All-Star Fighting For A Stunt

[lakerfantlc]

I think it takes a special mindset to have faith, guts, and grit to overcome fear to stay in the air no matter what goes on under them. I have two flyers and they are both level 5 and could not be more different.....Jenee is determined ...period...Jaiden seems like she has fear but her fear of the coach and letting down the team makes her fight....it's really weird to see them so different and yet they both love it so much...:)

 

[IzzyFierce]

My fave save ever.

I AM SO SORRY FOR THREADJACKING OR WHATERVER BUUUUT....
I have ALWAYS wondered why that girl doesnt jump... anyone know?

 

[cheerheart4life]

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!!

Sorry for bringing it up. Didn't mean to hijack it!

 

[AndrewSky]

Georgia Allstars coed 4 had an amazing save at Cheersport nationals a few years ago. Girl pulled a double down out of nothing! :)

 

[aggie1983]

I wish my cp was here to give her input (poor baby is on her senior cruise:rolleyes:). But I know from past discussions with her, it is simply a point of pride and responsibility to her that as a backspot it is her job to do everything she can to help keep her flyer up. This may seem simplistic, but also her team is her second family and she is very protective of her flyer. The only time I can think of in the last two years that her flyer has actually hit the floor, my cp was underneath her. This may not be a fair statement, but it seems to me school teams are sometimes not as cohesive as a unit as allstar teams (this may be just our experience, admittedly.) Could that be a factor? If so, maybe some team building is in order. Nonpractice get-togethers or
something.
One of our teams worst falls this year, the bases didn't know there was a problem until the flyer landed a base's shoulder. The base's main complaint to my cp was that if her flyer had just given them any warning she was having a problem they would have fought for it, but they didn't have the chance. (I'm not a base, obviously, so while I don't get how that could happen, as a coach you probably do.) My point though is that they have got to communicate with each other. They can't see themselves as the base, the base, the backspot, the flyer; they have to see themselves as a small team within the bigger team. I should probably have left this whole thing to coaches for input, but this struck a chord with me. Stunting is my cp's absolute favorite part of allstar and she adores her stunt group. Good luck.

 

[aggie1983]

addendum: looking back over the posts there was a comment about how crucial a flyer's confidence is. If the flyer doesn't have confidence that her bases' will do everything in their power to protect her, how can she be expected to do her job. The flyer is so incredibly vulnerable. Sometimes I think bases can get so annoyed with flyers when there is a problem hitting a stunt that they perhaps don't realize how scarey it is to be so far off the ground at the complete mercy of 3 other people to keep them safe. Maybe a reminder to the bases about how flying is not just the "glamour" position, it is also the position carrying the most risk.

 

[ashscott41]

Do the girls seem to want to try these new stunts? At my high school, there were some girls just in it to be a cheerleader and some who really cared about the skills and getting better. Maybe try switching up stunt groups to put the more dedicated girls together and let them try the more difficult stunts. When the other girls see them hitting harder skills, they will get bored with doing preps all the time and hopefully become more willing to try new things. If they are afraid of getting injured, show them videos of stunt saves where no one gets hurt. It might be harder, but saving a stunt is way less dangerous than giving up and falling. Maybe spend a practice teaching them safe ways to fall (bases drop feet, flyers stay tight/hollow, etc). Hope things get better!!

 

[xoxbeastbackspotxox]

As a back when my flyer decides to bail I just pull her back up with everything I have. In the time I have spent as a backspot it is my job to make sure that if my flyer falls, she lands on me. Not the floor, on me.

 

[AScheer]

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

This can completely be taught! I start the 2nd week of practice (1st week they're still really new!) I give them a basic stunt sequence to counts with everything they've learned so far. We do them as a team and if a group drops we do it again. We have to be able to hit as a team 3 times before we break for water. Doesn't sound bad but with brand new cheerleaders it takes a LONG time. After 20 minutes or so they start learning they can't give up. One person giving up ruins it for every group! They start motivating each other to fight, lock out, etc. Later in the season we have to hit consecutively 3 times in a row as a team or I don't consider the stunt competition/game ready! I also do punishments if the flyer bails while the bases are trying to save it. 20 frog jumps or 5 snakes depending on the day and how often they do it.

Since you are mostly sideline, my rule is if a stunt drops in warm-ups or heaven forbid a game (my girls DO NOT drop at games - not acceptable ever!) then the group is reduced to preps or nothing at all the rest of the night. They find this so embarrassing. If you really enforce it and stress it then they will understand how important it is. I love saves and I must say my team has had some good ones over the years!

 

[gi_cheer]

Thanks for all the replies! I really do appreciate it. We do have a rule in place that if a flyer hits the ground, the bases run A LOT! We haven't had a flyer hit the ground since we put that rule in place. I like the idea of having to hit 3 consecutive times before it's game-ready. The girls DO want to do more elite stunts, but I'm not willing to let them try scorpions or ever prep liberties while I still have flyers that bail and bases that give up.

 

[AScheer]

Thanks for all the replies! I really do appreciate it. We do have a rule in place that if a flyer hits the ground, the bases run A LOT! We haven't had a flyer hit the ground since we put that rule in place. I like the idea of having to hit 3 consecutive times before it's game-ready. The girls DO want to do more elite stunts, but I'm not willing to let them try scorpions or ever prep liberties while I still have flyers that bail and bases that give up.

We have the same rule on flyers hitting the ground. This past season was the first year I had the rule that flyers condition if they aren't tight or if they bail. It's amazing how quick it changed - I'm talking in a practice! You should definitely give it a try and see if it works for you!

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Threaten them with push ups. Works like a charm.

 

[christina3655]

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!!

the only real advice i can give as a coach and as an athlete is they need to fail at practice to succeed at a competition..... practice is the place to fail and learn from it ....

i have the same issue with my stunt group sometimes.... our flyer is somewhat of a perfectionist but if one element of the stunt doesnt feel right to her she wants to give up and start over...but we've had to tell her that even if her leg is bent or we dont have the foot all the way ....were are going to continue with the stunt...... error at practice is the only way to prepare yourself for an error at comp...... if you fail at practice and learn how to push throw it and "save it "... youre only preparing yourself for any situation that may happen when ur at comp.... i dont know how many times we've saved a stunt that was going crazy...but i told my flyer that unless shes already on the grounnd we will continue with the stunt!!!! and she will double out of it !!!

AS far as them being afraid of being hurt....it does come with the sport.....what works for me is to just get hit and knocked around to prove to myself that its gunna happen and i WILL be alright ..... if everyone in the group just does their job then there shouldnt be any problems ....

 

[christina3655]

Feb 27, 2012 4:20pm | Facebook



click the link and watch it ...@1:07...middle stunt ....GREAT SAVE!!!!!!!! i dunno how my teammates got that back up but im proud of them for doing it

 

[Tealxblack25]

does anyone have a link to that thread ? I searched for it but this one only came up