All-Star Your Daughter Won't Fly Forever

[OnceUponACheerleader]

Came across this. Thought I would share.

Your Daughter Won’t Fly Forever – Success is a Choice

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I flew all through my time as an active cheerleader. I was that kid who was 15 with people asking "Is she really senior aged? She looks like a third grader." Basing for any length of time was not in the cards.

Confession: The two seasons in school cheer where I was point flyer were the most stressful. To the point that I was jealous of my backspot best friend.

Not that her job was easier. It totally wasn't. But when it falls, no one in the crowd says "the backspot dropped that stunt." They say "that flyer fell/came down."

It is not all winks and sassy motions, moms.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

On the coaching side of this, I find that this conversation comes into play once puberty hits.

There are some kids who are going to be Youth flyer sized forever. That is a very small percentage of kids.

You really don't want to typecast kids, but there are kids who go from teeny tiny on Youth 2 to tallest kid on J3.

If you are the tallest kid on J3 by a foot, your flyer days may be done. Parents need to prep kids for that.

 

[ScottyB]

Written by @YoGlow2nca too

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

This happens a lot when skill levels change as well.

If you coach all stars, you probably know that the skill jump between Level 2 and Level 3 is rough on flyers at times.

It is very similar to how skills upgrade between our MS/HS JV and my Varsity squad.

I see often that girls come from MS or JV having flown the equivalent of Level 2 stunts. Like, you were center prep all year. Maybe you flew an extension at games.

Then you get to Varsity try outs at which stunts are fully extended, on a single leg, with twisting.

Add to it that you were the Itty Bitty of MS. Now your body has changed. The skills are harder.

Some kids can make the jump. But for some, they end their own cheer careers by refusing to consider basing.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Overall, I really like the article. This will be very unpopular and is just my opinion, but if the season is over: current gym A says CP needs to learn to base and gym B needs experienced flyers and has an opportunity for CP to continue flying, go wherever you want.

 

[all4sarah]

Flying is not the end-all, be-all. What if CP loves her team? Not enough because mom says she needs to fly?

Also - it seems like former flyers still have the chance in high school when all the team grades 9-12. No youth flyers to compete. So even if it is time to base in all-stars there is still a chance in high school.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Go wherever you want means if your family wants to stay then stay or if your family wants to try a different gym with the opportunity to continue to fly then go for it. To me, as long as you kept your commitment and finished the season it is a personal family decision. You shouldn't feel guilty about doing what you feel is in your families best interest at the time.

 

[OnceUponACheerleader]

On the coaching side of this, I find that this conversation comes into play once puberty hits

This is relatable:
I don't know if I would have ever been a flyer- however I can tell you when I started cheer in the 9th grade I was a small 13/14 year old. Probably, if I was placed on a sr team I would have been a flyer.

(un)fortunately I still fell in the junior age grid, therefore we had a stacked junior 5 team I was a tall kid compared to 9/10 year old juniors. Therefore I was a back.

Fast forward 1 year (+puberty) and there was no way I could fly on senior. I just got too tall.

 

[Cheerfun2]

My cp had always been a flyer, from Mini 1 at age 6, until in 6th grade when she grew 3 inches and was too tall to fly on her J4 team. She was asked to crossover & fly on a Sr4.2 because they needed an experienced level 4 flyer. She enjoyed learning to base so much on her J4 that when we went to a new gym the next season, she didn't even go to flyer tryouts & didn't tell them she had experience flying, lol! She has been basing the past 2 years on Jr teams and very happy. Our gym has very young, very tiny flyers.

Flash forward to HS tryouts. She made Varsity and guess what? They need her to fly, lol. So now she is back to nightly stretching. She would prefer to base, but there is just no way...she is too small to base HS age kids. No fetus flyers in HS! So, if your cp is a diehard flyer but too tall to fly AS, tell them to keep stretching bc they may have a shot to do it again in HS!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Go wherever you want means if your family wants to stay then stay or if your family wants to try a different gym with the opportunity to continue to fly then go for it. To me, as long as you kept your commitment and finished the season it is a personal family decision. You shouldn't feel guilty about doing what you feel is in your families best interest at the time.

Okay. If you finished your season and you want to go to XYZ because they may have flyer opportunities, go for it.

Big but:

I would caution any kid or parent re: any owner or coach saying "Come on over, you can fly." Or really anything that says they're guaranteeing you anything.

It's easy for someone to say, but they can't promise it, typically.

Gyms (and schools too) generally have more flyer talent than they need. For example, in 8 seasons at my school, I have never been hurting for flyers.


They never really know what could happen with teams/levels. Kids get burned that way at times.

Example: Suzy is placed on J3 as a base at Example Elite. Not happy. They go tour Not Real Athletics. Owner says there is a flyer opportunity. They switch. She is initially told she'll be flying on J2. Four practices in, the team adds some new kids via late private tryouts and she becomes base. Or they start her out flying and after summer practices, the coaches decide she is better as a base.

They switched because they thought she'd be flying? Now what?

 

[Pebbles49]

I enjoyed reading this article and left a response... I think I was very naivete when it came to this sport, so based on watching a flyer fall from a pyramid, I decided, my daughter needed to stay on the ground and demanded to keep her on the ground, for safety and my sanity... I got to admit, I was relieved when she started growing tall early...

 

[luv2cheer92]

Okay. If you finished your season and you want to go to XYZ because they may have flyer opportunities, go for it.

Big but:

I would caution any kid or parent re: any owner or coach saying "Come on over, you can fly." Or really anything that says they're guaranteeing you anything.

It's easy for someone to say, but they can't promise it, typically.

Gyms (and schools too) generally have more flyer talent than they need. For example, in 8 seasons at my school, I have never been hurting for flyers.


They never really know what could happen with teams/levels. Kids get burned that way at times.

Example: Suzy is placed on J3 as a base at Example Elite. Not happy. They go tour Not Real Athletics. Owner says there is a flyer opportunity. They switch. She is initially told she'll be flying on J2. Four practices in, the team adds some new kids via late private tryouts and she becomes base. Or they start her out flying and after summer practices, the coaches decide she is better as a base.

They switched because they thought she'd be flying? Now what?

Yes. I would be hesitant to switch to a gym that promised anything. Position, team, level, etc.

 

[Keep_Believing]

@oncecoolcoachnowmom "It's easy for someone to say, but they can't promise it, typically."

I agree with you. I will say I have seen some gyms that have an abundance of flyers (more than they need) due to offering flyer, stretch, CoEd classes/privates, etc. Where other gyms may not have enough experienced flyers. I have a friend whose CP was placed as base. Another gym offered her a flyer spot and she took it. She is now going to Worlds on a paid bid and has a great shot at medaling. They are very happy with their decision. Nothing is guaranteed, but I stand by "if the season is finished, do what you feel is best for your family."

 

[_MRB]

How about gyms stop taking experienced flyers out of the air just because they're 5'6. Understanding Height may play a role but if the experience, cleanliness and HIGH skill level is there.... why should they get out of the air? If the stunts hit, why replace? I feel like they should give the taller flyers a chance before they just make them a base.