All-Star Flyers

[cheerstalker2]

I am talking about flyers that are between 7-11 on senior teams just cus they are small. I realize some people are naturally small and they are the ones that should be in the air. I feel this is not fair for girls that are 12-14 wanting to learn how to fly and cant because they are over 5'0. Maybe times are just changing from what it was years ago. I remember when u had to be 12 to be on a senior team. I wish usasf would make that rule again. Maturity wise it is a good move.

 

[KaileyFierce]

You do have to be 12 on a senior team.... 12-18 years. You can't be 7,8,10 years old. Junior is 14 and under...

 

[MyssMyst]

I think Gabi on TG is a perfect example of a smaller athlete who has earned her spot. She has technique, form, the whole package. Do some cheer squads put girls in the air who only got their because of their size? Sure. I'm not denying that. But it's a coaching decision, and one they have the right to make. If you don't like how they coach, find another gym.

I also think sometimes parents have a massive case of "Susie's Mom" when it comes to the position their daughter has in a stunt group. I am so sick of hearing parents complain about how their CP should be flying but the coach wouldn't give them that chance. The coach makes decisions based on the team as a whole. Even if your child is flexible, it doesn't mean they have the air sense/body control to make a good flyer. What is wrong with being a beast back spot/base? If 8 stunt groups are going up, and your daughter is the 9th best flyer, she's not going up. If you are dead-set on her making that spot, let her take a stunting class to improve her technique.

Blaming these decisions on size alone isn't always an accurate reflection of why the coach made the decisions they did. Not every child is going to be a flyer. And flyers don't happen without backspots and bases. Backspot/basing doesn't mean you're any less important to the team. Quite the contrary. You are every ounce as important as the girl pulling a scorp in the air. If you have questions, schedule an appointment to POLITELY discuss your questions with the coach. Be prepared to listen, and if you're doing more than 25% of the talking, you're not listening to the coach enough. You might be surprised what you hear. Maybe Susie has a fear of heights, turns into a noodle, or maybe it's her attitude keeping her grounded.

Bottom line is this, if you don't like it, don't cheer there.

 

[luv4azf]

You do have to be 12 on a senior team.... 12-18 years. You can't be 7,8,10 years old. Junior is 14 and under...

Thats just for level 5. Levels 1 thru 4 is 18 and under.

 

[TXcheermom]

My oldest is on a senior team. Was 12 at the begining but turned 13 over the season. She is the smallest flyer but she's 5'1 weighing 92lbs... Plus both her side bases are 5'1 as well!! They r all the same height except the back spot :))

 

[Mamarazzi]

My cp is 11 and was the youngest on her Sr team this year. If she didn't look good in the air, they wouldn't have put her on the team. She was shorter than the rest of the flyers but her legs are just as long as theirs, so there didn't appear to be any size difference when they stunted and she's more flexible than the majority of the other girls.
I, too, hate to see a teeny flyer in the air on an older team just because she's teeny. Completely agree with @WorkToWin that some girls don't have the body control that looks right on a certain age team.
I'm a BIG fan of not allowing crossovers to higher than one age group up - regardless of gym size. A mini flyer for a senior team? Um, no.

 

[The_cheer_obsessed]

I dont think height should matter. We want really flexible flyers..not ones who cant pull a scorpion but a good flyer height

 

[cheerstalker2]

You do have to be 12 on a senior team.... 12-18 years. You can't be 7,8,10 years old. Junior is 14 and under...

That is only for levels 1-4. Level 5 you have to be 12 and I fully support that.

 

[cheerstalker2]

I think Gabi on TG is a perfect example of a smaller athlete who has earned her spot. She has technique, form, the whole package. Do some cheer squads put girls in the air who only got their because of their size? Sure. I'm not denying that. But it's a coaching decision, and one they have the right to make. If you don't like how they coach, find another gym.

I also think sometimes parents have a massive case of "Susie's Mom" when it comes to the position their daughter has in a stunt group. I am so sick of hearing parents complain about how their CP should be flying but the coach wouldn't give them that chance. The coach makes decisions based on the team as a whole. Even if your child is flexible, it doesn't mean they have the air sense/body control to make a good flyer. What is wrong with being a beast back spot/base? If 8 stunt groups are going up, and your daughter is the 9th best flyer, she's not going up. If you are dead-set on her making that spot, let her take a stunting class to improve her technique.

Blaming these decisions on size alone isn't always an accurate reflection of why the coach made the decisions they did. Not every child is going to be a flyer. And flyers don't happen without backspots and bases. Backspot/basing doesn't mean you're any less important to the team. Quite the contrary. You are every ounce as important as the girl pulling a scorp in the air. If you have questions, schedule an appointment to POLITELY discuss your questions with the coach. Be prepared to listen, and if you're doing more than 25% of the talking, you're not listening to the coach enough. You might be surprised what you hear. Maybe Susie has a fear of heights, turns into a noodle, or maybe it's her attitude keeping her grounded.

Bottom line is this, if you don't like it, don't cheer there.

First of all my daughter is a base/back spot and she does excell in that position. She is just too tall to fly now. I do not have the "Susie syndrome" as you say. We had a senior 2 team and at least 5 of the girls could not do a heel stretch that looked decent and many of them fell throughout the season. So why keep them up when there were several flyers with skills that were basing, just in the 5.5-5.6 range. As for are coaches I do respect them and would not think of switching gyms otherwise I already would have. We have several good programs in Southern Cal to choose from. As for parents, it is also a little frustrating when you see your team not progressing cus the coaches choose to keep certain kids in certain positions. Cheer is very expensive and it is nice to see you child challenged and having fun.

 

[Seeker30]

i have no problem with little flyers! but i hate that you have little flyers and cant HIT! -___-
or when you have little flyer and a monster base! -___-
by monster i mean strong. lol

 

[Deleted member 8658]

when i wach senior teams i really dont like seeing one tiny girl and all the rest normal height its sooooooo unfair and the sequences often look weird because older girls pull skills differently then the younger girls do!

 

[TheVipersMom]

Wow.
I understand the thing about having small flyers but still can't hit. But if that flyer is out their and is beasting(not a word lol) just as well as the others are I don't care how short she is; she(he) is still very talented. Also, if this young/tiny flyer is throwing the skills appropriate for that upper level team I don't care how funny it looks she is STILL just as talented. If she has a full and you have a full and her jumps are just as good as yours are; then are you saying she don't deserve the spot because she is small!? To me it sounds like some I mean just a couple of y'all sound like "haters" I'm
Not saying you are but if you were in there position and that young I would think you would be all for it.
On the same token I do see some tiny flyers who have flying skills that are on a higher team because of that and clearly are 2 levels below everyone else in tumbling. Like the whole team has a layout and she has a BHS. To me that's more noticeable because i always watch the tiny girl and that's what would look funny to me. Now that's the only time your arguments would be valid but all of this is my opinion.

 

[MyssMyst]

First of all my daughter is a base/back spot and she does excell in that position. She is just too tall to fly now. I do not have the "Susie syndrome" as you say. We had a senior 2 team and at least 5 of the girls could not do a heel stretch that looked decent and many of them fell throughout the season. So why keep them up when there were several flyers with skills that were basing, just in the 5.5-5.6 range. As for are coaches I do respect them and would not think of switching gyms otherwise I already would have. We have several good programs in Southern Cal to choose from. As for parents, it is also a little frustrating when you see your team not progressing cus the coaches choose to keep certain kids in certain positions. Cheer is very expensive and it is nice to see you child challenged and having fun.

I'm sorry, however you clearly don't respect your coach's coaching abilities. You've mentioned that your coaches don't pick the best flyers, and that your team is not progressing because of how the coaches placed the kids. There is a difference between respecting them, and respecting their coaching abilities. Have you addressed your concerns with the coaches?

 

[CheeerZilla]

That is only for levels 1-4. Level 5 you have to be 12 and I fully support that.

Not True there was a 10 year old on Ace I think it was Open 5 @ NCA. My friends daughter asked her how old she was and the girl said she was 10. She was wearing a jacket too, so her team won @ NCA. They took a pic 2gether! She was a cutie! Im no fan of "fetus flyers" but that little one stole my heart:)

 

[cheerleader143]

if smaller flyers were an advantage then the age group for senior wouldnt be 12- 18 it would be a higher age number. i dont think many coaches put flyers on a team if they cant do anything that level , other then looking pretty in the air. i dont know if that makes sense but think of it this way : a youth girl only has a bhs, but she gets put on senior 5 cause she looks nice in the air. not many coachs do that unless there is a reason she can not tumble