My Daughter Wants To Fly. Suggestions?

[Cheermom31]

I currently have a 10 year old in her first year doing all star cheer. She has a dream of wanting to fly and is pretty flexible. We have been taking flyer classes and she seems to be doing alright. She has no fear of being in the air and is holding decently considering she has only went to 4 or 5 classes. My question is her size. She wanted to fly for her team this year and basically was told she is too big and is "built like a base"....My daughter is by no means fat but she is very muscular because of her constant tumbling and being so active. Most of the girls they have flying are very skinny but have problems staying in the air ex. constant falling and lack of flexibility. She is currently 4"6 and weights 73 lbs. So does this seem like a deal breaker? Even if she is perfectly tight in the air and flexible would her size prevent her from being chosen? She is under the impression if she keeps working at it and gets it perfect they will let her fly I just don't want her to be crushed. She is already asking me if she is too fat. I hate that she feels this way especially since she is no where near fat, shes perfect. Either way I don't think she will fly for her current gym due to their belief size is most important. Any thoughts?

 

[dawgshow]

You need to let your daughter know that every position is crucial in a stunt, so regardless of what her spot is, she is important. There are many factors in determining who goes where for a stunt group, including height, build, and ability of the entire team. If she's the most flexible, but also one of the strongest and tallest chances are that her team will need her to base to keep the stunt safe. It's also possible that there are shorter girls on the team that are very strong and her coach may decide that it's best for the team if she's in the air.

One thing to remind her is that team dynamics change every season so while she may be tall this year, next year she may be short or average. But, to be brutally honest, it is the shorter girls that are naturally looked at as fliers, at least initially and at younger ages. Let's face it, it's easier for kids, especially young kids with little experience, to lift and toss smaller, lighter girls than taller, heavier girls.

I know that many girls look at the flier as the star of the show (which I hate) but remember that there would be no one on top if no one was lifting her. I hope she doesn't get discouraged this season because you never know what the team dynamic will be next year. Good luck to you both!

 

[luv2cheer92]

I currently have a 10 year old in her first year doing all star cheer. She has a dream of wanting to fly and is pretty flexible. We have been taking flyer classes and she seems to be doing alright. She has no fear of being in the air and is holding decently considering she has only went to 4 or 5 classes. My question is her size. She wanted to fly for her team this year and basically was told she is too big and is "built like a base"....My daughter is by no means fat but she is very muscular because of her constant tumbling and being so active. Most of the girls they have flying are very skinny but have problems staying in the air ex. constant falling and lack of flexibility. She is currently 4"6 and weights 73 lbs. So does this seem like a deal breaker? Even if she is perfectly tight in the air and flexible would her size prevent her from being chosen? She is under the impression if she keeps working at it and gets it perfect they will let her fly I just don't want her to be crushed. She is already asking me if she is too fat. I hate that she feels this way especially since she is no where near fat, shes perfect. Either way I don't think she will fly for her current gym due to their belief size is most important. Any thoughts?

Theoretically anyone can be a flyer. IMO it shouldn't matter how big/small/tall/short someone is to consider them to be a flyer. Some coaches will choose the person who is more stable in the air, which I believe is more appropriate. However, it has seemed that more coaches are migrating to the idea of picking the smallest people they can because stunt difficulty has increased dramatically. In order for a team to be successful they have to have high difficulty, and the reality is, most of the time it is easier to do with smaller girls. Not trying to be a downer but from what I've seen this seems to be becoming more common. My advice would be for her to keep working hard in the flying classes and maybe the coaches will see her hard work and give her a chance. The one thing that I think is the most important for her to know is that not everybody can be a flyer, in order for someone to be in the air, there have to be very talented people underneath. I also think it's important for her to not focus on her size, a 10 year old should in no way be thinking they are too fat.

 

[BlockHead]

My daughter is a flyer this year. She is 9 years old (48 inches and 53 pounds). Because we switched to a smaller gym this year (only 2 squads...jr2 and sr3; our old gym had 13 teams), she is on a jr team. She is by far the smallest girl on her squad, so she was automatically selected to be a flyer. She was thrilled at the time, even though she knows that she was not selected to fly based on her "talent."

After flying for the past few months, she has told me that she does not like to fly. Honestly, she is not very good at it. They only have 15 girls on her squad, so there really isn't much flexibility to have front spots. Plus, there is no way that my daughter could base any of these girls. So she is just going to have to suck it up this season and fly. Hopefully, she will show some improvement as the season continues.

She is used to basing, and I think that is really where she excels. I think she would be ok as a level 1 flyer; she is really not ready for level 2 flying.

Perhaps you could talk to her coaches to let them know she is interested and dedicated to the thought of flying. Perhaps they can figure something out for next season.

 

[Gemma]

You never know what next year or the year after will bring---my daughter was a flyer last year and although she is still little she is a base this year, which really surprised me in the beginning. My daughter is scary strong so got chosen as a side base. She LOVES it, she loved flying also, but she really loves the satisfaction that basing brings to her and enjoys to hear how strong she is. It makes her proud. I agree with explaining how important all spots are and I also think it's important for kids that age to be well rounded in both as you never know who is going to have a growth spurt and who is not...etc, they are still young and a lot of changes are going to happen.

 

[Cheermom31]

Thank you for your responses. My daughter is one of those kids that is very determined and will work hard till she gets it right. She was doing 2 years of side line rec cheer with no tumbling experience. She decided last winter she wanted to compete it took her about 4 or 5 weeks to teach herself (watching YouTube videos) how to do a cartwheel, round off, front walkover, and back walkover. We put her in tumbling last spring and it took her 2.5 months to learn her backhand spring. She has taken a few blows this season with being told she is too big and then having level 2 skills and being placed on a level 1 team. This is just so important to her and I am just along for the ride lol. I won't pretend to know much about the sport but from what I have seen being small doesn't equal a good flier. Although she is bigger than current flyer she is about in the middle as far as size goes on her team. In her current flyer class she is working with an amazing coach and it's just him and her with a spot. She is already doing liberties (not sure if I spelled that right) in extension with no fear and she also has in the past done scorpions being held by four girls . Her flexibility is pretty good in my opinion. Our current flyers are constantly falling. A few of them are even scared with one occasionally jumping out of the stunt. At some point to me it becomes a safety issue. My daughter has been fallen on consistently this season which up until last week she would brush off . Then last week there was a fall and the girl landed on my daughters neck. I also do believe that every spot is important and I told her she should do her best at whatever position she is given. Its just hard when you know they want something so bad and are willing to do anything to prove themselves but never given the chance

 

[alexacheer2010]

It does sound like she is very motivated which is great! Just a heads up, cheerleading is dangerous. She will probably have more falling incidents in the future it's just a part of it.


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[TheDivineCheerYaYaSecret]

Be sure she is stretching everyday if she isn't already. There are some great stretching videos on youtube.

 

[Cheermom31]

Thanks she is very motivated! She has been stretching at home consistently. And I know injury is part of it. I guess I just don't understand if something isn't working why not fix it. Even it my daughter isn't the flyer the current setup might need adjustment. Anyways thank you all for your input. Since I am so new at this I was unsure if this was how all gyms were as far as size goes for flyers.

 

[THEJOEL]

Thanks she is very motivated! She has been stretching at home consistently. And I know injury is part of it. I guess I just don't understand if something isn't working why not fix it. Even it my daughter isn't the flyer the current setup might need adjustment. Anyways thank you all for your input. Since I am so new at this I was unsure if this was how all gyms were as far as size goes for flyers.

First of all welcome to the board. You will find lots of information and make some friends.
Your coaches know what they are doing. Just because you CP has a BHS doesn't make her a level 2 athlete just like being flexible won't automatically make her a good flyer. Not everyone is a flyer just like not everyone is a point dancer or point on jumps. This being her first season it is probably a good thing she is on a level 1 team. A great TEAM performance has great jumps, great motions, great dance and a great overall performance. Tumbling isn't the end all be all of level selection and flyers aren't the most important part of a team even though my CP is one. It takes 4 to put up a stunt and 4 to let it fall.
Also you didn't say if she was on a youth, junior or senior 1 since she is 10 she is able to be on any of those. This year she may be on youth and be middle of the road as far as size and next season be on a senior team and be one of the smaller girls. The coaches should be putting the most appropriate level and aged athletes on a team to make it safe and competitive at the same time. If you don't trust them to do that find a new gym.
Since this is a level one team it is normal for a flyer/base to not be completely proficient in every skill because that what level one is it's like an entry level job where you learn the basic stuff so you can move up if that's what you want.
I applaud your CP's drive and desire but she may have to pay her dues in the cheer world to get what she wants in the future. The same way you have to do in life.
Good luck this season.

 

[CheerCherubsMom]

My (barely) 8 year old is a flyer on a youth level 2 squad... She has 3 years of tumbling and this is her second year of competitive cheering. Last year, she was either a front spot or tumbled during stunts. She is fearless and because of that she has learned quickly. Age-wise, she should actually be on minis, but her skill level has her on a youth squad; so Because she would sleep at the gym if she could, my little gym rat volunteers to base for the mini squad after her own practice quite often. She is a powerhouse from years of tumbling... I've seen her lift older girls who are bigger than her with ease and grace and she is as proud of that ability as she is of flying. Maybe it's partly because she gets the oohs and ahhs, but I think its purely the love of it that she would be happy either way. I would be just as proud of her if she were a mini-base as I am that she is ready to move up to a level 3 youth less than a month after her 8th birthday. She mirrors my pride and takes pride In Herself.... From your post it sounds that you are disappointed that your daughter is not a flyer, so maybe your daughter feels that emotion and is mirroring it as well? Show her that you are proud of her no matter what, and encourage her to reach her highest potential and to be her very best regardless of what part she plays.


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[Cheermom31]

There are only 5 teams at our gym and she is on youth level 1. And you are incorrect, I am not disappointment in her at all. This is her dream not mine. If it were up to me I would actually prefer she didn't fly because of the risks. She is the one that is hard on herself and pushes to excel. I don't care if she chooses to cheer or peruse another activity as along as she is happy. Right now she is not happy. This is something SHE wants really bad and I am just trying to support her the best I can.

 

[THEJOEL]

There are only 5 teams at our gym and she is on youth level 1. And you are incorrect, I am not disappointment in her at all. This is her dream not mine. If it were up to me I would actually prefer she didn't fly because of the risks. She is the one that is hard on herself and pushes to excel. I don't care if she chooses to cheer or peruse another activity as along as she is happy. Right now she is not happy. This is something SHE wants really bad and I am just trying to support her the best I can.

Try to not feel attacked or get defensive. Its easy to feel that way here. There are a ton of experienced parents and athletes here who have been there done that and are valuable sources of information. Sometimes you have to weed through it to see the value in what's being said.

Than that makes sense that she is a base on that level team at her size and age. Tell her to embrace being a base/backspot and take pride that HER flyer will NEVER touch the ground EVER.
This is when a new cheerleader learns the other parts of a score sheet. Jumps, performance(facials), clean tumbling and teamwork.
Support her by saying be patient, keep working hard and most of all "I love to see you perform". She will be trying out all year for next season's placement.

 

[cheerforeverever]

As those have said above, it is all about the team dynamic. Especially for younger teams, I find that the height/weight differences between them aren't as drastic as senior teams typically (where the older girls have grown into their height already or are basing much younger girls). Therefore those in that age range who are a bit smaller or taller will instantly get cast into the flyer or back spot role on mini/youth/junior teams naturally. Does this mean they are necessarily good at that position? No. But they may not logistically be able to fulfill other stunting roles on their team at the moment (pairing a really tall base with a normal height base isn't going to work out so well for the 2 leg stunting required in levels 1 & 2. She would logistically have to backspot on that team. Similarly, trying to put a scrawny girl with no muscle on their body or a girl that is a foot shorter than everyone else as a base isn't going work out for levels 1-2 either. You don't have many other options besides trying them as a flyer or not having them stunt at all). As a coach, you have to fit all the puzzle pieces of 20-36 different individuals together and make it somehow work.......some puzzle pieces could fit into all roles (flyer, base, backspot, you name it, that kid would make it happen). Others, you struggle to find 1 role for them to be able to perform. Remind your daughter that a 7 foot tall, 200 pound basketball player could fly if there were 14 foot tall, 400 pound giants lifting them! It is all about where she is needed per who is around her. If she keeps working hard & legitimately has the skills to progress, the coaches will notice her work ethic this season and remember it when they are choosing junior or senior lv 2 next year. Who knows, maybe they will place her with the older girls so that she can get her chance to fly.

Overall though quite frankly, putting a young girl that is brand new to allstar cheer on a level 1 team doesn't sound bad to me, even if she is a quick learner and had her BHS. As coaches, we don't know the mentality of new kids at first(will they continue to work hard throughout the season? will they get nervous out on the competition floor? can they handle pressure? how do they handle learning stunts & jump technique & choreography? We have no idea until we get to know them better). I have seen it many many times regardless of level, where coaches put a first year athlete on a team that is at the lower end of their possible skill spectrum. Example: A former gymnast with a specialty pass to a full comes in. Does that mean she is an automatic level 5? NO. She may need experience with stunting, let alone the way cheerleading jumps are performed and then adding a backtuck after, plus she has to learn how to pick up choreography/motions at first. It is much better to ease her for her first season so that she gets a good foundation before throwing her into the fire. Otherwise she may not be able to handle the stress of trying to adapt so quickly with such high pressure (again, some kids might be able to, but how do you know unless you have coached that child before?).

Additionally, for many large gyms, having the level requirement is the minimum to make that level's team. I guarantee you that unless an athlete brings something else to the table, level 2 kids at places like Stingrays, Cheer Athletics, etc. have a stable BHS minimum and are working on their specialty passes. More tryout placement competition = the bar is set higher to make teams.

I hope this brings a bit of perspective overall & some new viewpoints to think about.

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

I'm 4'11 and barely 100lbs. We have a team of mostly freshmen this year and while I'm the shortest, I am basing because there are girls who are Skinnier than I am. I'm also 18 and I've always been an on/off flyer and tbh I'm not really good at flying OR basing. I'm more of a tumbler, or a spotter. Stunting is never my calling... Haha.
But added into what everyone else has said, it really does depend on the teammates. I've always been on a team with taller girls so it's harder for me to base and I've had to fly, so this year was new.


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