All-Star Micro Flyers And Their Dilemma (refuse To Use The Hated "f" Name!)

[Ashley]

Yep, the best girls at baskets are usually the tumblers, in my experience. I don't tumble, I will never be able to do a full basket.


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[AndyT_T]

I might know that school...I was looking up colleges with good cheer programs (trying to get ideas for college but I'm only in 9th grade) and I came across a certain college that required "females over 115 lbs will be trying out for a tumbling position"
...I dont know about you guys but as a 15 year old I am already above that, and I consider myself quite small (about 5' 3" and I wear sized Small clothes) I was almost offended by this. I always had hopes of when I got on a Coed team, that I would get the opportunity to fly again.
What bothers me most is that they are suggesting that someone at 115 lbs or more is too heavy to fly, but they could be the most amazing flyer ever, but because "they weigh too much" they won't get that opportunity. (sorry for this rant)

I believe flyers should not be a "weight". I don't care if you're 90lb flyer, if you do your job up there, thats all that matters.

This is what I meant when I said there wasnt a stigma in college, a lot of big schools have "small requirements" for coed teams. I don't think putting a number on it is healthy, but it you think about it, a guy is going to be throwing you. Imagine it as a bar in the gym instead of a girl, 150 lbs is A LOT to lob over your head regardless of how strong you are. Larger schools can demand more because they have a larger supply.

However, thats large coed. There is a reason small coed and all girl exist, find a school in those divisions and it becomes more about flexibility and skill than size a lot of the time:)

My oldest was a flyer for 3 years two on a level 4 and one on restricted 5 then moved to basing level 5 and she is a beast base I honestly feel that her flying experience has helped her become a better base

It works in reverse too, we have had bases become flyers and they do really well because they know how the base end of things works and they can work with the base better!

my cp is a flyer. She is small for her age and has great flexibility. She is 13 and almost done growing (i think). She is not a fetus anymore, but she was. I would not mind her learning to base as even petite girls seem to "bigger" when they are seniors in high school. IMO there is way less pressure being a base. As long as she is an asset her team, whatever works best. The coaches know what they are doing.

This. Every team is different and every gym has a different pool to pull from. Trust the coaches and their experiance, if you dont feel comfortable doing that then you should look at other programs.

In response to the comment you quoted, there's absolutely a stigma in college too. I can name at least one school that has a reputation of having big guys and "fetus" flyers.

That being said, in college the tiny flyers tend to be on coed teams and all girl teams tend to have the "normal" sized flyers.

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I always thought it was funny because every team looks to have the smallest girls they can, but the team that has the smallest girls gets laughed at at nationals.

In reality any team would take a talented nugget if they could.

 

[cheer36mom]

It works in reverse too, we have had bases become flyers and they do really well because they know how the base end of things works and they can work with the base better!

Agreed I have seen that as well

 

[laughAlittle]

good things often come in small packages!

 

[hawkeye87]

As I said in another thread I refuse to judge people, especially girls, on their bodies. There is already too much pressure for girls to look and act a certain way that I don't need to be putting more pressure on them. I think as long as the girls have the skills to fly, it shouldn't matter about their body type. Now that being said, I think it is up to the coaches to put the people that they feel is the best for their team in the air. If the team just had a whole bunch of senior flyers graduate then obviously they have to bring up a new crop of younger girls who maybe smaller than the other girls on the team therefore it is only logical that if they have the skills then they should fly. That is what is so great about cheerleading, it doesn't matter about your body type! There are positions for every person with every body type. Its like football. You can play offensive or defensive line if you are a bit bigger or if you are really tall you can play wide receiver etc...

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

I've been small my entire life (4'11 and barely 100lbs) and I've flown and based. I've always been the smallest on the team but in reality there are more talented girls than me, so sometimes basing is the only option. I didn't really learn "how" to base, but being in the air for 7 years and then being asked to base it kinda just came naturally.


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[lv1212]

my CP's stunt group is all new this season (Lvl 5) and every one of them was a flyer last season. It was a little rocky at first but there is a definite advantage to having a former flyer under you. They can know what they liked better and they know what the flyer needs to do to fix a problem. They are now the point stunt group and going STRONG! love them and their perseverance.

 

[kickdblcj]

Ex flyers make great bases because they understand whats going on above them. They have insight on what it feels to fly and so they know what flyers need to stay up.

 

[stuntjumptumble]

Ex flyers make great bases because they understand whats going on above them. They have insight on what it feels to fly and so they know what flyers need to stay up.

This exactly! I flew all my cheer career up until last year and I've learned I'm much better of a base, and ill be trying out as a base for college


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[BuegeSmalls]

Ex flyers make great bases because they understand whats going on above them. They have insight on what it feels to fly and so they know what flyers need to stay up.

I also feel the reverse! I only based in high school but have to fly coed (and still base a bit) in college and I know what it's like to have a flyer who never pulls up so I always try my hardest to not be that flyer who doesn't pull up lol


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[FierceIsTheName]

Ex flyers make great bases because they understand whats going on above them. They have insight on what it feels to fly and so they know what flyers need to stay up.

most accurate statement ever. I've flown a lot but I'm only viewed as a base but whenever my flyer has struggle staying in the air at practice or if we're trying a new stunt, I usually can figure out what either she's doing wrong, or us under neath her are. Or if she starts leaning back we make sure to hold on to her heel and try to level her out.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

Ex flyers make great bases because they understand whats going on above them. They have insight on what it feels to fly and so they know what flyers need to stay up.

I completely agree. I had never based more than really basic core stunts up until December (I coach now), and I successfully based a "normal" sized girl in a double up within five tries. Haha I realized that I even like basing more than I ever liked flying.


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[MamaMya04]

I personally don't think a gym is doing their athletes any favors by having these young itty bitty flyers on all of these teams. Each role on that mat has certain requirements. A base should be strong enough to do their job.
It's my opinion that pulling young small athletes for the main purpose of flying is a punk move. Train your athletes to do what the job requires. Don't give these girls a complex because you don't want to take the time to strength train your athletes.
I mean jeez. I can't count the number of young athletes on older teams simply because they're small enough to fly. These girls don't get invited to birthday parties and sleepovers because their team mates are 3-4 years older. How can a team be cohesive and bond when they can't even relate to each other? Most of the time these teams are so inconsistent because they really aren't connected.


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[quitthedrama]

I personally don't think a gym is doing their athletes any favors by having these young itty bitty flyers on all of these teams. Each role on that mat has certain requirements. A base should be strong enough to do their job.
It's my opinion that pulling young small athletes for the main purpose of flying is a punk move. Train your athletes to do what the job requires. Don't give these girls a complex because you don't want to take the time to strength train your athletes.
I mean jeez. I can't count the number of young athletes on older teams simply because they're small enough to fly. These girls don't get invited to birthday parties and sleepovers because their team mates are 3-4 years older. How can a team be cohesive and bond when they can't even relate to each other? Most of the time these teams are so inconsistent because they really aren't connected.


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You really think the top programs in the country (and most programs for that matter) don't take the time to train and condition their athletes??? Punk move??? It's physics, not laziness. You aren't going to see a 5'10" Olympic gymnast any more than you are going to see a 5'2" professional basketball player. The skills required for a competitive level 5 team simply require that flyers be small. Show me a team that just has flyers in the air and do nothing else - in many cases the flyers have amazing tumbling and jumps. Do you know the age of every single athlete on every team? Some flyers are 16 and some bases are 12. And I have seen some really consistent teams this year, so I guess I am not seeing any proof to your argument.

 

[TheDivineCheerYaYaSecret]

CPs team is a pretty good blend of ages. They range from 11-16 and it seems the majority are around 13 1/2. They seem to have bonded very well. The girls are always looking out for each other. It is true that CP isn't going to any older girl's sleepover or birthday party but why would she? There are plenty of girls her age on the team and they have done many things together outside of the gym. The older ones are guiding and mentoring the younger ones in cheer and I believe that builds an exceptionally good team and program in general. Maybe that is just our gym, I don't know.

CP will be in the same older girl/younger girl situation in another year when she is also cheering HS. I don't know. As a parent I just have to know the coaches well, and trust them and the program.