Expert: Chris - 9/13/2011

Question
My daughter is 14 1/2 and has just switched from gymnastics to cheering.  She has strong tumbling and is very flexible.  Because she is small (she is about 5'1" and weighs between 100-105 lbs) she would like to be a flyer.  Her cheer gym has stated that although she is one of the shortest and has a fully extended scorpion and a bow, she is "too heavy" to be a flyer.  The bases struggle with lifting her.  Since competition season is approaching, they have moved to girls who have had experience as flyers and they are trying to teach her to base and even back girls who are taller and/or appear larger than her!  She really is tiny, is solid muscle and I feel like it is a problem with technique and not size.

The team is not interested in training her to be a flyer but both she and I feel that is a better slot in the long run.   Ideally she would like to be a college cheerleader and she is willing to work very hard to get the proper technique!

Question- how heavy is too heavy to be a flyer for a high school level team?  She has broad shoulders and is muscular for her size, could this lead her to feel too heavy?

Better question - are there any independent ways of learning stronger technique to fly if your team has determined that you are not a flyer?

Answer
There isn't really a cut off of "too heavy" because every base is different and has different abilities. But, if the team has smaller girls, they will be putting them up first. Your daughter may be able to base/back, but if there's a girl that's, for example say she's 4'9'' and 85 lbs (my size when I was a sophomore in HS), there is NO way she can base or back. She would have to fly. There can only be so many fliers on a team. Since cheerleading is so time sensitive because the whole team has to learn the whole routine, the less time it takes to work on a stunt the better (at least in the coaches' eyes). So more experienced fliers usually get the stunts quicker. Hopefully this makes sense to you logically. I know it is not fair (in fact I've been dealing with it as a flier myself these past two years), but with the time sensitive nature of the sport, it's the way it is.

And as I'm sure you know, muscle is heavier than fat, so her muscular build could make her harder to lift. On the other hand, it will make her a better base/back spot. Don't forget or undersell the importance of those positions. I know that can be hard when a girl really wants to fly, believe me, I know from personal experience.

Another reason she may be too heavy is if she is not flying properly. She needs to be pulling up at all times. At home, have her lay flat on the floor on her back with her arms at her sides. Have her get super tight like she's flying, then have you (or anyone else) pick up her feet. Her whole body (feet, legs, hips, back) should come off the floor in one stiff "board-like" motion. She should NOT bend at the hips. Most fliers that are not flying properly will do this drill and when their feet are picked up their hips and back do not come off the ground. This means they are not tight all the way through their body. Have your daughter work on this and understand the concept and then perhaps ask the coaches to let her try again.

Now, just because she is not a flier this year, doesn't mean she won't be next year or the year after that. I hope this helps although it may not have been what you wanted to hear.