Flying...

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My issue as a coach with "it should be the most flexible/tight/controlled etc. being the flyer" argument is what do I DO with that teeny tiny/weaker cheerleader on the team? They can't lift that awesome but not the smallest would be flyer and I can't have them front spot without losing marks. So they awkwardly nugget for every stunt sequence? Half the routine? And routine then has one less stunt in the air so our ratios are hooped? Move them off the team to a lower team parents say. What if it's a level 1 team and she can't move any lower? Or, how do I do that when she has all the tumbling requirements for the level and the stunts WORK with her as the flyer?! How do I explain that to her mother?

Bottom line is I'm going to make the decision that makes the TEAM as successful as possible. Which, believe it or not, means the best flyers in the room aren't necessarily in the air. As crazy as that sounds. Believe me it kills me as to put beautiful controlled body positions on the ground. These kinds of decision are ridiculously hard and are AGONIZED over for more hours than I care to admit. Have patience with your coaches there are many factors at play and these calls are SO hard to make!

Sorry. After reading this over I realize how "rant-esque" it sounds. It's just that time of year. lol.


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My issue as a coach with "it should be the most flexible/tight/controlled etc. being the flyer" argument is what do I DO with that teeny tiny/weaker cheerleader on the team? They can't lift that awesome but not the smallest would be flyer and I can't have them front spot without losing marks. So they awkwardly nugget for every stunt sequence? Half the routine? And routine then has one less stunt in the air so our ratios are hooped? Move them off the team to a lower team parents say. What if it's a level 1 team and she can't move any lower? Or, how do I do that when she has all the tumbling requirements for the level and the stunts WORK with her as the flyer?! How do I explain that to her mother?

Bottom line is I'm going to make the decision that makes the TEAM as successful as possible. Which, believe it or not, means the best flyers in the room aren't necessarily in the air. As crazy as that sounds. Believe me it kills me as to put beautiful controlled body positions on the ground. These kinds of decision are ridiculously hard and are AGONIZED over for more hours than I care to admit. Have patience with your coaches there are many factors at play and these calls are SO hard to make!

Sorry. After reading this over I realize how "rant-esque" it sounds. It's just that time of year. lol.


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That is a great explanation!
 
That is a great explanation!

Thank you! To me as a coach this seems obvious, but I realize for parents watching on the sidelines it wouldn't be as clear at all. This is why, if parents have issues with their child's routine they should speak directly with coach. There is method to the madness I swear! And it's easier to take that skinny inflexible flyer in the back left corner if you understand why she's there. Lol!


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Thank you! To me as a coach this seems obvious, but I realize for parents watching on the sidelines it wouldn't be as clear at all. This is why, if parents have issues with their child's routine they should speak directly with coach. There is method to the madness I swear! And it's easier to take that skinny inflexible flyer in the back left corner if you understand why she's there. Lol!


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And she can always start daily stretching and become flexible. Most girls are teachable, but you can't teach that tiny, short girl to grow tall to reach to back spot! LOL
 
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Do routines get higher points when the flyers are more flexible and have good form? Like would a routine w/ 5 Gabi Butler-types executing the same exact stunt sequence as 5 tiny kids w/ poor flexibility and bent legs get the same amount of points on the score sheet?
 
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Do routines get higher points when the flyers are more flexible and have good form? Like would a routine w/ 5 Gabi Butler-types executing the same exact stunt sequence as 5 tiny kids w/ poor flexibility and bent legs get the same amount of points on the score sheet?
That is a good point, but there are many great girls both tiny and of all sizes that have great flexibility. And Gabi Butler is tiny.
 
Do routines get higher points when the flyers are more flexible and have good form? Like would a routine w/ 5 Gabi Butler-types executing the same exact stunt sequence as 5 tiny kids w/ poor flexibility and bent legs get the same amount of points on the score sheet?
Yes, there's a section on the scoresheet for technique, which takes into account flexibility and form.
 
My issue as a coach with "it should be the most flexible/tight/controlled etc. being the flyer" argument is what do I DO with that teeny tiny/weaker cheerleader on the team? They can't lift that awesome but not the smallest would be flyer and I can't have them front spot without losing marks. So they awkwardly nugget for every stunt sequence? Half the routine? And routine then has one less stunt in the air so our ratios are hooped? Move them off the team to a lower team parents say. What if it's a level 1 team and she can't move any lower? Or, how do I do that when she has all the tumbling requirements for the level and the stunts WORK with her as the flyer?! How do I explain that to her mother?

Bottom line is I'm going to make the decision that makes the TEAM as successful as possible. Which, believe it or not, means the best flyers in the room aren't necessarily in the air. As crazy as that sounds. Believe me it kills me as to put beautiful controlled body positions on the ground. These kinds of decision are ridiculously hard and are AGONIZED over for more hours than I care to admit. Have patience with your coaches there are many factors at play and these calls are SO hard to make!

Sorry. After reading this over I realize how "rant-esque" it sounds. It's just that time of year. lol.


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We're at a similar point in the season. I get it.

Yes, you might be in flyer flex class this year and really want to fly now.

But you are the tallest girl on J3 by almost a whole foot and have 3 years experience backing.

I. need. you. on. the. ground.

I just do.


Not to mention that the flyer in your group is the smallest kid on the team and has flown since Mini 1. If I switch her into your spot and make you the flyer, you're headed for an injury because she is the size of your average first grader at 9 years old and in no position to save you from eating mat because she can't reach your foot to save her life.

Your mom can come talk to me every practice and the answer will still be the same. You can pout about backing every practice. That does not change the team's needs.

Something I like to tell parents when we start working on the routine is that if I gave every single kid and/or parent exactly what they wanted, I'd end up with 18 flyers 2 bases, and one backspot. Last pass would be an 18 person syncro pass. And our jump sequence would have 20 people in the front row. That's not what we need.


 
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I'm in a weird situation this year in regards to the flying issue. 6 girls on the team, yep just 6 it's a small high school. I have 2 bases that are shorter, 2 bases that are much taller. I have a flyer who is 5 foot nothing, tiny, never cheered before and then I have a former backspot who wanted to try her hand at flying and is closing in on that 6 foot mark. Naturally you would think tall flyer with short bases and short flyer with tall bases...but what I'm finding out while going through stunt progressions is that my tall flyer is awkward at stunting, she pushes her hips forward which leads to toeing, she doesn't look graceful going up, and has an excuse at every practice of being "sore", "cramping", or "scared" to do stunts she doesn't want to do. BUT...my smaller flyer who is graceful, easy to lift, and somewhat fearless can't hold a one leg position at a prep level while my taller less graceful one can. Neither are flexibile (I'm looking at lib or arabesque at best) and with such a small number I feel as though it's time for me to retire my former backspot turned flyer into her backspot position so I can focus on my other flyer and progressing her along.

We don't compete, but definitely don't wont to be boring and only keep putting up the same flyer in the same boring extension. Oh, the hardships of a small cheer coach. :(
 
I love level 1 because you can have basically half the team fly for at least one sequence (waist level 1 leg stunts, one base, no back spot). Kids in my routine last year were flyers, bases and back spots at different points in the routine, depending on the sequence (and since we had changes in the roster throughout the year, sometimes different roles at each comp.) Very few kids were "only" flyers. It teaches them early that EVERY role is important. Love level 1.


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