All-Star Your Daughter Won't Fly Forever

[XtremeWpg]

A few weeks ago, my mini 1 team did a practice of just technique drills for all positions in rotating stations. Everyone did every station, regardless of what they were in the routine. Our best flyers are also our best bases.

A few of the flyers complained that they didn't want to do the basing stations because they're flyers and will never base. I pointed out that they're 6 or 7 and who knows what life will bring them. We try to focus on everyone knowing every job from the time they're mini to try and crush the "fly or die" idea. We tell the kids (all levels and ages) constantly that the best cheerleaders are the most versatile cheerleaders and make sure to give them the skills to be!

Casting any kid as any one thing seems like a bad idea to me. It could set them up for a big disappointment when they shoot up 4-6" over a summer, which happens a lot when they're young!

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Just flyer flex classes and a class for coed stunting.

Gotcha. If you're currently in this situation, these are my suggestions:
1. Ask if your daughter can serve as an alternate on a lower level team for this summer. Coaches always need bodies during the summer with so many athlete absences. Your daughter could fill in and learn to base in a more low-stress, low-pressure summer practice environment.
2. Pull a stunt group together and go to open gyms.
3. Talk to your gym owner about offering a basing/stunting clinic this summer.

 

[tojofasho]

CP is 12yo and around 75lbs, She is a flyer for now and I'm sure there will be a time she no longer is. Its the trend now I understand it and don't disagree with it. When it is her time to base I would like her to have an opportunity like the one child from SMOED who was placed on restricted 5 one year in anticipation that it would be her last year flying. We are not fly or die at all, what concerns me for the safety of all is when flyers are grounded they have to learn to base at a higher level almost immediately. CP is a lvl 5 flyer but started at lvl 1. I wish there was a better way to prepare the flyers that are grounded to transition into basing.

I don't coach Allstar, just high school, but during our summer months I have all of my flyers switch in and out with bases. I've found it to work pretty effectively - I've had bases I never would've anticipated to be good flyers blow me away, and all of my flyers know how to base at least the basics. It's also a great motivational tool - my flyers who really want to stay in the air see these other girls up there and start stretching/trying harder right away to keep their position in the air. And it helps everyone to appreciate what work goes into the other positions so they're willing to fight harder for their stunts.

Probably not liable for a highly competitive allstar team to do, but I've found it to be more than worth it in the long run for my high school team. 10/10 would recommend.

 

[HeyMom]

Gotcha. If you're currently in this situation, these are my suggestions:
1. Ask if your daughter can serve as an alternate on a lower level team for this summer. Coaches always need bodies during the summer with so many athlete absences. Your daughter could fill in and learn to base in a more low-stress, low-pressure summer practice environment.
2. Pull a stunt group together and go to open gyms.
3. Talk to your gym owner about offering a basing/stunting clinic this summer.

We live an hour and a half from the gym so making extra trips up there really isn't feasible. Cheer is expensive enough without adding more classes/clinics and more travel costs driving back and forth to the gym. She is already there 3-4 nights a week between practice and classes.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

We live an hour and a half from the gym so making extra trips up there really isn't feasible. Cheer is expensive enough without adding more classes/clinics and more travel costs driving back and forth to the gym. She is already there 3-4 nights a week between practice and classes.

Well then you may be out of luck. I hate to sound harsh, but some of the responsibility does fall on the athlete and the parents. Coaches can only put so much into a child's individual development during team practices. We try our absolute best, but at some point the outside stuff is necessary if you want your kid to learn things they're not doing in their routine. It's just the way it is. Team first, individual second.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Kids and their parents need to start identifying themselves a CHEERLEADERS first, positions second.

They don't hand out a Best Flyer Ring at Worlds. There is no Flyer Champ NCA jacket.

No one flies or wins or bases alone.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

You can start by not buying your Youth 2 kid a "Flyer" bow and sports bra.

And taking "XYZ Elite Flyer mom" out of your social media bio.

 

[Keep_Believing]

My oldest CP that is now a base has a "beast base" t-shirt. It is pretty cool, it is a close up of the bases/backspot arms and hands holding a flyers shoe and she has another one that says something like Football Players lift weights Cheerleaders lift athletes. Agree about some of the things I have seen on bios.

 

[Ashley]

What I think he/she meant was bringing a 12 year old 4'6 80lbs flyer on a senior team to fly.

Honestly though... imagine a 6'1 guy who is 210lbs of muscle basing a 4'6 80lbs flyer. That's ridiculous. IMO lol

It's incredibly common on IOC5 teams.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Also sidenote:

There is nothing wrong with being on a team specifically to fly because you have awesome technique and are itty bitty.

I think people forget that kids are placed on Worlds teams JUST to tumble all the time.

But when it comes to being on the team just to fly, everyone gets a little huffy.

 

[Keep_Believing]

It's incredibly common on IOC5 teams.

My 14 year old CP is on an IOC team. It is less expensive and does not practice as often on a regular basis. The affordability aspect has been a huge blessing for us. The ironic part is at 14, a few of the College girls are shorter than her. From a distance my CP probably looks older than some of the College flyers.

 

[extremepeanut24]

I do think coaches should be aware of how to approach this discussion the right way in order to prevent negative impact on the athlete and the team. I think the ability of the bases strength do play a role in this matter, but height does not necessarily impact that. I have had a flyer, who was around 5'6 , that I, at 5'0, based frequently.

I have always been a base throughout my allstar career. In college, I was the shortest base at 5'0 and 115lbs. I do agree highly that coaches should in courage some type of weight training regiment (body,light, or progressively going heavier) which depends on the cheerleaders' age/ability. I think all cheerleaders should go through this to improve their overall ability in cheerleading from stunting, tumbling, and even jumps. My gym offer conditioning, but for me it did little for me. My dad kept trying to encourage me to try weight lifting. However, I was unsure and did not know any other cheerleader that did this to know the results. In college, it is a requirement that all sports (which includes cheer at my school) all have weight lifting sessions with our weight lifting trainer. I can attest that I saw vast improvement in my basing skills and conditioning after a couple of months of training. Unfortunately, my career ended after a high ankle sprain, but keep up with lifting on my own. After only a few months of focusing on pushing for heavier weights, I have seen progress in strength, and no you do not get muscular that quickly from weight training(only with years of it and clean diet). My college coach also focus weekly discussions on being health physically and emotionally, which had encouraged me to change my diet from mostly eating unhealthy foods to more balance diet. From college cheerleading, I feel much more healthier, mentally and physically, than I ever was during my allstar career.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Found a picture but, don't know how to post so sharing twitter link instead. Here is my 14 year old CP with one of her College teammates. My CP is the tall girl at 5'1 (pretty sure she isn't done growing yet) . Height doesn't always correlate to age.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

^^^Yes.

I am as tall as the girl standing next to your daughter. At 32. (She's probably about 4'11.)

At the school where I work I get mistaken for a student constantly.

In cheer, I was always the "there is no way that girl is in HS" or "there is no way that girl is on a senior team, she's 8" flyer.

No. Not eight. Just short.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Her teammate is a very sweet young lady and an amazing flyer. She is in the center of Navarro's pyramid. She is literally flipped to the third level of the pyramid by beast bases!