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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Tips for Flyers



Tips for flyers in cheerleading stunts. Whether your a new or veteran flyer, these tips will help your performance, prevent injury, and get your bases off your back!
1. Hold your weight! It does not matter how much a flyer weighs. It only matters how well the flyer holds her weight. If you don't hold your own body weight, this can make a 80 lb. flyer feel like 150 lbs. If you do hold your weight it can make a 150 lb flyer feel like 120 lbs. To hold your own weight lift up not down.
2. Lock Out your Legs! Never bend your legs, no matter what happens underneath you. You want your legs locked out from the moment you get up in the air, not bending them until your feet are on the ground again. If your stunt group is doing a hitch, liberty, scorpion, or any other stunt that calls for one leg to be bent, the other leg needs to stay locked out the entire time.
3. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze! Squeeze every muscle in your body when your up in the air. It is extremely important to squeeze your legs and butt muscles. Some flyers squeeze when they are only in the stunt and not when they are cradling. This is wrong! Squeeze your muscles throughout the entire stunt sequence.
4. Smile! I can't tell you how many times a squad has performed a stunt sequence and the flyers are not smiling. This is a big no no. The audience looks at the flyer's face and if the flyer's face is not enthusiastic and energetic, the whole stunt looks boring. This can cost your team points if you're competing and make your audience lose interest, no matter how awesome the stunt may be.
5. Don't Look Down! Being that high in the air is intimidating and scary, but don't look down. Keep your chest, head, and chin up. If you look down, guess what? You're going to come down. Pick a spot high in the air and keep your eyes on that spot throughout the entire stunt.
6. Confidence! Being confident in you abilities as a flyer and your teammates abilities as bases and back spots is very important. If you're not confident in yourself or your teammates, the stunt will not only have a greater chance of falling, but will also cause the stunt to look sloppy and dangerous.
Stick to these steps and you're performance as a flyer and your team's performance as a whole will improve greatly. It will also lower the chances of the stunt falling, preventing injuries. Remember: Never stunt without a coach present!
Amy Johnsen
kidscheeranddance.com

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