All-Star Flyers

[we_stand_alone]

Amazing stunt and a beautiful flyer!!

But I agree- I just don't like seeing tiny little nuggets being thrown around. Taller girls with nice long legs look so pretty in the air :) But I don't think a height limit is a fair idea. One of the Shooting Stars front-row flyers graduated this year, and is under five feet. Should she be forced to stay on the ground because she's not over the minimum height? Nope. I think a bottom age limit would be better.

THIS i wish i could shimmy this a lot, no one is hating on that 15 year old 90 pound girl, but yes im sorry when you have a 8 year old on your senior level 3 team, then we have a problem
i am all for bottom age caps on ALL SENIOR TEAMS not just the worlds teams.

 

[John Butler]

She definitely deserves to be in the air, but on a junior team. I know Top Gun doesn't have a J5. But still.

Ummm, sorry... NO, not a junior team. She is 13, thus age appropriate for a senior team. She carries her own weight, tumbles too, tricks through to doubles, etc.

 

[Level5Mom]

Like what you like, that is your perogative. Feel free to have an opinion and express it as you wish. But the bottom line is there is no minimum height requirement for flyers, only age limits. Those age limits currently allow young flyers on senior teams, and 12 year olds on worlds teams. The gyms that use smaller flyers do so because they can. The current level of stunting has stepped up dramatically in difficulty over the last 3 years, and it doesn't surprise me that gyms are starting to use smaller flyers to successfully nail these difficult stunts with consistency.

Keep in mind that if the young flyer cannot hold her weight, then the team will score lower due to execution. I saw this repeatedly this year in every single competition. If the younger flyer is a fierce little beast that hangs with the best, the scoresheet will reflect it positively. I also saw this repeatedly this year. I saw several incidents at UCA of smaller flyers who bobbled, were shaky and man-handled into staying in the air. I'm sure that didn't score well. I also saw some amazing younger flyers come out and kick some booty.

My point is, it really doesnt' matter to me. Talent is talent in whatever shape of form it comes in. Some gyms have it and some don't. Some gyms can teach it and some can't. Until the rules change it is what it is. Just my 2 cents.

 

[emmabug95]

Ummm, sorry... NO, not a junior team. She is 13, thus age appropriate for a senior team. She carries her own weight, tumbles too, tricks through to doubles, etc.

Never said she didn't... I definitely respect her as a flyer and I'm sorry if I offended you. I just personally think the minimum age should be 14 for a senior team. Nothing against Gabi personally

 

[cheerstalker2]

I don't like to see younger girls on senior teams. (I'm not talking about those 12+ people who are just petite) I'm talking actual 7-11 year olds. I think they get exposed to too much, from make-up, to language, to boyfriends that kids that age should not be hearing about

I so agree. A 7 year old on are sr 2 team came home and asked her mother what a BJ is? There are age limits on different levels for a reason, I feel it goes way beyond just tumbling/flying experience.

 

[John Butler]

Never said she didn't... I definitely respect her as a flyer and I'm sorry if I offended you. I just personally think the minimum age should be 14 for a senior team. Nothing against Gabi personally

No offense taken. You have every right to your opinion. I have every right to disagree. Doesn't really matter because Gabi will be 14 soon. As a parent I can tell you that there's not much difference between 13 and 14, so I agree with the current age restrictions at 13.

 

[cheerlover95]

We have a girl that we actually nicknamed fetus and although i think it looks better for a stunt to have a flyer their size i think it comes in handy when you have a smaller flyer that you can try the things with and throw around a little.

 

[lakerfantlc]

We have a girl that we actually nicknamed fetus and although i think it looks better for a stunt to have a flyer their size i think it comes in handy when you have a smaller flyer that you can try the things with and throw around a little.

hahaha.....my daughter was called fetus on her team too....she is 14 next week...but still tiny:)

 

[cheerlover95]

haha ours is 14 too! :)

 

[madicheermommy]

(first question, what division? Senior L5? Junior L5? makes my next part a little more relevant)
Probably the last thing you want to hear or would even consider, but why not wait? Are there any advanced team that are age appropriate? (i.e. Junior or Youth level 3 and up?) (Not to mention she won't be eligible for a world's team for another 3 years) While I know you may not think that is ideal because of her advanced tumbling, it may help in the long run for her to work more with her stunting (basing or flying on a lower level team while being a key tumbler) She can still continue to work her skills at practice until she is ready to become an OVERALL level 5 athlete. My cp has been back and forth with her tumbling, layout was her highest skill. She has been working coed stunts at level 5 (just practicing) and has remained at the level 2-4.2 because of her inconsistency in tumbling, instead of just straight level 4 which is where her flying is comfortable and more consistent than her level 5 skills. But it has afforded her the opportunity to work more on her tumbling without the pressure to perform at that level. Might be a good idea?

She is actually 12 now :) And she's been on a J5 for the last three years. She did double team on a Sr2 to do just as you suggested, work on some flying skills and she did ok, but quite honestly, the constant fighting with her to stretch got old. She would do good for a while, but if she slacks off even for a short time, she loses flex easily. I don't care if she flies or not, I kinda feel like if she wants it she is going to have to work for it. I almost feel like its too late for her. I really just wanted to throw out there that dilemma and see if others have similar issues. Just because kids are small, they are not necessarily going to be good fliers, so then what do you do with them :)

 

[retiredl5cheer]

This is an interesting subject...as a mother of a "tiny" 14 yr old flyer...I hear two sides....little girl big base....AND then I hear that if she stays small...Im talking she prolly wont hit 5 ft....she will be really wanted at colleges and get scholarships etc....so Im really confused?...is it good or bad to be small??...:)

If your cp has a full and a standing tuck for college, she's going to bring some serious $$$ into her college fund. The ideal coed flyer is under 5 feet and under 100 lbs. You can succeed if you're bigger, but little girls are easier to throw, easier to one man and easier to top in pyramids.

 

[FamUsM0m]

She is actually 12 now :) And she's been on a J5 for the last three years. She did double team on a Sr2 to do just as you suggested, work on some flying skills and she did ok, but quite honestly, the constant fighting with her to stretch got old. She would do good for a while, but if she slacks off even for a short time, she loses flex easily. I don't care if she flies or not, I kinda feel like if she wants it she is going to have to work for it. I almost feel like its too late for her. I really just wanted to throw out there that dilemma and see if others have similar issues. Just because kids are small, they are not necessarily going to be good fliers, so then what do you do with them :)

Ok thanks for clearing that up :-) Yeah she's kind of an in between girl hah? That's difficult. I guess just hope for a growth spurt? lol either way i wish her luck in finding her "nitch"

 

[spiritfingers11]

I would prefer taller flyers with long legs because IMO it looks better in the air. Especially when all of the flyers are about the same size! When they hit their body positions at the same time is my favorite! With that being said, little flyers are good as well, but when the “fetus” gets point, along with a couple other random “fetus’s” scattered throughout the stunt formation, it tends to look a little odd... But really we can’t decide on the height because as many people are saying, there are tiny girls that are old, possibly seniors, and cannot help their height. They shouldn’t be discriminated. It just looks a little odd sometimes.

 

[justpeachy]

So, where do we draw the line?

What if your girl has the ability and at a gym that doesn't have a team to match her skill level? Hold her back or risk losing cred by putting a little girl on an older team? What's the answer?

 

[fullpass]

My cp is a small flyer. Her old team wouldn't put her on the junior team because 'it looks funny- she's so small' so she stayed at level 1 far longer than she should.
Other gyms wanted to put her on senior 1 or 3 because there was no room for her on their monster youth and junior teams- she needs to do a year of 'training' to earn a spot on those.
You guys are assuming that senior teams are always better (which isn't true) and that flyers are always at an advantage when they are small (which is also untrue)
And btw: what gyms are allowing the teams/parents to make these decisions anyway? Around here ita up to our coaches to make placements. I'd I didn't trust my Cp's coach 110% we wouldn't be here. . .

Aaaaaand she dismounts from her high horse :)