All-Star The People Under The Flyer

[Mr.Kevin]

IMO, there are two small differences between flyers and bases:
1. Bases have legs and backs of steel - Flyers have nerves of steel.
2. Bases have bruises on their faces and arms, flyers on their sides and legs.
They all are amazing and work so hard! I also believe that they fully respect each others' skills (at least those on "good" teams).

 

[cdscheergirls]

Well said Mr. Kevin! I was just going to add that I have 2 daughters. 1 who still flies and the other who used to fly for years and now bases on U of MD comp team. I totally agree that the mental toughness of a flyer is an exceptional quality to develop. I commend these girls. I also think being a flyer...helps you BASE as that's how it sometimes progresses.

I also agree you usually don't watch the base group during a competition because you are taking in so much so quickly. I have to put a plug in for the new meet style that NCAA is doing. During these meets you see individual heats of various stunts and pyramid (tumble too of course) It really gives you a chance to fully take in what all members of the stunt group are doing. VERY NEAT to watch. Actually, it take more out of a parent/spectator to watch the meet style because it's 2 hours of nerves!!! But it's great to see each element broken out. I can't believe some of the stuff these college girls do! The flyers are 3 levels up putting their blind trust into their bases! The basket double full layouts are INTENSE!!! I almost peed watching my daughter base that for the first time! I thought GOD BLESS THAT FLYER....LORD PLEASE LET MY KID CATCH HER!!!!!! This is what I LOVE about the SPORT of cheerleading. It takes individuals of all shapes and sizes.

 

[ALittleBitTwisted]

I had a base on my sr 3 that loved to do facials under the stunt. She would even turn her head in the pyramid to face the front if she was holding a half! Hahaha

Hahah That's me!! :) I have typically always flown, but I definitely smile and work it out when I base too just out of habit. IMO smiling while basing and even before a tumbling pass gives me more confidence and encouragement. As mainly a flyer, I absolutely love my bases and backspot. I am thankful to have best friends as bases and backspot definitely in HS (legit all best friends) and in college..all star my bases changed more often. I made sure the powerhouse below me get's all the recognition for their hard work and putting up with me :p hahah I know we have all seen some amazing stunt saves too!!

 

[Num1Stunta]

I had a base on my sr 3 that loved to do facials under the stunt. She would even turn her head in the pyramid to face the front if she was holding a half! Hahaha

I would have to kill one of my kids if they did that... EYES ON YOUR FLYER!! That's how the infamous Pro Spirit pyramid fall happened at Cheersport last year (no offense, sorry to call it out)... VERY scary, only a fall from the prep, but the back was just not paying attention. We had a pyramid come down on my college team, and the prep flyer AND the top level flyer hit the floor, and when you watch the video, the bases are looking front because "it's only a prep".... not worth risking to me, sorry guys! BASE NOT FACE

 

[DENA]

Generally, the elite COED stunters are known as the great bases.

Jeremy Lumpkin, Bill Mayo, Kevin (from UofH), Josh Morris, etc.

 

[Haniana]

I've been a flyer for many years now, but last season I was put on the ground to base. I shall be honest, I didn't like it at all in the beginning, but then I realized how hard it really is. Im back in flying now, but this time, I see it in a very different way.

I owe it all to my bases. I've had some terribly failed stunts, and I can honestly say that I wouldn't be alive without them always catching me. They've helped me reach my dreams in flying, and in front of them, I get very humble. I know I could never do the same thing as they do every practise.
In my opinion, they don't get enough credit. Regardless that, they still keep doing what they do, with pride, skill and heart.

They impress me more than anyone else in this world.

 

[powerXbaby]

We got a really low score in crowd appeal at spirit sports in 2009 because "our bases didn't have facials." Needless to say, we overdid it on finals day...like wayyyy over the top. Full squad booty pop for a 5-6-7-8 count before the routine even started.

 

[mommy2mygirls]

any one else noticed that the only people with awesome videos on youtube are flyers? where is the credit for the bases? for example maddie gardner is a GREAT flyer no doubt, but ive never heard of her bases. they must be working really hard under her...thoughts? :)

As a mom of a flyer I would really hope EVERY flyer appreciates their bases and back spots as much as we do! Without them she couldn't do any of what she does --- my daughter puts her safety in their hands daily -- how could you not appreciate the people who keep her safe and allow her to do what she LOVES!

 

[cheergirl630]

I think that the flyer cant do it without the base and the base cant do it without the flyer. I used to be a flyer then I was a base and now I am back to flying this year. Going from a flyer to a base then to a flyer was good because now I had to see how much the base had to do but at the same time as a flyer you have to have alot of trust.When competing as a base I was way less nervous now as a flyer it is very nerve wracking. When you are in the air as a flyer you dont really know what your base is going to do but also a a base you dont know what your flyer is going to do .I personally like basing better because I was in control of the stunt(I was main base). The main point is that nobody can do it by themselves you NEED EVERYBODY flyer base front or back everybody does the same amount of work to keep the stunt up there.We all need eachother

 

[JackFromSweden]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ricchara-Erin-Jordan-BEASTING-the-360-BALL-UP-TO-TICK-TOCK-AT-WORLDS/119275531435769

Oh nooo!!! Jag hade precis tänkt länka den första sidan som de gjorde och den andra, hahaha! :D

 

[cheercoachz]

i remember our friends mom saying "they need to stop taking pictures of the bases, its all about the flyer!" well we're the ones holding your flyers butt up in the air...

ANYONE who says this is ridiculous. The flyers cannot do it alone. My daughter was both a flyer and a base and she knows that both are equally important. The bases and the back spot are the ground on which the flyers are standing. If the ground is not stable and even, the flyer cannot stay up. It's like trying to stand on one leg during an earthquake if your bases are not steady.

 

[cheerisgood]

as the mom of a EXTREMELY good/strong cheerleader that can main, side and back, i actually cringe when i see some of the photos of her @ competitions. most times she looks awesome, but at least once she'll be caught on film looking like she just passed gas or something!!! She will NEVER be a flyer, but she's excelled at the other aspects of the routine (dance, jumps), so i'm fortunate that she is highlighted in those parts of the routine.

BTW - loved the poem too!!

 

[xcourtneylynnex]

years ago i was at a competition looking at the pictures of the routine with a bunch of my teammates when one of the flyers rolled her eyes and said, "why are there so many pictures of the bases?" i was like, "excuse me, but where would your butt be without those bases underneath you?" i'm pretty sure she got the message =)

 

[12stepCheermom]

I love this thread. My daughter used to fly (through jr 2) she's on a jr 4 now and is a fierce base. She actually prefers being underneath but I think having been up top helps her be a better base. She will keep anyone and/or anything in the air...period. If it falls, it's over her sacrificed body....literally. Her brother is the exact same way. I've seen him dive for people in practice (when his group was on the ground) that aren't even in his group.

My daughter has been kicked in the face more times than she can count (flyer learning to full/double down), had the imprint of an Nfinity shoe on her chest for three days, my son got a right hook to the eye (flyer learning a barrel roll), more bruises and blood than I can remember. Once, she got a laugh and a hug from her head coach because he was talking to her as they came off the competition floor and she ran over to the trash can, ran back and said, "Sorry! I had to spit out the blood, what were you just saying?"

But, in the end, they come to every practice, the shake off the bruises, the keep encouraging their flyers, they keep promising them that no one hits the floor unless they are under them and they keep keeping them in the air....because it's a team that gets the job done, not an individual.

And the flip side to this is that my kids don't really care for the limelight. They are far more comfortable being underneath the stunt and OUT of the spotlight (in that sense) than on top, so to them, not being recognized for their awesomeness is not really a problem for them. My son is actually dying to get into single base stunting in the routine because he loves to base (does it in practice all the time but its not in the routine yet). They like to be on the down low (which is where bases live) So it works! ;)

 

[12stepCheermom]

Funny I bumped this last night. My CP got her tooth knocked loose today. Not by the flyer but by the backspot when they were doing switch ups in her Lv 4 partner stunts. Her backspot's elbow is just about mouth level with my CP apparently :) I was proud of her, he cried for ab out 5 minutes washing the blood out of her mouth and then went on to an awesome private tumbling lesson after sucking on some ice cubes :)