All-Star Petite Flyer Discrimination

[Keep_Believing]

My cp happens to be very petite for her age. She is a flyer. She stretches daily and also does conditioning on her own such as planks. Being petite is an advantage, but that doesn't make her any less of a flyer. When you say in front of my child it looks better when tall girls with long legs fly I have to bite my tongue. Please be careful of reverse discrimination. To me cheer is a sport. I would never think of saying oh yeah David Robinson made a great slam dunk at the basketball game, but you know it would have looked better if a short player made that shot. All players that work hard should be appreciated regardless of height or lack of it.

 

[Ashley]

My cp happens to be very petite for her age. She is a flyer. She stretches daily and also does conditioning on her own such as planks. Being petite is an advantage, but that doesn't make her any less of a flyer. When you say in front of my child it looks better when tall girls with long legs fly I have to bite my tongue. Please be careful of reverse discrimination. To me cheer is a sport. I would never think of saying oh yeah David Robinson made a great slam dunk at the basketball game, but you know it would have looked better if a short player made that shot. All players that work hard should be appreciated regardless of height or lack of it.

I'm small and flyer myself. I'll never be point flyer because I just don't look as graceful in the air as someone with long thing legs. It doesn't mean I'm not a good flyer, I am, it's just the fact of the matter in a sport that's judged subjectively. Just like dance, gymnastics, or figure skating, you're judged by your lines and tall and thin just tends to look better.

It's not discrimination if your daughter is still flying. If she's a better flyer than the tall flyer, she'll get the spot. If everything else is equal, then, unfortunately, yes, that tall flyer might get that point flyer position. But that doesn't mean it's discrimination.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I probably didn't use the best wording. I have heard many complain about petite girls flying. I just want people to remember if they are good at, work hard, and their stunts stick consistently it is ok for the petite girl to fly. My cp has a needle and a front heel stretch. She has worked hard for these skills. She is not up just because she is petite. Not everybody gets that.

 

[ErinS]

I probably didn't use the best wording. I have heard many complain about petite girls flying. I just want people to remember if they are good at, work hard, and their stunts stick consistently it is ok for the petite girl to fly. My cp has a needle and a front heel stretch. She has worked hard for these skills. She is not up just because she is petite. Not everybody gets that.

Are you trying to say that you feel that your daughter doesn't get the credit that she is due simply because shes already petite and people automatically assume that petite flyers are handed the spot because they are tiny...that people think they don't have to work as hard? That taller flyers get more credit when they are able to stay in the air because the odds aren't necessarily in their favor?

 

[Ashley]

Are you trying to say that you feel that your daughter doesn't get the credit that she is due simply because shes already petite and people automatically assume that petite flyers are handed the spot because they are tiny...that people think they don't have to work as hard? That taller flyers get more credit when they are able to stay in the air because the odds aren't necessarily in their favor?

I think she's talking about the perceived prejudice against so-called "fetus" flyers.

 

[Keep_Believing]

She loves cheering and doesn't need any credit for it. Sometimes it feels like their is a very negative attitude towards petite flyers in general.

 

[ErinS]

She loves cheering and doesn't need any credit for it. Sometimes it feels like their is a very negative attitude towards petite flyers in general.

Well...if she remains petite and has great tumbling skill she will be a prime candidate for a collegiate coed team. Theres no need to get all in your feelings about something like this. Just encourage her to do the best she can do with what God gave her and YOLO and what not.

However I can personally testify that there is not much glory in being a petite adult...but whatever.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I think she's talking about the perceived prejudice against so-called "fetus" flyers.

Thank you. I am not doing a good job with my wording today.

 

[JulieP]

She loves cheering and doesn't need any credit for it. Sometimes it feels like their is a very negative attitude towards petite flyers in general.

I think most coaches have an appreciation for athletes that stay tight and have good flexibility, no matter what their size. My only issue with petite flyers is what I call "little girl syndrome." I have coached many flyers that are tiny and flexible, but they do not have the body awareness and strength to stay tight in the air. However, because she is so small, their stunt group just manhandles them, and she stays in the air. It just makes the stunt group sloppy looking. This is generally an issue with a first year petite flyer though, so they end up working it out and getting that strength and body awareness.

While the longer flyers tend to have prettier body positions, they are more likely to look like an awkward baby giraffe at first.

 

[Ashley]

There are many cases of 12-year olds being put on a senior team to fly because they are so small. It's a lot easier for bases to put a younger girl up in the air than someone their own age and size.

You're right that we shouldn't hate on the girls that have worked hard for their skills and deserve to be there. It's just hard when high school girls are being replaced by little girls who don't have the level appropriate skills to be there. I'm not implying that that's the case with your daughter, I'm sure it's not, it's just something she'll have to deal with. She'll probably have much more bases wanting to stunt with her than a bigger girl, and being petite really does have its advantages, you just have to deal with the criticisms.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I think most coaches have an appreciation for athletes that stay tight and have good flexibility, no matter what their size. My only issue with petite flyers is what I call "little girl syndrome." I have coached many flyers that are tiny and flexible, but they do not have the body awareness and strength to stay tight in the air. However, because she is so small, their stunt group just manhandles them, and she stays in the air. It just makes the stunt group sloppy looking. This is generally an issue with a first year petite flyer though, so they end up working it out and getting that strength and body awareness.

While the longer flyers tend to have prettier body positions, they are more likely to look like an awkward baby giraffe at first.

I agree. And we our blessed to have awesome coaches that do what is best for the team.

 

[ladyknight]

I agree. It goes both ways. I'm a petite teenager myself so I understand the reverse discrimination. But like I said, it goes both ways.

 

[SheCheers]

My cp is a 9yo flyer on a large J4 team this season. She's the smallest on the team. They just got done with choreo camp. I will say that the choreographer automatically assumed she was just on the team because she is a fetus. He actually asked her if she could do RO 2 to a layout, when she is probably one of the top 3 tumblers on the team and has several specialty passes to a full.

While it may be several folks' opinions that it's more "impressive" with a taller flyer or some have the opinion that longer legs may look "better" in the air, it's can be offensive to the petite flyer when one assumes that they are only flying on a team because of their size. I'm assuming this is what the OP is saying.

No one likes to be judged unfairly. But it's good to have tough skin to be able to handle the unfair judging. Look at all the people whining about Cheer Perfection before they've even actually seen an episode and how it's going to "damage" the view of all-star cheer. LOL. In the whole scheme of things it doesn't really matter. No intelligent person I know believes everything they see on reality TV to be true reality, so does it really matter?

What I've learned from this board (and life in general) is that most people have strong opinions, they're not very open to others veiws, and they aren't changing their minds very often. You can't control how others think or feel you can only control your own ideas and emotions. it's best to just ignore it, and teach your children to be less judgmental, more empathetic and to have thick skin.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I agree. It goes both ways. I'm a petite teenager myself so I understand the reverse discrimination. But like I said, it goes both ways.

I agree.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Good points. I just wanted to vent one time & get that off my chest.