than not being given a chance? Making the team as a 12 yr old after 7 years of hard work, conditioning and proving yourself over and over, and having other people claim the only reason your kid made the team was because she is tiny. Do they honestly think a successful level 5 gym would put up a lousey flyer just because she's small?

I agree with you 100%. I was just trying to make the point you shouldn't be penalized for being tiny. Also, if we want cheer to be treated like a real sport we need to remember sport teams are picked to make the very strongest teams possible. You use each team members strengths to the teams advantage.

 

[WyldWon]

Speaking as the mother of one of those "fetus flyers" or "itty bits" you described, I think that it is important the team uses what it can to max out the score sheet. If next year my daughter is too big to fly, then I would expect her to base if this is what was best for the team. That is the point of all this right? To build the strongest team? I think the coaches of your daughter's team are wiser than you seem to think.

First off ai am NOT complaining, just making an observation...
When my daughter came into level 5 she was 4'10 and 80 lbs..since the new coed Ed rules came into place a few larger flyers were not given flying spots and needed to base...now we have a good amount of level 5 girls who never did anything but fly and have to learn to base...no level 3 to 4 to 5 progression....some might not even make the team...that is my issue and I never said anything about my coaches not being smart, our gym owner is probably one of the smartest coaches around and she even agreed with me about the coed rules. It's so annoying when people take your words and twist them...this thread was started to make people aware of some of the issues with new coed stunting rules.

 

[WyldWon]

That would be really wrong if the new flyers have no flying skills. The 70 pounder can't fly?

No, our 70 lb girl is amazing...I just like all the flyers to be around the same size...2 years ago all our flyers were older and looked awesome together..this season it's all different sizes...coaches are going to have to strategically place everyone...my daughter was a fetus 6 years ago on level 5 so I am speaking from both sides.

 

[Aussiekat]

First off ai am NOT complaining, just making an observation...
When my daughter came into level 5 she was 4'10 and 80 lbs..since the new coed Ed rules came into place a few larger flyers were not given flying spots and needed to base...now we have a good amount of level 5 girls who never did anything but fly and have to learn to base...no level 3 to 4 to 5 progression....some might not even make the team...that is my issue and I never said anything about my coaches not being smart, our gym owner is probably one of the smartest coaches around and she even agreed with me about the coed rules. It's so annoying when people take your words and twist them...this thread was started to make people aware of some of the issues with new coed stunting rules.

I think lollypop asked this question about 6 months ago and never got an adequate response. What do you do with the girls who have only ever been flyers and now are required to base? Surely not all of them can pick up lvl5 basing quick enough to keep their spot on the team.

 

[cheerheart4life]

I think lollypop asked this question about 6 months ago and never got an adequate response. What do you do with the girls who have only ever been flyers and now are required to base? Surely not all of them can pick up lvl5 basing quick enough to keep their spot on the team.

I've seen this happen and you'd be surprised at how hard the flyers who are forced to base work to keep their spot! Of course it's hard for them at first to let go, but once they do, they actually enjoy the basing as long as the flyer isn't bigger than them!

 

[Aussiekat]

I've seen this happen and you'd be surprised at how hard the flyers who are forced to base work to keep their spot! Of course it's hard for them at first to let go, but once they do, they actually enjoy the basing as long as the flyer isn't bigger than them!

I don't doubt they work hard and enjoy it, but when do you give a spot to a base who already has the skill, over a bigger flyer in the hope that the flyer will figure out how to base just as well?

 

[AndrewSky]

I've seen this happen and you'd be surprised at how hard the flyers who are forced to base work to keep their spot! Of course it's hard for them at first to let go, but once they do, they actually enjoy the basing as long as the flyer isn't bigger than them!

To add on onto this. A lot of the times ex flyers are the best types of bases when after their inaugural learning, mainly because they understand both aspects of the stunt.

 

[Mamarazzi]

Given equal skills, the smaller flyer should get the spot, but I don't think that's necessarily the issue some of us have. It's the size-only, flying on a prayer, flyers that take the spot simply because of size, not because of skill, that doesn't sit well with many of us.
I don't have an issue with a flyer having to learn to base, as long as (like cheerheart4life said) their flyer isn't larger than they are. But a level 5 Worlds team isn't the place to learn how to base.

 

[WyldWon]

Given equal skills, the smaller flyer should get the spot, but I don't think that's necessarily the issue some of us have. It's the size-only, flying on a prayer, flyers that take the spot simply because of size, not because of skill, that doesn't sit well with many of us.
I don't have an issue with a flyer having to learn to base, as long as (like cheerheart4life said) their flyer isn't larger than they are. But a level 5 Worlds team isn't the place to learn how to base.

Exactly what I was trying unsuccessfully to say...if they got the skill and can hold a body position give them the spot...without gradual progression these kids will get hurt and hurt their stunt group as well...thank you Mamarazzi

 

[My3KidsMom]

Given equal skills, the smaller flyer should get the spot, but I don't think that's necessarily the issue some of us have. It's the size-only, flying on a prayer, flyers that take the spot simply because of size, not because of skill, that doesn't sit well with many of us.
I don't have an issue with a flyer having to learn to base, as long as (like cheerheart4life said) their flyer isn't larger than they are. But a level 5 Worlds team isn't the place to learn how to base.

I think you would be surprised at how quickly a child can learn to base. I will say this, my daughter is probably one of the most well rounded Cheerleaders. Not overly amazing but there is NOTHING she can't do on that mat. She spent the entire summer freshman year flying for her High School Squad only to break her femur and miss the entire season for High School. She came back the next year stronger and again began flying for almost the entire summer. They asked her to help base one day to help with a group and she gladly did. Basically from that point on she became a base for her team because her coach felt like her strength was needed more than her flying. Was she sad, sure because she worked her tail off to stretch to make sure she looked good in the air, and her friends will tell you she looked good in the air but she respected the coaches decision and made the transition. You guys have to give these athletes more credit. Sometimes no matter how good the flyer looks in the air if you don't have the bases that are able to hold them up it just doesn't work. You have to do what's best for the team as a whole and not an individual. If flying is not where an athlete is needed anymore then it is THEIR job to get in the gym and work hard to learn their new spot and get stronger.