Just remember that flying isn't all about size. It's about holding your weight, being tight, being strong. Being small and flexible is all well and good, but you can't rely on that; you have to work on the other things as well.
My coach once told our flyers to pretend that there was a dollar bill inside their each of their butts, and that they should squeeze so hard that quarters pop out.Thanks! I appreciate your caring. She is more than okay with this decision. Alarmingly so! I think I'm more upset because I wanted to see her on the mat one last time - even though she hasn't been emotionally on it all year. It was hers to make and she has many other activities that top her list. I worry about the girls who put all their being into one thing. Some of her friends had that happen when the 'restructuring' took place at team calls. I still talk with them and encourage them to find something to put their energy into. At least we had a few years to mentally move out of the cheer world. I can't imagine having your position pulled from underneath you (literally).
But seriously, I'm going to suggest my old school use your quarter analogy for their theme next year. All kids K-6 can grasp it and our creative teachers can come up with visuals to accompany it. Thanks for that! I'll make sure you get credit for the idea.
I was always a very tiny kid then I grew... Had a large and quite late growth spurt at the age of 17 but stayed a flyer because I was always taught to squeeze and hold my weight. It's so important!so true! i was the largest flyer on my high school team but did the hardest stunts b/c i was able to hold my own weight. i think a lot of people (in general) think that if they're tiny they don't have to squeeze as much. i actually prefer basing girls who are slightly bigger if they hold their own weight!
I have noticed that it seems so many parents wish their child was a flyer. My daughter was small and one of the youngest when started so it seemed like the only option. She has never been comfortable learning new stunts and it has been a challenge since the first year to help her gain confidence as a flyer. She loves to tumble so whenever she has the choice that is certainly her first option. I find that it is really difficult to learn the stunts as she moves up (now level 3/4). I secretly hope one day she can base but she would not like to hear me say that! The stress of watching her fly makes me nervous lol!
Totally depends. Large coed girls are teeny tiny. Small coed and all girl flyers can be taller and larger. I flew on a UCA small coed team at 5'5" and 110. I would have been big for the top small coed teams (basically Hofstra), but I probably could have flown on any of the teams in our division.
Not positive because I don't have experience with NCA, but I have strong theories. UCA large coed flyers are itty bitty across the board. For example, Ryan Martin (Dunbar) looked like a giant on the floor with Alabama and I bet you she isn't taller than 5'2". I think that UCA squads tend to favor really small flyers because the bar for stunting in large coed DIa is so high and the scoresheet is very focused on stunts and pyramids. If you want to compete with UK, Alabama, etc. you need to be able to execute the most difficult stunts, and it's just easier to stunt with itty bitty flyers.
. My CP is almost that "big" already and she still needs to fill out and finish growing.
