All-Star Junior Teams

[Cheermom1969]

That was my point. Kind words for kids. Rants for adults. For the record, I agree 100% with the poster that I quoted. I just would have worded it differently. Well, probably not in my head

That's my problem, my filter doesn't work. If it's in my head, it comes out of my mouth. I could never be a politician!

 

[Pebbles49]

I have to admit, 4 years ago when my daughter 1st started in the sport and I knew absolutely nothing about AS Cheer, I saw a little cheerleader (flyer) being toss about and that scared the crap out of me. At that moment, I begged the team coaches to keep that from ever happening to my daughter, she belongs on the mat and the coaches laughed at me and promised to make her a front spot before a flyer... But the Lord blessed my daughter with a lot of strength and talent to first be a Main Base and after her 1st year a backspot. However, the coaches broke their promise and had my daughter fly 1 time on a Jr level team and that happen in a pyramid, where she jumped on a backspot's knee for a pose at the end.

 

[cheer25mom]

A rant:

As the parent of a CP who is not, and probably never will be, a flyer, a few of the posts in this thread are making me angry. CP is not a tiny little slip of a thing. She's strong, but she's not skinny and she's not a great tumbler. She's not flyer material.

But, she has a very important role to play. When people say, "I'm mad because my coach won't let me fly", "It hurt my feelings when my coach told me I couldn't fly", what I actually hear is, flying is the only position that's important and as a flyer, I matter so much more than you.

And that's BS.

Rant over.

Honestly, I feel exactly the same way. I see a lot of people in the tread trying to mitigate it, but honestly I think a lot of parents and coaches DO perpetuate this idea. If it was coming ONLY from the kids it would be a whole lit easier to get control of.



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[nicolee]

I think the media and the 'cheerlebrity' (ugh that word) culture also perpetuates the idea that flying is the most important position. Youtube videos, media pieces? The flyer is highlighted. Those kids who have become minor Instagram celebrities? All flyers.

I can understand that kids may be upset when coaches don't let them fly. Flying is a huge amount of fun and it's easy to get used to it as a position. So I think we need to remind kids as much as possible that all positions are equally as important, and that learning multiple positions can be extremely useful.

 

[mygirlluvs2fly]

I think the media and the 'cheerlebrity' (ugh that word) culture also perpetuates the idea that flying is the most important position. Youtube videos, media pieces? The flyer is highlighted. Those kids who have become minor Instagram celebrities? All flyers.

I can understand that kids may be upset when coaches don't let them fly. Flying is a huge amount of fun and it's easy to get used to it as a position. So I think we need to remind kids as much as possible that all positions are equally as important, and that learning multiple positions can be extremely useful.

A flyer cannot fly successfully without the people underneath her. So, it is quite interesting that so many people have the view that flying is perceived (by most) as being some form of superior position. In addition, they amount of time and effort that goes into learning to be a good flyer is tremendous. Some of the other positions may be easier in the sense of time commitment, being that they don't have to take stretch and stunt classes, etc.

From a child's perspective, if flying is all they have ever been trained to do and that is where they have placed great time and effort, it can be disappointing and terrifying when they are asked to do a new position. That is understandable; however, if they are at a gym where the idea that cheerleading is a team sport and the entire team is equally important, then, I can't imagine a child continuing to have an issue.

 

[cheer25mom]

Well, all I can say is that I see it happen, and CP has spent whole seasons dealing with "I'm mad because I'm not flying" making everyone else miserable. I realize that flying takes a lot of skill and extra effort/time. I acknowledge that good flyers work hard to perfect their craft. Honestly, being an ok base or back spot probably doesn't take as much work, but being the back spot that saves the flyer every time or the base that can make a stunt hit when it otherwise wouldn't takes constant attention and work. Very few in this industry ever really knowledge that. They pay lip service to the fact with the whole " no flyer can stay in the air without good people under her", but when do we ever really see bases/ back spots recognized for outstanding work? Almost never.
My CP takes pride in never letting her flyer hit the ground, but is never as valued as a good flyer, no one not in the air is. It's just the way it is in this sport. The flyers are the stars and what everyone wants to be. Very few little girls go into cheer saying " I want to be an awesome back spot". Everyone wants to be the one in the air getting all the attention, and those flyers are the kids the coaches, and by extension the gyms, focus their time and energy on. There IS a definite reason everyone wants to fly. It is just part and parcel of being involved in this sport.


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