All-Star How to go from never being a flyer to a lvl6 flyer?

[ilovecats]

Hi. So if you want the explanation to the title I used to have level 3 tumbling last season. I took a break that season for personal reasons but kept tumbling and taking privates. I went from level 3 tumbling to level 6.

At tryouts for my gym, of course I made their level 6 team. I cheer for a huge gym
and if I dont have a solid spot in the stunt group im 100% going to get cut.

What worries me is that I dont have level 6 stunting experience. My basing has always sucked very bad even at the lower levels and i'm too short for a backspot (5'1). I'm also pretty small so I doubt i'd be strong enough for it anyways.

My next best choice if I dont want to be cut from the team is a flyer. I already have very good flexibility because I strech daily.

Im thinking about stunting privates but thats coed stunting which ill need too, but it'll mainly be a full group and I dont know how i'd go about finding one.

Does anyone think this is possible, and if so how do I start?

 

[Manc_Cheer_Mum]

Were there any stunt tryouts for your spot? Maybe your coaches gave you the place on the team mainly as a tumbler maybe with some front spotting. Level 6 flying is hard and usually an oversubscribed position. Maybe some stunt clinics or see if you can get a group for an open gym. See where your coaches want you to work and be willing to give everything a try.

 

[CoachHannah]

To anyone else contemplating this, I beg of you, don’t do it. This reflects a huge greater issue in cheer of coaches wanting athletes to do skills before they’re ready.

I agree with the other reply in hoping that you are primarily in a tumbling/frontspot role (there are always a couple of tumblers on every level 6 team). If coaches truly EXPECT you to fly, don’t, unless you’re going in a prep to brace for pyramids. You will not go from never having flown a day in your life to being competition-ready level 6 in a couple of months. It’s not safe, and it’s not realistic. You’ll be putting a lot of pressure and stress on yourself in addition to the physical harm that comes from jumping straight into a position that is very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Take the flying privates for a season. If you get cut, then you get cut — try out again next year when you have the experience. Cheer is always risky, but there’s normal levels of risk versus throwing your body in the air and hoping for the best. Serious damage to your body isn’t worth it, I promise.