Too Small To Base In College

[smallbase]

Hello. I've already been accepted to the college I'll be attending next fall and have a few friends there who cheer. It's a noncompetitive program, they attend nationals and compete some years but not consistently. I told them I want to try out for their cheer team next fall as a base and my friends told me that I need to be a flyer.

I've always been a base for the youngest/smallest girls on my team. Most of our flyers are in the younger age range (10-13) and the older kids always base or backspot. I've been basing a 12 year old for the past few seasons who is very tiny, probably 60 pounds now. My friends at college are concerned because I'm "too small" to base other college girls. I'm under 5 feet tall and under 90 pounds. Apparently their smallest flyer is 5'2 and 110 pounds and most of their team right now is between 5'4-5'7, and every year they have a lot of people try out to base. I was told that there was no way I could base unless they get a bunch of people who are about my size or I gain 20 pounds. Is it really going to be difficult to base in college unless I gain a ton of weight or have another growth spurt? Is there anything I can do as a base to make me better for college or should I look into flying as well?

 

[astaley22]

Hello. I've already been accepted to the college I'll be attending next fall and have a few friends there who cheer. It's a noncompetitive program, they attend nationals and compete some years but not consistently. I told them I want to try out for their cheer team next fall as a base and my friends told me that I need to be a flyer.

I've always been a base for the youngest/smallest girls on my team. Most of our flyers are in the younger age range (10-13) and the older kids always base or backspot. I've been basing a 12 year old for the past few seasons who is very tiny, probably 60 pounds now. My friends at college are concerned because I'm "too small" to base other college girls. I'm under 5 feet tall and under 90 pounds. Apparently their smallest flyer is 5'2 and 110 pounds and most of their team right now is between 5'4-5'7, and every year they have a lot of people try out to base. I was told that there was no way I could base unless they get a bunch of people who are about my size or I gain 20 pounds. Is it really going to be difficult to base in college unless I gain a ton of weight or have another growth spurt? Is there anything I can do as a base to make me better for college or should I look into flying as well?

As long as you show that you have the skill to base at a college level, your size shouldn't matter. However, if they do ask you to try flying remember to be open to learning how to fly too!

 

[smallbase]

Thanks astaley22! I would hope that my skills are good enough to do so, but I've never had to base anyone other than the tiny girls since all of our flyers have been very young and small. The biggest flyer we have is 13 and about my size though, so I might ask to be her base at some point or just for practice.

Aside from stretching and being really flexible, is there anything I can do to get prepare for flying? My gym doesn't offer flyer or stunting classes that I'm aware of.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

I've posted my story in a few other places, so forgive me for those who have read it. I went through this exact same thing in college.

I am a former level 5 cheerleader who had based 12 year olds for years before I got to college. On my all star team, I was significantly bigger than any of the flyers. Flying was never even an option. Once I got to college, I was much smaller than the rest of the team but I managed to hang on to basing for 3 years. Good technique helped a lot during those few years. I transitioned into flying my junior year as a mid-layer in pyramids and a flyer in our intermediate stunt. My senior year I exclusively flew. My coach told me the same thing: "Get in the air or gain some weight." I was 5'5" and around 110 at that point.

Learning to fly was definitely a challenge at first. There were definitely a lot of tears and quite a bit of nervous vomit at Nationals. I swear determination can make miracles.

My word of advice is this: be open to whatever the coaches ask you to do. Understand that your size may force you to fly. Don't fight it. Definitely present yourself as a base, but be willing to fly if they suggest it. Saying something like, "I've never flown, but I'm happy to learn," shows that you're a team player and gives them the warning that you'll need some time to adjust. You may end up totally loving it.

 

[vannahlexis]

Get some friends together (and spotters!) and hit up an open gym and play around. Ask a coach to supervise. Start with basics and just keep experimenting. That's what I've done in the past with things like this :)
It couldn't hurt to email the coach either and ask if you can attend a practice before tryouts!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FlexyTumblerMom]

If you are that small, IMO you really should learn how to fly if you want to cheer in college. I can't imagine that a coach would be too accepting of a 4'10" 85 lb fully grown girl telling him/her that she can't fly.

 

[smallbase]

Thank you everyone!

retiredl5cheer, thank you for sharing your stories! I hadn't found it when I was searching for small athletes being bases, but it's encouraging to hear you were able to still base in college and transition into flying.

vannahlexis, thanks for the tips! I will try to get a group to go to open gym or see if any of my coaches would help organize something since flying on the team isn't really an option.

flexytumblermom, I don't mind learning to fly, I've just never had the chance. my friends were surprised my all star team didn't make me a flyer on my senior team because of my size! I didn't think too much about cheering in college until my friends who are freshmen now got onto the team. I guess I've just been too used to having baby flyers for me to base (for better or worse haha). You were almost spot on about my size though - 4'11 and somewhere between 85 and 90 lbs depending on the day. I'll try to get some experience flying before I go off to school.. hopefully the coach at my college won't think it's crazy that I've been a base for my entire cheer life.

 

[pochantas22]

If your tiny learn to fly. Its so much fun. Being fun size has its advantages. Good Luck!

 

[tumbleyoda]

Thank you @retiredl5cheer for posting your story. We currently have lots of small basses getting ready for colleges and they are terrified of the fact they will be asked to fly. Club ground bound they call themselves...lol. They have no desire to be up in the air, even though they are smaller and have the body control. I will definitely share it with them.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

@

Thank you @retiredl5cheer for posting your story. We currently have lots of small basses getting ready for colleges and they are terrified of the fact they will be asked to fly. Club ground bound they call themselves...lol. They have no desire to be up in the air, even though they are smaller and have the body control. I will definitely share it with them.

No problem! The things I found most important during the time I based in college were...
1. Technique. If I stunted with great technique, I could base the heaviest flyers in some of the harder stunts. I used my legs like crazy to make stunts happen.
2. Weight training. I got a personal trainer between my freshman and sophomore year to increase my strength. Skinny but strong was my motto!

 

[Keep_Believing]

@

No problem! The things I found most important during the time I based in college were...
1. Technique. If I stunted with great technique, I could base the heaviest flyers in some of the harder stunts. I used my legs like crazy to make stunts happen.
2. Weight training. I got a personal trainer between my freshman and sophomore year to increase my strength. Skinny but strong was my motto!

I am enjoying reading all of these responses. My oldest CP who is 13 use to fly, now she is a base. I don't think she will get very tall, but her body has changed. Now she has more of a muscular athletic build. I know she is hoping to base in College. I am going to share these tips with her. :)

 

[smallbase]

Thank you again to everyone who has helped! I've been talking to my friends who are currently in college since they're on winter break.. Basically they are saying my gym/team is hurting people like me who "should" be a flyer by letting little kids fly before they grow. I think their main issue with my gym is that 10-13 year olds have youth and junior divisions to cheer for. My gym isn't small, so we have lots of levels, the young kids just earn spots on the senior teams every year. They didn't really listen to me though haha, just kept saying I need to get as much experience flying before I tryout in September and that the coach should help me prepare for the future. Does anyone have suggestions on how to approach this criticism? I want to prepare good reasons for why I'm a base at my size in case it comes up again and I want to defend my team and gym!

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Thank you again to everyone who has helped! I've been talking to my friends who are currently in college since they're on winter break.. Basically they are saying my gym/team is hurting people like me who "should" be a flyer by letting little kids fly before they grow. I think their main issue with my gym is that 10-13 year olds have youth and junior divisions to cheer for. My gym isn't small, so we have lots of levels, the young kids just earn spots on the senior teams every year. They didn't really listen to me though haha, just kept saying I need to get as much experience flying before I tryout in September and that the coach should help me prepare for the future. Does anyone have suggestions on how to approach this criticism? I want to prepare good reasons for why I'm a base at my size in case it comes up again and I want to defend my team and gym!

Well...yes, coaches should help you for the future, but they're getting paid to put together a team with the athletes they have. You really can't blame the coaches in this situation. Small fliers and small bases is just the way the cookie crumbled. That being said, you should probably start learning to fly, but it's not the responsibility of your coach to teach you that.

 

[smallbase]

^ Thank you again! I was trying to explain that my coach is a team coach, not just for me but you put what I was thinking into way better words haha. I'm hoping to get into open gym/stunting lessons after the winter break, hopefully all goes well with my flying adventure.

Thanks so much everybody again, happy holidays!