All-Star Flyers

[336Teal]

As a spectator of this sport, when I see a team that has "larger" rather than "smaller" flyers on the team and they're killing it, I think it looks beautiful!! Visually, for me, I prefer the taller flyer to the tiny flyer.

But I'm pretty sure my daughter would prefer the lighter of the two. LOL

I, too, visually prefer and tend to have more respect for teams that have 'normal' sized flyers. Especially the ones with long legs

My own daughter hit a massive growth spurt this past year and at 5"6, her flying days are over. As a backspot, she's had 5"5 100 pound flyers that squeeze and hold their weight and are as light as a feather, and she's had 4" 50 pound flyers that felt like a ton of bricks. A good flyer is a good flyer, no matter her height or weight. Does she know how to squeeze her core and hold her own weight? That's the most important part.

 

[336Teal]

sorry for the double post. My phone froze :)

 

[cheer25mom]

And if we are 100% honest that's because we all know it takes more work to keep them in the air. I definitely respect the teams that can do it, and do agree that it looks great, but I can understand why you would put someone smaller in the air, because its easier to hit the hard stuff!

 

[Beans100]

Serious question then- You have a senior 4 team and only have 1 spot left. You need 1 more flyer. Here are your options. Choose 1.

Girl A, 15 years old- Was on senior 4 the past two years. Has all the tumbling and has always been a flyer. Girl A grew 4 inches. She is now 5'5 and an appropriate body weight for her height. She is still flexible and has great body positions but is one of the tallest girls on the team. She has never based before.

Girl B, 12 years old- Came from junior 3 after working very hard on her tumbling skills. She has a layout and is working on combo passes. She is both a flyer and a base. She is 5'2.

Girl C, 9 years old- Came from junior 3. She is also a flyer and is naturally very flexible. She has strong body control but lacks in tumbling. She has a tuck but no layout. She would be the smallest on the team.

 

[336Teal]

And if we are 100% honest that's because we all know it takes more work to keep them in the air. I definitely respect the teams that can do it, and do agree that it looks great, but I can understand why you would put someone smaller in the air, because its easier to hit the hard stuff!

As you said, 100% honesty, when I say that I visually prefer a taller flyer, it has nothing to do with me thinking "it takes more work to keep them in the air." I prefer the look because I prefer the look of long legs and pretty long straight lines.

In my opinion, the word tiny should not automatically be equated with easy. It boils down to body control. Sometimes the smaller flyer has it, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes the taller flyer has it, sometimes she doesn't.

 

[cheer25mom]

@Beans100 Depends on who I have to base her

 

[cheer25mom]

As you said, 100% honesty, when I say that I visually prefer a taller flyer, it has nothing to do with me thinking "it takes more work to keep them in the air." I prefer the look because I prefer the look of long legs and pretty long straight lines.

In my opinion, the word tiny should not automatically be equated with easy. It boils down to body control. Sometimes the smaller flyer has it, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes the taller flyer has it, sometimes she doesn't.

everyone has different reasons for what they like

It has to do with body control, but that's only one part of the equation. Size DOES matter. 2 girls with the same body control, but one is 30 lbs lighter, who is easier to base?? It's also easier to compensate for deficit in body control if you are lighter.

 

[336Teal]

everyone has different reasons for what they like

It has to do with body control, but that's only one part of the equation. Size DOES matter. 2 girls with the same body control, but one is 30 lbs lighter, who is easier to base?? It's also easier to compensate for deficit in body control if you are lighter.

Agreed that we all have different reasons for what we like. I responded because your post said "And if we are 100% honest that's because we all know it takes more work to keep them in the air." to which I wanted to point out that's a blanket statement and definitely does not apply to everyone, myself included.

We don't have to agree. You float your boat and I'll float mine. :)

 

[quitthedrama]

It looks like cheating to me when almost every flyer on a senior 5 team is prepubescent. I side-eye teams that do this. Unless that flyer is one of the strongest tumblers on the entire team - (yes many of them have the minimum skills to make the team, but usually more than half the team can tumble and jump much better) - don't tell me they weren't put on that team specifically to fly.

So the beast base that is 5'8" and solid muscle and can hold a stunt up by herself but can't tumble or only has jump to back and a running full would be cheating too if put on a senior 5 team correct? Why is it only the tiny flyer has to have amazing tumbling in order to justify her being on a level 5 team?? :confused:

 

[justcheering]

Do you honestly think the team would have been better off as far as hitting better quality stunts and tumbling or is it a maturity/ personality thing? I ask because at our small gym it is often the younger kids on a senior team that allow the team to hit the 75% needed to max out tumbling and make it possible to max out stunting. It couldn't be done without them. I know that's the case on CP's team. Without the kids that are junior aged on a senior team, they wouldn't hit the tumbling ratio and I don't think stunts would go well. Some of the strongest, most experienced bases are junior aged kids.

I guess I needed to include more details haha. Almost everyone on my team was brand new to cheer so that made it harder BUT a lot of the younger kids will get distracted or not actually take the coaches instructions seriously. I guess it really depends on the kids because a lot of the younger ones did help max out tumbling but some of them maturity wise would have done better on a younger team. Your CPs team sounds great! I think with my team it was just a lot of factors that contributed but for myself personally, I would have preferred a smaller team with older girls vs. a bigger team with younger girls that lack maturity. I hope this makes sense lol.

 

[njallday]

Agreed that we all have different reasons for what we like. I responded because your post said "And if we are 100% honest that's because we all know it takes more work to keep them in the air." to which I wanted to point out that's a blanket statement and definitely does not apply to everyone, myself included.

We don't have to agree. You float your boat and I'll float mine. :)

Agreed with you. With body control, long legs in the air make for some of the most beautiful and graceful flyers you'll ever see.

 

[justcheering]

To me that again is on the gym to put together the strongest team(s). If a senior team of 10 senior aged athletes would have been stronger and score better than a mixed age larger team then they should have created a small senior team (8-10) and a small junior team for the younger kids. Again I don't know all the details but putting together a poorly performing larger team often doesn't help anyone get better.

Ah I see what you're getting at now! Yeah I definitely think your right :) This was my gyms second year so hopefully next season goes a little better and they can bring in more athletes and create a junior team

 

[cheermommaRN]

Everyone knows my opinion on instituting bottom ages. All Star needs to adopt the same competition restrictions as USGA. I think it's been made pretty clear that pushing kids to be on these level 5 teams at younger ages contributes to burn out and excessive wear/tear on the body. I would love to see a long term study done on the age of athletes when they enter a sport and their probability for a major career ending injury. In my ideal universe:

Tiny=4-6
Mini=7-9
Youth=10-12
Junior=13-15
Senior=15-18

For Worlds teams waivers can be submitted for a child to compete ONE age level up from where they should be legally (so only Jr age), but a team is limited to a certain amount of waivers per Worlds teams. The waiver is ONLY for Worlds and level 5. This way truly exceptional athletes can compete "elite" but not every 12 year old with a janky full is finding their way to the floor.
I'll also say it again, this new idea of placing pre-pubescent 12 year old flyers on Coed teams is doing NOTHING for your boys unless you are giving them ample opportunity to stunt with real women because guess what? Those 12 year olds don't exist on UofL Large Coed. Unless a boy is coming in and working with IOC girls that weigh more than 60 pounds, they are going to get to tryouts and feel like they are lifting a horse...even if she's only 100 pounds.
I know I'll get flamed for this but you can't compare an ex-gymnast making level 5 with no stunting to a flyer with no tumbling. Tumbling takes years to perfect and master, flying you can teach a kid in a season if not less. You very rarely see a athlete get placed on a high level team if all they are there for is basing, but I have watched a routine where the team "cheerlebrity" did nothing but a forward roll, a prep, and prance around the back a couple times....that's called Senior level 2.

 

[lucylou19]

Everyone knows my opinion on instituting bottom ages. All Star needs to adopt the same competition restrictions as USGA. I think it's been made pretty clear that pushing kids to be on these level 5 teams at younger ages contributes to burn out and excessive wear/tear on the body. I would love to see a long term study done on the age of athletes when they enter a sport and their probability for a major career ending injury. In my ideal universe:

Tiny=4-6
Mini=7-9
Youth=10-12
Junior=13-15
Senior=15-18

For Worlds teams waivers can be submitted for a child to compete ONE age level up from where they should be legally (so only Jr age), but a team is limited to a certain amount of waivers per Worlds teams. The waiver is ONLY for Worlds and level 5. This way truly exceptional athletes can compete "elite" but not every 12 year old with a janky full is finding their way to the floor.
I'll also say it again, this new idea of placing pre-pubescent 12 year old flyers on Coed teams is doing NOTHING for your boys unless you are giving them ample opportunity to stunt with real women because guess what? Those 12 year olds don't exist on UofL Large Coed. Unless a boy is coming in and working with IOC girls that weigh more than 60 pounds, they are going to get to tryouts and feel like they are lifting a horse...even if she's only 100 pounds.
I know I'll get flamed for this but you can't compare an ex-gymnast making level 5 with no stunting to a flyer with no tumbling. Tumbling takes years to perfect and master, flying you can teach a kid in a season if not less. You very rarely see a athlete get placed on a high level team if all they are there for is basing, but I have watched a routine where the team "cheerlebrity" did nothing but a forward roll, a prep, and prance around the back a couple times....that's called Senior level 2.

If this was the age limits my gym would have 5 teams but with 8 or less athletes on the team. My gym is the definition of a small gym but I love my coaches and teammates. I would not be able to cheer with those age limits.



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[cheer25mom]

If this was the age limits my gym would have 5 teams but with 8 or less athletes on the team. My gym is the definition of a small gym but I love my coaches and teammates. I would not be able to cheer with those age limits.



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We couldn't field teams either.


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