All-Star Help My 6 Year Old Is Afraid To Fly

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TheVipersMom

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Apr 3, 2011
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Today was the first day of practice. My cp is on youth 2. My daughter turned 6 in Feb. & I believe the youngest turns 9 in a month or so.
For this reason my daughter is the smallest. She needs to fly! She is fairly flexible and has her backhand spring and all that good stuff.

Well, today they paired off in stunt groups and my cp is crying. She wouldn't go in a prep and definitely wouldn't go into an extension. She was so terrified; all the girls were so nice to her she is just scared.

She never wanted to fly on tiny or mini last year plus she was too tall! She is on mini this year and I'm sure she won't be flying because she is still tall. It's just youth so it's her first real time. I'm not sure what caused her to be afraid.

One time at open gym one of the boys who just made our open team went to throw her up into like a one man stunt and she freaked out. So I don't know if that's why she is scared or what. I asked her does she think she is going to fall, or she is going to be dropped.. She said "no it's just really high."

So I want to know anyone who had a young kid who flew for a level 2 or higher team, what age did they start? Did they have this fear? && any ideals how to make her not be afraid? If this continues a couple more practices I will pull her off the team because that's not fair to everyone!
 
it's probably just the idea of flying that it scary to her. When I started I was nervous to. I would just have her start out doing very basic stunts and drills just to get used to the idea until she is more confident on preps or extentions. Also talk to the coaches about it. I think after a while she will be having fun in the air in no time!
 
I'm 2o years old and have always been tiny, but never wanted to fly because I was TERRIFIED! I just started and I can tell you that I know for sure that it is because I am on anxiety medicine now.

I am NOT telling you to put your daughter on anxiety meds, LOL. Her fear might be for the same reason though. She probably won't be able to explain to you why she's afraid or if she can it won't be rational. Most likely nothing you say will help. She will just need to become comfortable with her own skills as well as her bases.
 
She doesn't want to fly now, and she never did? Sooooo...why would you want her to fly? I get that she's small, but no child she have to ever be coerced, convinced or otherwise cajoled into to performing in a position that she is obviously terrified of. It's unacceptable to try to make her do that because you think she'd be good.
 
i used to be really afraid of flying too, but i would suggest not pushing her to fly because my team mates and coaches did it to me and it pushed me further away from wanted to fly
 
My little one was 6 flying on mini 2, 7 on mini 3 BUT she loves it. If your daughter is afraid, why would anyone make her. If she is crying, I wouldn't let her do it. They might put her up in the air and she freaks out and falls in a pannick to where the kids can't catch her. Dangerous to her and her teammates. This might also take the fun out of cheerleading for her!
 
She doesn't want to fly now, and she never did? Sooooo...why would you want her to fly? I get that she's small, but no child she have to ever be coerced, convinced or otherwise cajoled into to performing in a position that she is obviously terrified of. It's unacceptable to try to make her do that because you think she'd be good.

I'm not sure how I wrote that but here is what I meant- she never said she didn't want to fly. Last year she wasn't one of those girls that was asking to fly.. but that's because she couldn't and she knew she was the tallest tiny. Those 3 year olds could never hold her up. This year she tells me she wants to fly and she wants to do a scorpion she is just to scared to do it. I'm not forcing her but if she doesn't fly she is way to small to be basing any of these 10 & 11 year old youth girls she she won't be doing anything! She got all upset with me when we left practice and I told her she might be only be doing mini's she started crying more saying no I want to be on youth I want to tumble.
I just don't know how to help her get over it.
 
I think what Kris10boo is trying to figure out is if there is anyway to help her daughter feel comfortable. I'm guessing that there may be no other option for her daughter on a youth team. I'm sure she's not forcing her daughter to do it, just trying to figure out a way to help her daughter further excel at a sport she enjoys.
 
I'm confused...so the mini team must be a mini 1?? Since she wants to tumble on Y2?? If she can't do the flying on a youth 2, pump her up to be a leader on her mini team. She is the only one who can get over the fear, there is nothing you can do to help her. Have you put her in flying privates to give her confidence??
 
I think what Kris10boo is trying to figure out is if there is anyway to help her daughter feel comfortable. I'm guessing that there may be no other option for her daughter on a youth team. I'm sure she's not forcing her daughter to do it, just trying to figure out a way to help her daughter further excel at a sport she enjoys.

Yes thank you!! I'm not forcing her; shoot it will save me tons of money because she won't be crossing over and I won't have to buy a new uniform this year because mini's will still wear the same one. She doesn't want to come of the team she said she does want to do it she is just scared.
I want to help her not be scared instead of pulling her off and being disappointed all year she didn't fly.
 
Don't push her into flying. If she doesn't want to fly, then she doesn't want to fly. Let her make that choice. Maybe one day she will be ready or change her mind, maybe not. Every small person isn't meant to be a flyer.
 
I dealt with this last year on the team I assistant coach for. The little girl was so nervous about flying she was in the bathroom throwing up. She was 7 so I had to put it into little kid terms. I asked her what her most valuable toy was and she told me her stuffed bear. I explained how she takes such good care of the bear, watches it, doesnt let it fall on the dirty ground etc. Then I told her that she was her stunt groups "teddy bear". They would take care of her, just as much as she loved her bear. I know it sounds dorky but for a 7 year old the words trustworthy probably doesnt have alot of meaning. It worked! Good luck with your daughter
 
I've been thinking about this for the past couple minutes because your daughter is just like me and I feel for her! Try putting her in stunting privates with the coach she trusts most, maybe her minis coach. I know that when I feel comfortable with the people I am with, I don't get anxious about letting them down and I am able to perform better without the pressure of trying to be perfect.
 
From a Tiny coach who goes through this a lot: We are in the process right now of prepping a lot of our Tinies to move up to Mini. This means some will have to learn how to fly. A couple have embraced this and are now having bigger girls put them in one legs, baskets, etc. Some, on the other hand have not. I wouldn't give up on the first try, even if she seemed upset. Some things take getting used to. When she was learning to walk and she scraped her knee and started crying, you didn't just quit. This is a learning experience. Some things I find helpful are:
-Watching Youtube videos: Not only does it teach goal setting, but seeing other people do it just fine might helo her feel better about doing it herself.
-Factual Discussion- Explaining that if she were to fall, she's not falling from a great height, and that she's landing on mats. Have her see that she's probably up higher jumping on a trampoline than she is in that stunt.
-Grown-ups- Having a tall coach back the first time might make her feel less alone up in the air. Ask the coach about having a tall backspot with her. The biggest fear I get is that nobody is there to support them/ they feel all alone up there, like they are above everybody's heads.
It's a big trust issue, and things might change once she bonds with her new team a little more. But if after awhile, she still doesn't like it, don't push her too much. Some people just don't like heights. It might be something she'll have to grow into. Don't nag or bribe (I do see parents do this sadly) because she will start to dread practice. With time and some good coaches, I think this is a fear that can be overcome
 
I flew in high school and college only because I was always the smallest one on the team not because I wanted too..lol! I always have been and always will be afraid of heights. It took me along time to be comfortable in the air, a real along time. Its definitly not for everybody. Ive always been thankful my cp is a base, and she is too!
 
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