All-Star Fighting For A Stunt

[gi_cheer]

I'm posting this here because this forum gets the most traffic. I work with a high school squad and one of the things I've noticed is that when a stunt starts to fall they girls just give up and let it come down. The bases give up and let the flyer come down and the flyer gives up and gets all loose. Anyway, I'm looking for tips that I can pass along to my girls about how to fight for a stunt rather than just letting it fall.

I think part of the problem is that the girls get nervous when a stunt bobbles and they would rather come down b/c they are afraid they'll get hurt.

This is really frustrating, though, because we can't build up to more elite stunts if the girls won't even commit to basic stunts.

So please help!! :D

 

[cheergirl4444]

when i was on my high school team, if my coach saw us give up on a stunt she made the entire stunt group run...for a long time and told us she would gouge her eyes out with a fork if she ever saw that again. I am not sure which one was more effective haha but after that we learned to fight for our stunts :)

 

[Hi-Phlyer21]

well what i always tell my bases: "my stunt does not fall. ever. especially in competition. if domething goes wrong you better stand up and hold your body position because i don't care if you're down below prep level it's going back up."

they just basically need to learn that things are never going to go perfectly. there's always going to be something that makes it hard whether it's a grip or anything, but they need to make it hit at all cost. there is no dropping. flyers buckling is most likely a confidence thing. a confident flyer will stand up no matter what and so their job. good bases follow the flyer and do everything possible to keep her in the air.
my last comp ik what happened but we did a tick tock and the next thing i knew my stunt started falling all i could do to save it was to keep one hand on the foot to push it back up and use the other to lift her from her like knee area. lol. it sucks but i on't think you can really "teach" something like that. it just takes a little quick thinking and some drive.

why is the stunt falling? is the flyers hip out follow the flyer underneath until she gets it under control. is the foot at an awkward ankle that's hard to stand on? adjust you grip as best as possible without making the situation worse. SQUEEZE the heck outta that foot, and STAND UP!!.
i probably haven't done a thing to answer your question, but if you don't want the deductions for stunts falling. keep it in the air. if it's not staying in the air push yourself to make sure it does. basically do your job in the stunts at all cost. no ones job is to fall. if the flyer does her job even if something goes wrong underneath then the bases will fix it. give them the confidence and understanding so they know that. and just keep telling them to fight.

 

[Hi-Phlyer21]

when i was on my high school team, if my coach saw us give up on a stunt she made the entire stunt group run...for a long time and told us she would gouge her eyes out with a fork if she ever saw that again. I am not sure which one was more effective haha but after that we learned to fight for our stunts :)

or fear works too. haha operand conditioning.

 

[ilikebigbows]

Are they mainly sideline or do they compete? If they compete, tell them that a deduction for falling or coming down like mentioned could be the difference between first and fourth. If they are mainly sidline, remind them that there are dozens and dozens of people watching who don't think cheerleading is a sport. Tell them to prove that cheerleading takes athleticism and keep their flyer in the air no matter what!

Also, coming down like that could potentially be even more dangerous than staying up, especially when the flyer isn't ready for it.

 

[VTX]

I might depending on their personalities, but maybe explain that bailing can potentially be just as, if not more, dangerous then fighting for the stunt. When the flier bails I have experienced many times, personally and watching, they sit and end up hitting a base or sit on the backspot(ouch). Also when a base bails the flier may freak or anther base may be unprepared to catch. In addition what ilikebigbows said about the performance sounds like a very persuasive argument for high school girls.

 

[gi_cheer]

Thanks everyone!! They are mostly sideline, though we do compete a couple times a year (but not in stunting b/c they aren't ready for that). Sometimes they have poor techinique and the stunt is messed up from the beginning. But I've also seen instances where it's going fine then they flyer bails or the bases just let her come down....and usually it could have been saved.

 

[AllHeartxo3]

It's just something that you have to stress and I personally think that it can't be taught. You're either going to give 100% during the stunt or you're not, plain and simple. I know girls who will come down if they bobble slightly and I know bases who will bring girls down instead of fighting to keep them up there. If the girls don't care then they aren't going to try and fight for it. You have to make high school cheer more than just saying cheers at a game, you have to take it beyond that and make it personal. It really does help.

 

[cheerheart4life]

I got excited. I thought this was gonna be a "best saved stunt video" thread.

 

[cheerfan27]

me to.

 

[coachFIERCE]

I got excited. I thought this was gonna be a "best saved stunt video" thread.

My fave save ever.

 

[mia4life06]

The best save i have ever seen would come from Platinum Athletics Small Senior co-ed from day 2 at Worlds. . .
Rachael Barton stunt group missed up but the she sure didn't miss a body position

 

[mia4life06]

 

[gi_cheer]

I enjoy the best saved stunt videos too...but can we please start another thread for that? This thread was intended to help me with my squad and I fear that purpose will be quickly lost if videos continue to be posted.

Thank you!!

 

[12stepCheermom]

I got excited. I thought this was gonna be a "best saved stunt video" thread.

I did too! I should cut a clip from my sons team at Cheersport. A group in partner stunts fought like marines to keep that in the air and they did! At Aviator, if that stunt comes down someone's running, or doing suicides, or lemon squeezers or something and if there's not a body UNDER the flyer between them and the floor the ENTIRE TEAM stops practice for 200 push ups....and probably running after that. Falls and drops happen, but if you haven't fought with your last breath to save it - you'll be out of breath before you get back to practice :)