Flying On The Opposite Leg

[cheerkidzmom]

For some reason the gym my daughter belongs to seems to fly on the opposite leg as most other teams. She stands on her left and pulls up the right. Now that she wants to move to a bigger gym, how hard will this be to fix? Do you think it will count her out of flying?

 

[TheVipersMom]

My daughter stands on her right and pulls up her left. I hope she never has to change she can't do it the way your daughter does it she is like not half as flexible on that leg! Good luck to your cp!

 

[cheerislove8]

It will probably just take some time of adjusting. Make sure she keeps stretching so the leg she'll be using now is flexible!

 

[INeverStopCheering]

She's going to need to work on her balance on her right leg and her flex on her left if she wants to fly

 

[cheerkidzmom]

can you think of any reason why this team taught her to fly on the opposite leg?

 

[ellie]

it will just take some practice and she still might be able to fly opposite for pyramids

 

[LoveTheBlueAndGreen]

That is so odd...

 

[cupieqt]

I was told once, waay back in the day when I was cheering in college, that girls are usually more flexible with their right leg (I have found this to be very true) but guys are stronger with their right hand (also true with right handed guys), so girls are taught to stand on their right leg b/c it's easier for them to work on flexibility than it is for guys to stunt left handed. I see complete logic in that. So if I were the forefathers of cheer (herkie? jeff webb?) I think I would have taught my jr. high and high school flyers at cheer camps to stunt on their right leg b/c eventually they'll be college cheerleaders that need to partner stunt with guys.

I find that most group stunts have no problem on either leg and your flyer will adapt quickly in balance, it's the flexibility she will need to work.
Good luck! :)

 

[TheRealAlishaD]

It's definitely going to take work. Our entire gym stunts on the right (standing on the left, skills with the right) except for our Sr 5 that made the switch last summer. This year, our entre gym plans to make the switch and yes, we know it's going to be hard work from the athletes as well as the coaches, but we want to set our athletes up for success and cheering after high school. Stretching is so key and make sure to teach technique even though it may seem odd at first on the new leg. I'm sure your CP will work very hard and no problem making the adjustment.

 

[Mamarazzi]

@TheRealAlishaD and @cheerkidzmom , can't wait to see some inSANE tick tocks!!! They're already flexible on the opposite leg!

 

[HoneysCoach]

I was under the impression that we flew that way was most girls strongest leg is their right so although they may be less flex with their left that was easier to fix than the preference for the right.

Has it always been this way in US cheer? Just wondered if it became standardised at some point?

 

[iamsofreakinbored]

I'm not a flyer but for heel stretch and bow&arrow I stand on my left leg, but for my scorpion and scale, I stand on my right leg. :| Yeahhh, I do need to stretch more. :/ :)

 

[SparkleCoach]

Our gym was standing on the left leg too before. We switched, and it works with alot of stretching and balance practice! :) I'm a flyer too, and I was standing several hours on a balance board while stretching. It really works!! :)
Wish you the best of luck! :)

 

[youbetterwork]

Almost everyone in Sweden stunts on the "wrong" leg. I don't know why, it's kind of annyoing haha. My team does both, in our stunt sequence we do both legs (not tick tock). And our senior coed level 6 has switched to the "right" leg now.

 

[youbetterwork]

I prefer doing skills with the right leg in the air, because it's easier to grab with my right hand. Maybe that's why some fly on the "wrong" leg?