Who Is Tired Of Flyers Getting All The Credit For Amazing Stunts?!

[Sammy_T]

I think it's hard to truly appreciate the difficulty of all of the positions unless you have had the opportunity to compete as all of them...

Primarily, I am a flyer... However, I'm a "tall" flyer with an average/athletic build, so I have also based/back spotted stunts at both the basic and advanced levels. In my experience, flying is really a more of a mental game than anything else... I've had really challenging practices where I have gone home in tears, but that has only happened whenever I was flying in an important section of the routine. It's a lot of pressure to be up there when the judges are looking at you to earn the bulk of the TEAM'S points in the stunting section of the score sheet!! In routines where I have primarily been a base or back spot, I am rarely nervous at competition. In routines where I am primarily a flyer, my mind is absolutely racing when I'm waiting to step foot on the competition floor.

Basically, I think that bases/back spots who complain about not getting enough credit are just as bad as those dreaded "diva flyers". As someone who is perfectly capable of performing any position, I have never felt envious of the flyer getting recognition for a stunt that I have based because I am well aware of the fact that she has probably heard more negative feedback than positive. On top of that, the pat on the back from that coach/spectator is usually really needed in order to help the girl feel good about the stunt "mentally". The better she feels about the stunt, the easier your job gets!!

In the end, YOU know -- and I'm sure you realize that your coach knows as well -- that it takes the whole group to get it all done. The flyers don't get all the glory when the trophy is handed out during the awards ceremony, so I think it all works out in the end.

 

[cheermommaRN]

Was it last year at BATBT when orange had that stunt almost go down and the bases fought to keep the flyer in the air? I have found this year especially that it's all about trust for the athletes. My cp didn't fly this year because she couldn't get past the mental stuff and trust the kids under her. I also didn't realize how hard it is to base a stunt until I was "forced" to front spot an extended stunt at my cp's lock-in...I was scared to death, this person is 4 feet in the air above me and I'm supposed to catch them?!

 

[GDuteaud]

@Sammy_T I agree with everything you said. Yes, flyers do get credit for amazing stunts but they also get a lot of negative feedback when something doesn't hit. While some do blame their bases and backs, most flyers I know simply accept it and work harder, if that's at all possible. I think that's a great attitude.

 

[PCMLOVER]

I think that the Flyers have a hard job.... I have been both a flyer and base in the 12 years i have been cheering and think that the flyers get yelled at just like the bases and they get parse 2 just like the bases... and without a base a flyer couldn't go in the air and without a flyer a base would have no one to pick up

 

[Sammy_T]

@Sammy_T I agree with everything you said. Yes, flyers do get credit for amazing stunts but they also get a lot of negative feedback when something doesn't hit. While some do blame their bases and backs, most flyers I know simply accept it and work harder, if that's at all possible. I think that's a great attitude.

Must be the Canadian cheer connection? But yes, absolutely -- that's the way I fly, and that's the way I encourage all of my athletes to fly as well. Don't blame, just look for ways to make things better. As a coach, I always give my bases and backspots a shout out for good catches because I think that's one of the most challenging and important parts of their job. They seem pretty happy with that and I haven't heard any complaints from them about flyers getting all of the attention!

 

[cheerfan27]

but remember that bases couldn't hit a full up, tick tock, scorpion, or anything else without a flyer so it goes both ways.
Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from the GREAT John R Wooden
" Much can be accomplished when you don't care who gets the credit"
-John Wooden-

one of the many quotes from this amazing coach that is written on the walls of my gym!!!

That quote should be written on every gym wall.

 

[cheerfan27]

So while watching cheer extreme in Indy I was amazed by their ball up 360 tick tock stunt (as usual), but my girls and i were thinking: why do flyers get all the credit for such amazing stunts? Everyone wanted to get a picture with Maddie. She does a great job with her stunts, but theres no flyer without a base! We wanted to figure out who her bases were so we could get pictures with them. Flyers are the pretty face of stunts but theyre not the only member of the group! What does everyone else think?

Who are Maddie's bases and BS? The need to teach stunt classes.

 

[cheerfan27]

So while watching cheer extreme in Indy I was amazed by their ball up 360 tick tock stunt (as usual), but my girls and i were thinking: why do flyers get all the credit for such amazing stunts? Everyone wanted to get a picture with Maddie. She does a great job with her stunts, but theres no flyer without a base! We wanted to figure out who her bases were so we could get pictures with them. Flyers are the pretty face of stunts but theyre not the only member of the group! What does everyone else think?

Who are Maddie's bases and BS? The need to teach stunt classes.

 

[xotumble3xo]

my sister and I have both been flyers and bases depending on which team we are competing with. I am much more nervous when I am a flyer than when I base. And because I have done both positions, and even backed a few times when helping out at practices for a younger team, I can appreciate my bases more now when I fly. Everyone is important in the routine and as long as everyone realizes that then the team can be successful

 

[aalyiah]

i love how the flyer gets the most credit but if the stunt falls the bases and backspot are the first ones blamed.

 

[ellie]

i love how the flyer gets the most credit but if the stunt falls the bases and backspot are the first ones blamed.

i feel like the flyers are also blamed when the stunt falls.

 

[ronnoc0522]

I AGREE!! I was a main base for years and every time the stunt fell the bases or back spot would get yelled at..not the one who's fault it really was..the FLYER!!

 

[xoxotumblerforeverxoxo]

its true! i back, and i get yelled at no matter what happens in the stunt, the flyers get all the credit and they don't do the hard work! I have been flyer, sidebase and back, and out of all of them i think its easiest to fly. I mean, they do have a hard and dangerous job, but they dont get pushed around as much as the others do.

 

[The_cheer_obsessed]

A flyer is the one who is the most flexible so in my opinion i think that its true because their flexibility is great!

 

[sophieann]

I was always a base, and sometimes it would bother me that my flier would get all the credit, but you have to remember that they're usually taking all the heat if they mess up in front of a crowd too! So it goes both ways. I don't think that any athlete is "better" than another just because they fly, base, back... Saying that fliers are the best cheerleaders just isn't fair, just like saying bases/backs are the best - we all do different things and when it comes down to it, we all need each other!