Open Team - Help To Increase Flyer Flexibility

[Coach Tara]

Hi everyone,

I coach an open team and this season our flyers are really lacking in their flexibilty for body positions. The older you get the more your body doesn't work the way it used to so not sure if anyone has any pointers that can help me and my team out! I was wondering if any open team coaches or open aged athletes have any tips or suggestions for drills or stretches that would work for this team to help increase flyer flexibility. Any help or advise would be great. The athletes are willing to work to get better, we took pictures of all their body positions at practice last night so we can track their progress over the summer but other than the standard stretches and drills we use with the younger athletes in the programs I wasn't sure if someone knew of something different that worked for them.

Thanks! :)

 

[Ren]

I'm 18 but most of the girls on my team are around 15/16. Even though that's a rather small age gap, I've noticed I lose my flexibility far quicker than them, and also seem to pull muscles more easily. I'm no expert on this by any means, but what seems to work best for me is little and often- I don't push myself too far when I'm stretching (enough to feel the stretch but not to be seriously painful), but I try to stretch at least once a day, if not twice (unfortuntely not happening at the minute because of exams).
As for the actual stretches, I just do the ones that we do at practice with everyone, and Gabi Butler's stretching video (can be found by a quick YouTube search if you've not seen it before). So the same as any age does, from 7-ish right up to Open age athletes.
Hope this helped a bit :)

 

[retiredl5cheer]

I didn't start flying until 20, so my flexibility just wasn't there when I began. 2 things helped me:

1. Stretch a LITTLE bit everyday. I stretch my hamstrings every night before I go to sleep. I lay flat on my back and put a t-shirt around my foot to pull my leg towards my body. It's important not to stretch too far because that's how you pull muscles.
2. Strengthen muscles that you are stretching. I do hamstring curls at the gym to reduce the risk of pulled muscles.

I still can't even pull a Dorito Chip scorp though so if anyone has back flexibility advice, please tell!

 

[Ashley]

I still can't even pull a Dorito Chip scorp though so if anyone has back flexibility advice, please tell!

I couldn't do one until I was a senior in college and it was part of the routine - I had A LOT of help from my stunt group - mostly stretching my shoulder. I would lie on the floor with my arms in front of me like superman and they would pull my arms up. Also I would stand up and bear hug one base while the other would pull my leg up basically in an arabesque.

I think that's a really hard one to stretch yourself, especially if you can't grab it at all. Mine still stinks, and I avoid doing it unless its in the routine, but at least I can pull it out off I have to now.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

I couldn't do one until I was a senior in college and it was part of the routine - I had A LOT of help from my stunt group - mostly stretching my shoulder. I would lie on the floor with my arms in front of me like superman and they would pull my arms up. Also I would stand up and bear hug one base while the other would pull my leg up basically in an arabesque.

I think that's a really hard one to stretch yourself, especially if you can't grab it at all. Mine still stinks, and I avoid doing it unless its in the routine, but at least I can pull it out off I have to now.

Doing exactly this. Project dorito chip began today.

 

[Coach Tara]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'll bring these ideas to practice this week for the team to try! :)

 

[Aussiekat]

Regular basic stretching works the best. Splits, bridges etc. Build up strength at the same time so they can hold the lines when they get the flexibility. Make them do it at training, don’t rely on them to do it at home! I have heard so many bs excuses and special techniques their physio/chiro/myo/accupuncturists told them to do, and all from the girls who two years later still don’t have a heel stretch. More than anything it’s a mental battle. Don't make it the flyers' sole responsibility. They may say that they are willing now, but many get discouraged and eventually resentful. Decide as a team what lines you want to compete (within reason, you're not getting bow and arrows if you don't even have heel stretches), and then make it the team’s responsibility to make sure they get there. My base wants a scorp sequence by October so he makes sure that he stretches me every time we train. If we both slack off then it’s both our faults. If I just can’t get it, there's no blame or disappointment from lack of trying. It is what it is :)