Expert: Chris - 11/13/2011

Question
I am 13 years old and need some help on flying. I have never flown before ,but I really want to. I am like around 4 ft 7 and 77 pounds. Everyone says I will make it next year and be a flyer! I am good at tumbling, I have a double full on the spring floor ,so I know how to be tight, REALLY tight. I need to know how to practice. I can already hold my own weight and do a scorpion,heel stretch ,and a bow and arrow. What do I need to do when I first fly, what do I need to remember? PLEASE HELP!!!

Answer
Well if you already have a double full then you're about 35 million steps ahead of me and I've been flying for 12 years! That means you have core strength that's very important as a flier. Also, if you already have the body positions (scorpion, bow and arrow, etc.) then you're almost there! Honestly, it sounds like you'd be a great asset to any team. The most important thing to remember when you fly is to keep your shoulders, hips, knees, and feet (or foot if you're on one foot) all in a straight line. A lot of fliers try to bend their hips or shoulders and it throws them off. If you remain straight at all costs, chances are you'll be able to stay up. Remember to stay straight when you're pulling those body positions in the air. A lot of people stick out their butts or hips when pulling a bow and arrow or scorpion, but if you concentrate on staying straight that's half the battle right there.

Also remember don't look down when you fly. A lot of times coaches or team mates will be talking to you and instructing you on what to do so it's tempting to look at them when they're talking to you, but fight that urge. If you look down you'll most likely fall because your head is the heaviest part of your body. When you go up, don't wave your arms. It looks messy and gets deductions at competitions. Also, it doesn't help you. It's very tempting to wave your arms to help yourself gain balance, but it honestly doesn't do anything but look messy and sometimes if you fall and you're waving arms, you might hit your bases in the face! My other key tip is to make sure your upper body remains tight. A LOT of fliers keep their butts and legs tight, but forget to keep their stomachs and shoulders tight. That makes them feel heavy to the bases and harder to keep the stunt up.

Overall remember the following:
1. Stay straight in the air.
2. Don't look down.
3. Don't wave your arms.
4. Keep your upper body tight!

Good luck and it sounds like you'll have a lot of fun!