Question About "positions"

[Cheer_Mom_]

Do most gyms have requirements when it comes to certain positions or do they just put the smallest girls in the air? It seems like that is the approach my daughters gym has taken this year and, being relatively unexperienced in the cheer world, I wondered if this was the norm. We have girls flying that cannot even do heel stretches and girls with very little strength basing.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

This may not be popular opinion, but yes you do generally want the smallest in the air.

However, they can't just be small. They need to have the strength/control/flexibility to hold their weight in the air.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

So no, being small in itself doesn't cut it. I coach HS and have swapped a smaller sophomore for a junior who was not as small but had the control and flexibility that I needed at the time.

 

[SL&AM]

Do most gyms have requirements when it comes to certain positions or do they just put the smallest girls in the air? It seems like that is the approach my daughters gym has taken this year and, being relatively unexperienced in the cheer world, I wondered if this was the norm. We have girls flying that cannot even do heel stretches and girls with very little strength basing.

I think a lot depends on age level as well. Going with the smallest in Tiny's and Mini's seems like the smartest move just because those kids are building strength. That isn't always true in Junior's and Seniors.

 

[cheer25mom]

If we are talking tiny and mini, then yes it is common practice to put the smallest girls I n the air, because they are all just learning. Older divisions, there is a tendency to put smaller girls in the air, but there are more factors at work there. Honestly, "having very little strength" is just an excuse for not wanting to base most of the time. Anyone willing to try and willing to learn can build the strength necessary to base. No one is "too weak" to base, especially if they are putting the smallest girls in the air. The only exception would be a flyer MUCH larger/heavier than her bases.

 

[Cheer_Mom_]

If we are talking tiny and mini, then yes it is common practice to put the smallest girls I n the air, because they are all just learning. Older divisions, there is a tendency to put smaller girls in the air, but there are more factors at work there. Honestly, "having very little strength" is just an excuse for not wanting to base most of the time. Anyone willing to try and willing to learn can build the strength necessary to base. No one is "too weak" to base, especially if they are putting the smallest girls in the air. The only exception would be a flyer MUCH larger/heavier than her bases.

I never thought of it that way. Maybe some of the girls don't want to base but if that is the case they don't make a show of it so I don't know for certain. From my very limited perspective it honestly seems like they are struggling to keep stunts in the air due to strength (they are shaky) or because the flyer cannot hold their position because they are not very flexible. My daughter, who bases and flies on this senior team, is small but not very flexible and I can tell it definitely affects her stunts (I think!)

 

[kksmom]

Maybe we do things a bit different but my daughters mini team has a lot of small girls and one stunt group went through a a few of them before finding the one that "stuck" ... And in the end it was not the one of the smallest ones from the pool of girls they had to pull from.
Being small/tiny doesn't help anything if you can't lock your knees and squeeze...

 

[purplecheer]

Maybe we do things a bit different but my daughters mini team has a lot of small girls and one stunt group went through a a few of them before finding the one that "stuck" ... And in the end it was not the one of the smallest ones from the pool of girls they had to pull from.
Being small/tiny doesn't help anything if you can't lock your knees and squeeze...

THIS X1000000000

 

[cheer25mom]

I never thought of it that way. Maybe some of the girls don't want to base but if that is the case they don't make a show of it so I don't know for certain. From my very limited perspective it honestly seems like they are struggling to keep stunts in the air due to strength (they are shaky) or because the flyer cannot hold their position because they are not very flexible. My daughter, who bases and flies on this senior team, is small but not very flexible and I can tell it definitely affects her stunts (I think!)

It is likely technique and not strength in the basing end. There are 3 girls splitting the weight of the flier. They sent picking up 100 lbs by themselves. If they are on a senior team and cannot lift 20-30 lbs using correct basing technique, then something it wrong! Being shaky doesn't necessarily meant they aren't strong enough. It can mean they aren't using their legs to lift, they don't have the right grip, they aren't keeping their elbows in, they aren't staying under the stunt, the list goes on. Flexibility can definitely be an issue for flyers, but that can be fixed by stretching diligently. Body control and core strength are common flyer issues as well.

 

[SL&AM]

Maybe we do things a bit different but my daughters mini team has a lot of small girls and one stunt group went through a a few of them before finding the one that "stuck" ... And in the end it was not the one of the smallest ones from the pool of girls they had to pull from.
Being small/tiny doesn't help anything if you can't lock your knees and squeeze...

I agree with your last sentiment. Also, with Tiny's and Mini's, sometimes they're all just super small---just something that seems to be more of the status quo in those divisions. My CP falls into the middle to taller side of her team (M1) and she flew for a quantity stunt because she could stay up...she's thankful they've redone this section so she's no longer flying.

 

[nicolee]

From my experience, at the very young levels it's mostly the smallest girls in the air. They're all still new to the sport, don't have much technique yet, and don't quite have the muscle definition at age 4 to lift up someone larger than themselves.....

But once you get older, the choice of who flies is about so much more than size. It's body position, strength to hold yourself up, flexibility, and consistency.

 

[stormy]

I don't know what you mean. At our gym all you need to be to fly is the coaches daughter

 

[FamousxMindset]

I don't know what you mean. At our gym all you need to be to fly is the coaches daughter

This one caught me off guard lmao.

 

[Cheer_Mom_]

I don't know what you mean. At our gym all you need to be to fly is the coaches daughter

Lol! Thanks for the laugh

 

[CheerBank]

I don't know what you mean. At our gym all you need to be to fly is the coaches daughter

:deathdrop: