Expert: Tessa Denen - 7/5/2009

Question
hi tessa,
so i am going to be a sophmore in high school, this is my second year on the varsity squad and i am a flyer, i was wondering if you could help me become a better flyer, i did alright last year i was just a little slow on picking up things and my bases said my legs shook alot, how can i stop that? and how can i become more trusting and more confidant, because i believe that might be my problem.


Answer
Hello!!

First if all, you need to believe you can do it. You flew last year on varsity as a freshman, that's impressive!!  Plus your coach is putting you back in that position which means she believes in you and your capabilities. Good job!!  Be proud!!  Think about that every time you go to stunt. Honestly though, it just takes repetition to get comfortable enough for your legs not to shake. One thing I have noticed is that when a girl moves on to a harder stunt, the easier stunt becomes second nature making them very comfortable in the air. That's a great first step!  If you've mastered an extension, do a lib!! It will make that extension feel like a piece of cake. (obviously I have no idea what level you are at so that is just an example.). The more you climb the more comfortable you'll get. Be patient with yourself.

It is very common for girls to have trust issues. What I tell my girls is that should make them try that much harder to do your part to the best of your ability. If you do your part well, it will be nearly impossible for your bases to let you fall to the ground. Here are a few examples of how this is true:

1.).  When you are loading into a stunt, push off the bases' shoulders as hard as you can. I would say 90% of falls happen on load in because the bases have a hard time getting it up. If you think to yourself that it is totally up to you to get the stunt up and push as hard as you can to rocket yourself up, you'll get there. I don't care if you weigh 5 pounds, it's hard to lift someone above your head without help. That's the first thing to think about.  

2.) Next comes staying tight. I don't just mean squeeze your legs, I mean squeeze everything from your hair to your toes. You need to make yourself one solid mass. You shouldn't be able to bend at the waist or fling your arms around you are so tight. Think of a pretzel rod and a Twizler. Pretend to hold both at one end as if it has feet. Which stays up straight? The pretzel!!  It's one solid mass the Twizler is lose so it falls over to the side. This is the absolute most important part if climbing.

3.) Dont try to balance yourself. This goes against what you might have been taught but trust me. If you to up as tight as you can be, balance will take care if itself. If a climber tries to balance herself, she flails her arms which moves her body which moves her feet which moves the bases arms making them  weaker.

4.) Last but not least, when you cradle, catch your bases. This is very important as it not only makes their jobs easier, but it us good practice for even you to fall. Falling will happen, it is how youlearn, but you need to fall safely. You can do this by stating tight, not kicking, and NEVER step out of a stunt!!!  Bases can easily catch a person falling in a cradle position. It's not so easy catching a foot coming at your face.

Always have fun!!  I LOVED flying!!  I hope this helped at least a little. Feel free to ask me again if you need more information!