From Flyer To Base?

[JMW]

After reading many of the posts given you some great advice about being more versatile and it appears you are ignoring the advice because this is not what you want to hear...

I don't think this is fair. I feel like she has taken the advice and has indicated that she will do her best to learn to base.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

To be fair, I think the thread turned into general discussion and that no one is responding negatively to the OP. She has been more than gracious.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

And there is the issue, yes it is possible to have the taller/bigger girls fly, but then what are you going to do with the extra tiny girls (some girls are very small for their age) who can't even reach to base.

my old program wasnt like that they were ones where yo are best sited so tended to be smaller ones fly. It was a program I tried out for that wanted bigger flyers. There reasoning was all the small ones at the time were all junior eliglble so they stayed on juniors and they had some amazing bigger flyers so they senior was a bigger team and they were senior 2. I no doubt admit when the juniors age out they will most likly use smaller flyers again

 

[Keep_Believing]

my old program wasnt like that they were ones where yo are best sited so tended to be smaller ones fly. It was a program I tried out for that wanted bigger flyers. There reasoning was all the small ones at the time were all junior eliglble so they stayed on juniors and they had some amazing bigger flyers so they senior was a bigger team and they were senior 2. I no doubt admit when the juniors age out they will most likly use smaller flyers again

Sorry if I misunderstood when I read your post. It sounds like a great program.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

Sorry if I misunderstood when I read your post. It sounds like a great program.

No Worries My old program I was only there for a few month due to being back from uni but they said that they had a space and could be in their routine for nationals. Best choice ever I learned to be versitile because I front, backed and based on that routine. I live 6 hours away and gutted I cant cheer there.

Currently not on a team as no one will have me to compete but will most likely do some tumbling classes soon

 

[Pebbles49]

I don't think this is fair. I feel like she has taken the advice and has indicated that she will do her best to learn to base.

If I came off as harsh to the OP, I am truly sorry... But I get a little salty too, when you keep reading the 10,000+ woe posts from ex-flyers and the contents of the letters make it seems like the flyer position is the only valuable alternative... When I read the OP initial post, she mentioned that she wanted to fly because of the spotlight ('on her') and it appeared that cheering had become more about her and not the team... Tell me if I am wrong, did I read that incorrectly... I just want people to know and realize that 2/3 or 66% of the team is made up of bases and backspots, so in my assessment, that makes up more than half the team... So how can 7+ flyers (on a large team, no less) feel like they make up the whole team and need all the spotlight... just saying!

PS: I will love to read a woe letter from a Base and/or Backspot from time to time...

 

[JMW]

If I came off as harsh to the OP, I am truly sorry... But I get a little salty too, when you keep reading the 10,000+ woe posts from ex-flyers and the contents of the letters make it seems like the flyer position is the only valuable alternative... When I read the OP initial post, she mentioned that she wanted to fly because of the spotlight ('on her') and it appeared that cheering had become more about her and not the team... Tell me if I am wrong, did I read that incorrectly... I just want people to know and realize that 2/3 or 66% of the team is made up of bases and backspots, so in my assessment, that makes up more than half the team... So how can 7+ flyers (on a large team, no less) feel like they make up the whole team and need all the spotlight... just saying!

PS: I will love to read a woe letter from a Base and/or Backspot from time to time...

I agree that there is too much importance placed on flying, and I agree that the op started off making it more about her than the team. I don't agree that she rejected the advice that she was given.

 

[cheer25mom]

If I came off as harsh to the OP, I am truly sorry... But I get a little salty too, when you keep reading the 10,000+ woe posts from ex-flyers and the contents of the letters make it seems like the flyer position is the only valuable alternative... When I read the OP initial post, she mentioned that she wanted to fly because of the spotlight ('on her') and it appeared that cheering had become more about her and not the team... Tell me if I am wrong, did I read that incorrectly... I just want people to know and realize that 2/3 or 66% of the team is made up of bases and backspots, so in my assessment, that makes up more than half the team... So how can 7 flyers feel like they make up the whole team and need all the spotlight... just saying!

PS: I will love to read a woe letter from a Base and/or Backspot from time to time...

This is exactly the problem I had with the whole thing as well. I am honestly sick to death of the "poor me" attitude from wanna be flyers who are forced to base. Frankly, it's insulting to kids like my CP who take pride in being good, solid bases who are the reason stunts stay in the air and flyers stay safe. It devalues them over and over. The message is that if they never fly they are never good enough. We are so all fired worried about damaging a flyer's fragile self esteem by taking them out of the air, but no one thinks about the fact that telling bases over and over again that they are somehow less because they don't fly is just as damaging. The coaches are sending this message by handling flyers with kid gloves, and the flyers who sulk about having to base are saying it loud and clear. A base has to be twice as good at something else for anyone to really notice. My kid has been told on several occasions by Suzy Star Flyers that she is too fat to fly, and will never be the star. That attitude in flyers is perpetuated by putting them on a pedestal and treating them like stars.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

What if it was flipped? What if all we heard about was bases that are depressed because they're suddenly too small to base? That'd be interesting...

It's funny because that was actually my situation in college. I was so bummed.

 

[Pebbles49]

What if it was flipped? What if all we heard about was bases that are depressed because they're suddenly too small to base? That'd be interesting...

It's funny because that was actually my situation in college. I was so bummed.

Please share that story @retiredl5cheer because all we are offered are woe stories from ex-flyers... It will be refreshing to hear the other side...Tbh, I have heard about bases, who are placed on Junior and Senior level teams, particularly aging off of a Youth team, who are suddenly become too small to base and are very reluctant flyers,,, but the ex-bases normally will take flying classes and not write about their woes of being an ex-base and how they will quit, if they cannot continue being a base.

 

[ashscott41]

What if it was flipped? What if all we heard about was bases that are depressed because they're suddenly too small to base? That'd be interesting...

It's funny because that was actually my situation in college. I was so bummed.

In my experience it seems that the moms take it hardest when flyers are moved to any other position, but the hardest transition for an athlete herself to accept is a base becoming a flyer. "Am I too small/too weak/not doing my job right on the ground? I don't like all the eyes of fans on me/more pressure/having to perform more/etc." That's why I think that no matter the age of the athlete, or what position is changing, the coach has a responsibility to break that news gently.

 

[Official OWECheer]

This is exactly the problem I had with the whole thing as well. I am honestly sick to death of the "poor me" attitude from wanna be flyers who are forced to base. Frankly, it's insulting to kids like my CP who take pride in being good, solid bases who are the reason stunts stay in the air and flyers stay safe. It devalues them over and over. The message is that if they never fly they are never good enough. We are so all fired worried about damaging a flyer's fragile self esteem by taking them out of the air, but no one thinks about the fact that telling bases over and over again that they are somehow less because they don't fly is just as damaging. The coaches are sending this message by handling flyers with kid gloves, and the flyers who sulk about having to base are saying it loud and clear. A base has to be twice as good at something else for anyone to really notice. My kid has been told on several occasions by Suzy Star Flyers that she is too fat to fly, and will never be the star. That attitude in flyers is perpetuated by putting them on a pedestal and treating them like stars.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Please share that story @retiredl5cheer because all we are offered are woe stories from ex-flyers... It will be refreshing to hear the other side...Tbh, I have heard about bases, who are placed on Junior and Senior level teams, particularly aging off of a Youth team, who are suddenly become too small to base and are very reluctant flyers,,, but the ex-bases normally will take flying classes and not write about their woes of being an ex-base and how they will quit, if they cannot continue being a base.

LOL no, I wasn't going to quit because I was no longer a base. This is why I don't understand the flyers that quit because they "lost their love for cheer" when they stopped flying. You didn't love cheer...you loved attention.

I based and backed for 7 years and made the switch to flying in my final 2 years. In the 8th grade I started out on a junior team and was obviously placed as a back spot because of my height. We had 12 year old flyers that weighed 80 pounds soaking wet and I was one of the bigger girls at 108 and 5'5". Same story all the way through high school. I loved loved loved basing.

When I got to college, I was much smaller than everyone else. Our average flyer weighed around 115. My college coaches let me base my freshman and sophomore years, but my junior year we started competing and that changed. As the smallest base on the team, I was forced to fly in our intermediate stunt and I fought and cried the entire way. I BEGGED to base. I wanted nothing to do with flying but my coach told me to gain some weight or start stretching. Fast forward to my senior year when I was made a full time flyer. I knew I had to accept my situation at this point...no fighting the inevitable.

 

[vannahlexis]

One of my best friends is super tiny, so she's always been a flyer. Another one of my friends is about 5'6" and very strong, but still tiny. The base wanted to stay basing, even though she could probably fly. The flyer ALWAYYYYSSS wanted to start basing but no one would let her.

....So naturally we put the base in the air and let the flyer base just for funzies

I just think it's so funny because (1.) she is so tiny basing someone 6 inches taller than her, (2.) I'm side basing with my arms completely bent to compensate and (3.) our flyer has the most angry facial expression hahahah

see, not everyone wants to fly

ETA pic is huge sorrry

 

[Official OWECheer]

LOL no, I wasn't going to quit because I was no longer a base. This is why I don't understand the flyers that quit because they "lost their love for cheer" when they stopped flying. You didn't love cheer...you loved attention.

I based and backed for 7 years and made the switch to flying in my final 2 years. In the 8th grade I started out on a junior team and was obviously placed as a back spot because of my height. We had 12 year old flyers that weighed 80 pounds soaking wet and I was one of the bigger girls at 108 and 5'5". Same story all the way through high school. I loved loved loved basing.

When I got to college, I was much smaller than everyone else. Our average flyer weighed around 115. My college coaches let me base my freshman and sophomore years, but my junior year we started competing and that changed. As the smallest base on the team, I was forced to fly in our intermediate stunt and I fought and cried the entire way. I BEGGED to base. I wanted nothing to do with flying but my coach told me to gain some weight or start stretching. Fast forward to my senior year when I was made a full time flyer. I knew I had to accept my situation at this point...no fighting the inevitable.

I know you're being serious but I can't help but smile because I know most girls wouldn't have that mindset!