All-Star Younger Kids On Senior Teams

[SmileCat]

This season I went to a new gym (a smaller one) and at our first practice there seemed to be a few 9-11 year olds. I'm on a senior 2 team and i'll be 17 for the season. I see no problem with having 12 year olds if you need a flyer or so but, with a gym of 170+ kids and more girls who are 4'6, 70lbs than bases AND open spots on a Jr 2 team, why put them on a Sr team?
I'm 5'6 and all I've ever done was fly (plus I fly on level 5) I know there's always a point when I just get to big but I can still perform all my skills with a strong stunt group. Also, I find it unfair when I being stuck to backspot & never able to show my coach my flying skills in hopes of ever being moved up for my senior year? (My only chance is flying due to me not being able to tumble from knee & ankle injuries)
So my question is, do a lot of gyms tend to do this? I mean, I find it kind of odd trying to make a sr team look jr with all the little kids on it IMO... Why put them on Sr2 when they can still be on Jr2 and be based by the other little kids when girls who are too old for Jr want to fly on Sr but get beaten by the little kids just because they are tinnier?

**Sorry if I don't make too much since, running on little sleep due to AP Exams, all-star & school cheer both starting up at the same time **

 

[cupieqt]

The bottom age for srs is 10 so there shouldn't be any 9 y/o on srs.

These are questions you should probably be asking your coach. All anyone here can do is speculate and you won't get any answers.

Maybe all you really need is some sympathy?

 

[Hi! It's me!]

I guess the best answer to that is how our gym handles it, you go where you are needed and where your abilities place you. If you are a strong level 3 tumbler and there is only a sr 3 and you are 10 by the cut off, well then sr 3 it is. If your lowest team is a jr2 and there are too many little ones and you are a strong level 2 who is 10 then up to the sr team you may go. I always see our teams like a puzzle. You put together the pieces that in your opinion will make the strongest team. The hardest lesson I ever had to learn was to keep my mouth shut and trust the staff. I know it's hard to see the itty biities taking your spot but unfortunately it does happen on every team at every level. some years are just like that. I am sorry, it really is a difficult situation that you are in and I hope you take a moment and speak to the coach about what your abilities are.

 

[SmileCat]

I guess the best answer to that is how our gym handles it, you go where you are needed and where your abilities place you. If you are a strong level 3 tumbler and there is only a sr 3 and you are 10 by the cut off, well then sr 3 it is. If your lowest team is a jr2 and there are too many little ones and you are a strong level 2 who is 10 then up to the sr team you may go. I always see our teams like a puzzle. You put together the pieces that in your opinion will make the strongest team. The hardest lesson I ever had to learn was to keep my mouth shut and trust the staff. I know it's hard to see the itty biities taking your spot but unfortunately it does happen on every team at every level. some years are just like that. I am sorry, it really is a difficult situation that you are in and I hope you take a moment and speak to the coach about what your abilities are.

Thank you for this! & I get what you're saying but it's just not on my team at the gym. I also notice it on Sr 3, Sr 4 & Sr 5.. We also have Jr 1, Jr 2, Jr 3 and Jr 4... I know it's always needed on teams for a little girl to fly but when on every team in the gym a 12 year old is flying on a Sr team it seems odd I should of saw this coming when I looked at their videos from last year and had to make sure it wasn't a Jr team I was watching.. Thanks for the help though!

 

[SmileCat]

The bottom age for srs is 10 so there shouldn't be any 9 y/o on srs.

These are questions you should probably be asking your coach. All anyone here can do is speculate and you won't get any answers.

Maybe all you really need is some sympathy?

I knew there was a bottom age but I wasn't completely sure... Two girls said they were 9 and in 4th grade but I don't know when they'll be 10. It's possible that they'll turn 10 over summer! Thank you!

 

[0riginal]

I think it's crazy to think about being on a team with a 4th/5th grader!

edit: Sorry that was kind of random haha, but yes I agree with you. It is kind of strange having so many younger girls fly, but if it works for the team then it works for the team. I'm sure there's a reason for it...

 

[xoxbeastbackspotxox]

I mean at our gym, (this is our first season) we had a nine year old with a tuck on our senior three team but that was because it was the only level three team we had. I think sometimes there's a reason why they're on the senior teams

 

[alexamarysouza]

that's pretty much exactly how I feel, and the same thing has always happened on the many teams I've been on. But you have to remember that different people have different strengths. I've been injured for a while, and just got a fantastic new back injury, so tumbling isn't really why I'm on my teams. Stunting is my thing. Last season I got pulled up to Senior 4 because of my stunting ability. That could very well be a reason there's younger kids on your team.
oh and btw, one of the teams I'm on is Sr2, maybe we'll see yall

 

[cheeeeer93]

Obviously this depends on the situation but I have been on senior teams with 10 year olds and it wasn't an issue at all. There weren't more than 2 or 3 girls on the teams but it really worked out great. There was never any true issue with them being less mature or younger. I've had several parents thank me for taking their daughters under my wing as a teammate and honestly say I changed their child's life. I'm not completely opposed to younger kids on senior teams in the case of small gyms, especially when coaches are familiar with the athletes. They know who they have to work with and they will move kids to appropriate teams in order to be successful. I hate a team of fetus flyers but a couple younger girls isn't a huge issue for me.

 

[NEliteSteven]

There is also the opposite problem, when you have girls that are clearly bases putting up a huge fight because at their bad high school they were a flyer. Well, I'm sorry miss thing, but you're twice the size of our average base, what would you like me to do? We don't breed amazonian bases, so unfortunately, you'll have to be on the bottom of the pyramid.

 

[Hi! It's me!]

And don't judge a girls age by her size. My 10 year old is just growing out of size 6. She doesn't look 10 and in her group of cheer friends, who are all around the same age, she is one of the taller ones.

 

[bestbackspot]

I think as long as the girls are mature, it can work. If they are immature and fool around then they don't deserve to be on a senior team.

 

[SmileCat]

Thanks everyone! I'm sorry if it sounds as if I'm complaining.. I'm fine with not flying but when coaches don't even give me a chance because of my height.. that's what sucks But oh well! I still have the whole summer to try to fly again
And all the girls on my team are great & I haven't had troubles with any of the younger girls being too immature thankfully!

 

[cheerisloving]

I've been on both ends, the twelve year old on the senior team, but I was very mature and actually had the most experience. And the older girl who helps make that 12 year old join the teen world the RIGHT way. And while it sucks be older and deal with younger girls, or switch up your position. But it will just make you a better athlete. Being a base and flyer helps my high shool team alot because in case of a injury I can step in anywhere. It's learning experience.

 

[MamaMya04]

I think that as long as the child fits the age requirement and has the maturity to handle being on the team, there is not a problem. Still, there are some things to think about. My neighbor had a situation like this with her daughter last year where she was the youngest child on the team. Her daughter didn't have any friends on the squad and the older girl didn't really talk to her so she was quite alienated.