All-Star Flyers

[cheerstalker2]

Ok what if the flyer is younger HOWEVER, she's as tall as her bases? my cp is 11 and was on senior 4.2 this past season, she was almost the same height as both her side bases, of course her back base was a little taller. But that was the same for all of the stunt groups.

I would say if she has the maturity and the flying ability for a level 4 team that would look good cus she isn't 4 feet tall and can most likely pull a nice heel stretch

 

[Num1Stunta]

Not True there was a 10 year old on Ace I think it was Open 5 @ NCA. My friends daughter asked her how old she was and the girl said she was 10. She was wearing a jacket too, so her team won @ NCA. They took a pic 2gether! She was a cutie! Im no fan of "fetus flyers" but that little one stole my heart

OPEN means there's no minimum....

 

[Num1Stunta]

i think the reason people are backlashing so much now is because is HAS become a problem, i feel like a lot of people on here are thinking well if they are on a worlds team then they meet the requirements and thats that, but we have to remember the majority of cheerleading is not a "worlds" team, its the senior 2 teams im sure a lot of this is practiced in, and yes you can have a 9 year old flyer on your senior 2 team, which is so ridiculous. That isnt teaching the flyer or the bases anything, when they are 17 and picking up a 35 pound 8 year old. I believe ALL senior teams, not just worlds teams, should have a cap off age, personally i like 14, but ill take 12 if thats what they will give me, and i have to say, its getting sad when you're just impressed to see "normal" size flyers in the air!

I have to agree, and I think you've pointed out the biggest issue with the current system. When you have older girls picking up younger flyers, NEITHER are learning proper technique. What is gonna happen a year or two from now when these girls go to college and suddenly have to lift a flyer that is twice the weight they're used to? My college team's 5 flyers my freshman year were 110-145 pounds... with bases not much bigger than them, and some even smaller than their flyers.

Then, you have the flyers who are not engaging their core properly, who may show great flexibility but do not have to show great body control to stay in the air. What happens to them in 5 years? They have to learn to base for the new fetuses coming in? Because there's no WAY some of them are going to be able to show good enough technique to fly as a "normal" sized teenager. I will cite my niece as an example of a very small 10 year old who flew on a senior 2 team for the last 2 years, and has literally no technique. She had a backspot who was 5'9" and basically held her in all of her stunts. Now, she's got a tuck at a new gym, and should be J3 material, but I don't know what team they can even put her on for next season, because she is too tiny to base, and she is struggling to stay in an extended stunt due to the lack of necessity for technique that her prior gym's team placement afforded her.

I agree, I think 13 or 14 on a senior team is completely appropriate, for levels 3 and up at the very least. You can see the difference in the level of athleticism between teams with age-appropriate flyers, and those who are not age appropriate. Usually, the teams who use little ones don't appear to be as well-conditioned imho.

 

[madicheermommy]

My cp is very small but is not flexible and has never been a flyer. She is a great tumbler and has been on a level 5 team since she was 9 years old. The problem that we have run into, is that on a small team of 20, you need to put up 5 stunts so everyone on the floor is involved in the stunts. There are no good options for her since she is not a level 5 flyer. She can be a side base (she is wicked strong), but is the only small person not in the air, so the sides are uneven. Backspot is out of the question, cause she is too short.

 

[FamUsM0m]

My cp is very small but is not flexible and has never been a flyer. She is a great tumbler and has been on a level 5 team since she was 9 years old. The problem that we have run into, is that on a small team of 20, you need to put up 5 stunts so everyone on the floor is involved in the stunts. There are no good options for her since she is not a level 5 flyer. She can be a side base (she is wicked strong), but is the only small person not in the air, so the sides are uneven. Backspot is out of the question, cause she is too short.

(first question, what division? Senior L5? Junior L5? makes my next part a little more relevant)
Probably the last thing you want to hear or would even consider, but why not wait? Are there any advanced team that are age appropriate? (i.e. Junior or Youth level 3 and up?) (Not to mention she won't be eligible for a world's team for another 3 years) While I know you may not think that is ideal because of her advanced tumbling, it may help in the long run for her to work more with her stunting (basing or flying on a lower level team while being a key tumbler) She can still continue to work her skills at practice until she is ready to become an OVERALL level 5 athlete. My cp has been back and forth with her tumbling, layout was her highest skill. She has been working coed stunts at level 5 (just practicing) and has remained at the level 2-4.2 because of her inconsistency in tumbling, instead of just straight level 4 which is where her flying is comfortable and more consistent than her level 5 skills. But it has afforded her the opportunity to work more on her tumbling without the pressure to perform at that level. Might be a good idea?

 

[lakerfantlc]

This is an interesting subject...as a mother of a "tiny" 14 yr old flyer...I hear two sides....little girl big base....AND then I hear that if she stays small...Im talking she prolly wont hit 5 ft....she will be really wanted at colleges and get scholarships etc....so Im really confused?...is it good or bad to be small??...

 

[cheerleaderlauren2102]

I dont mind little flyers, but I would much rather see a girl that is the same height/size as her bases. I just think that it makes the stunt look better.

Perfect example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukngnthsX4k

I totally agree with you, but it would suck for me to be a flyer since I'm really short

 

[Kelli Nicole]

I feel that that there is a problem with the very young flyers who only stunt with bases that are much older than them. For example a 10 year old with 18+ bases. And then for there to be so much commotion about how great the 10 year old flyer is. Yes, she may work hard to hit all the skills she does.. but I always wonder ''Can she do that when she had younger - say 12 year old - bases??'' There is a definite difference in what is made possible when 18 year olds are basing a 30-50 pound flyer. Don't get me wrong - there are many little flyers who are able to control their bodies really well and work very hard to do what they do. But what bothers me are the parents and often times the flyer herself who brag extremely about how great she is when there is a very strong advantage to being so little and having bases that are physically more developed - for example puberty is already long gone.

 

[kayleigh]

There is a flyer on our senior team who is maybe 4'5 and she is 12 years old. Her parents are very small and i'm about just as tall as her mom and dad. I HATE seeing people be rude about her height. I'm pretty sure if she wanted to be taller she would be. She's an amazing flyer and tumbler and earned her spot. But because people just look at her height and not her flying abilities they look at the team like they throw around barbies. I have heard people not respect the team because they have smaller flyers but if the flyers are good, why not put them on a senior 5 team where they EARNED THEIR SPOT.

 

[SheCheers]

This is an interesting subject...as a mother of a "tiny" 14 yr old flyer...I hear two sides....little girl big base....AND then I hear that if she stays small...Im talking she prolly wont hit 5 ft....she will be really wanted at colleges and get scholarships etc....so Im really confused?...is it good or bad to be small??...

Lol. So true. A friend of mine judged a very "famous" college all girl squad tryout one year. She said not one girl that made the team was over 5'1". Not even the bases/backs.

 

[Diamond]

As there are tiny flyers there are gigantic bases and back spots... Is that fair? It's how the team looks on the floor. As another poster said if a child has the skills to be on the team ....MATURITY to be on the team....and is small and has no one to base opposite what shoud they be doing??
Don't hate on the tiny fliers and we wont hate on the giant beast girls.... lol

lol

 

[Tsunami Kelly]

I don't see anything wrong with being small if you are a good flyer. I know it was already mentioned but Gabie(if thats how you spell her name) from Top Gun is one of the best flyers I have ever seen and she is SO small! She definitely deserves to be in the air and when I see her in the routine you don't really notice how little she is, just how good she is. However small flyers that don't look good in the air is an issue to me.

 

[emmabug95]

I dont mind little flyers, but I would much rather see a girl that is the same height/size as her bases. I just think that it makes the stunt look better.

Perfect example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukngnthsX4k

Amazing stunt and a beautiful flyer!!

But I agree- I just don't like seeing tiny little nuggets being thrown around. Taller girls with nice long legs look so pretty in the air But I don't think a height limit is a fair idea. One of the Shooting Stars front-row flyers graduated this year, and is under five feet. Should she be forced to stay on the ground because she's not over the minimum height? Nope. I think a bottom age limit would be better.

 

[emmabug95]

I don't see anything wrong with being small if you are a good flyer. I know it was already mentioned but Gabie(if thats how you spell her name) from Top Gun is one of the best flyers I have ever seen and she is SO small! She definitely deserves to be in the air and when I see her in the routine you don't really notice how little she is, just how good she is. However small flyers that don't look good in the air is an issue to me.

She definitely deserves to be in the air, but on a junior team. I know Top Gun doesn't have a J5. But still.

 

[INeverStopCheering]

I don't like to see younger girls on senior teams. (I'm not talking about those 12+ people who are just petite) I'm talking actual 7-11 year olds. I think they get exposed to too much, from make-up, to language, to boyfriends that kids that age should not be hearing about