You have a stunt group that seems to have issues on the floor at every comp. The flyer hits her stunt about 50% of the time in the gym and at the last three comps it has not gone up. We have already spoken to the flyer and told her that we may have to replace her in that stunt if she can not hit it at the next comp. Well, it went down....we have worked adn worked wit her..We love the kid, but what is best for the team, I feel, is to try and find a new flyer for the partner stunt. I would like to know if I'm wrong?
That is hard. Does she fly in other stunts or just this one? If she is flying in other stunts does she do well in those?
Here is a story for you, About 5 years ago I started coaching allstars out here. I had a girl that was a great tumbler and dancer but her stunts we a little shakey. That year we went to a big national and she fell 4 times in one routine. I was upset because I knew that she could do it. Everyone I knew told me to take her out of the air. I questioned keeping her in the air but what is that teaching her? Now 5 years later, she is one of the the strongest top girls we have at our gym.
On the flip side we had a top girl that would do great at practice but then freak on the floor. She ended up telling us that she did not want the pressure and now she is as happy as a clam as a front spot.
Have you asked her what she wants or why she thinks it is not working?
That is hard. Does she fly in other stunts or just this one? If she is flying in other stunts does she do well in those?
Here is a story for you, About 5 years ago I started coaching allstars out here. I had a girl that was a great tumbler and dancer but her stunts we a little shakey. That year we went to a big national and she fell 4 times in one routine. I was upset because I knew that she could do it. Everyone I knew told me to take her out of the air. I questioned keeping her in the air but what is that teaching her? Now 5 years later, she is one of the the strongest top girls we have at our gym.
On the flip side we had a top girl that would do great at practice but then freak on the floor. She ended up telling us that she did not want the pressure and now she is as happy as a clam as a front spot.
Have you asked her what she wants or why she thinks it is not working?
opps, I meant I questioned myself and almost took her out of the air but what would that teach her?
But I think you have to think about the team. It's nice to give someone that extra attention and all the 2nd chances, but sometimes the team suffers because of it. We've gone through similar battles and what always seems to work out best is to make a change.
Have you isolated the problem to be solely with the flyer? It takes everyone from that stunt group to make that flyer stay up. Have you watched the bases step by step, where they are holding the foot, how the foot is being held, etc...Just a thought
Please replace the flyer, you should have replaced this flyer before the first comp. 50% in the gym is crazy!
Defennitly not fair to the team, even if it's not your stunt group, dropped stunts during competition brings the moral down, the kids stop putting effort half way through the routine because they feel like they have already lost, or they can here the crowds moans as the kid goes down.
We have this same thing going on in our gym and the parents are so concerned, we have a bid to worlds if they leave this kid in the that stunt we will have NO chance of winning.
If our sport were like baseball with plenty of games and opportunities to win, I think taking a chance on someone who has potential, or experimenting with a higher level might be justified. But most gyms have 6 to 8 competitions during their season, and we all know it is an expensive sport. So you may be teaching your gym that winning isn't everything and that it's good to give people a chance, it's a rather expensive lesson that all the members of your gym may not want to pay for.
Thank you for all your help. Shen is in the pyramid and a basket toss. We were not going to take her out of those...they seem to hit. We are limited as to who we use...we will have to hav e some else do two teams. We are going to select a few girls to try out and we will see.
I tend to be on the fence about giving the flier chance after chance. I agre that it is not fair for others on the squad to suffer becuase one flier keeps falling or even the fact that maybe every pod at the cheer gym has tried to get this flier in the air for tosses or to hit sinlge leg stunts. At our gym in particular we have a stunt that falls at every competition and it is beyond giving chances. it is too late in the season to keep moving someone around and having each stunt pod feel like they are failing because of one girl. notonly is it unfair to the oither kids but it is ub fair to the parents who are paying for the gym to do their job. every team has a stunt cone down every once in awhile but every competition not ok at all! in particular this flier has been a flier at the gym for awhile she also is the owners daughters friend etc. however maybe she could fly before but things change and bodies change and the people in the gym change as a whole and if they just keep her in because she always use to be the flier instead ofreaching out to their other talent, they will continue to fail. every competiton this flier either doesn't go up right in her toss kick or she falls out of a stunt amd has enough nerve to get mad at everyone else and cry (bad sportsmanship). when in reality she has been in every stunt pod possible and it is everyones fault but where it lies. the gym and coaches who need to get a back bone and do what is right for the entire team. the kids just dont say anything but they are all tired of it. and so are we parents. i understand giving kids a chance early on but if it isnt working do what is right for the entire team not just one person or to maintain your friendship. because if you are true friends then friends want whats best for you too not just them. it is too expensive to be paying for yout friendship and favoritism
I tend to be on the fence about giving the flier chance after chance. I agre that it is not fair for others on the squad to suffer becuase one flier keeps falling or even the fact that maybe every pod at the cheer gym has tried to get this flier in the air for tosses or to hit sinlge leg stunts. At our gym in particular we have a stunt that falls at every competition and it is beyond giving chances. it is too late in the season to keep moving someone around and having each stunt pod feel like they are failing because of one girl. notonly is it unfair to the oither kids but it is ub fair to the parents who are paying for the gym to do their job. every team has a stunt cone down every once in awhile but every competition not ok at all! in particular this flier has been a flier at the gym for awhile she also is the owners daughters friend etc. however maybe she could fly before but things change and bodies change and the people in the gym change as a whole and if they just keep her in because she always use to be the flier instead ofreaching out to their other talent, they will continue to fail. every competiton this flier either doesn't go up right in her toss kick or she falls out of a stunt amd has enough nerve to get mad at everyone else and cry (bad sportsmanship). when in reality she has been in every stunt pod possible and it is everyones fault but where it lies. the gym and coaches who need to get a back bone and do what is right for the entire team. the kids just dont say anything but they are all tired of it. and so are we parents. i understand giving kids a chance early on but if it isnt working do what is right for the entire team not just one person or to maintain your friendship. because if you are true friends then friends want whats best for you too not just them. it is too expensive to be paying for yout friendship and favoritism
Hi, I'm the original poster to the question and one of the gym owners. This post has nothing to do with "friends". We have always make sure that what friendships we have made over the years NEVER interfer with what OUR decisions are as owners. We can not make that mistake. This is a busness and we make sure everyone is treated the same.
We just have never had this issue come up...I guess we have been lucky! I love all our kids I want only the best for them all and to make some child feel that they can no longer fly, even if it is in one stunt, makes me sad...that is the mom in me, BUT as the owner...I know I have to change it! This is also what the coach wants...... It is a fine line we walk as a Owner, coach, friend and a parent, but it always comes down to what is best for the child first, then the business for me.
I would say no question, remove her. You gave her plenty of chances. I understand what one poster was saying about maybe some day she will turn into a great flier but seriously you cannot waste this year for these kids and these parents to 5 years from now have a great flier!
You can always keep working with her so she gets practice or even ask her parents to pay for private lessons for her so she continues to improve her skills. I understand it is difficult for you and I'm glad to hear so much thought goes into it but you are justified in moving her. It really isn't fair to the rest of the team. Especially the rest of her stunt group if they are always working hard and doing everything they can to make it work and they never get to be successful. 50% is not good enough to be hititng and be put on the competition floor. I'd say fliers need to be hitting 90%.
I would say no question, remove her. You gave her plenty of chances. I understand what one poster was saying about maybe some day she will turn into a great flier but seriously you cannot waste this year for these kids and these parents to 5 years from now have a great flier!
You can always keep working with her so she gets practice or even ask her parents to pay for private lessons for her so she continues to improve her skills. I understand it is difficult for you and I'm glad to hear so much thought goes into it but you are justified in moving her. It really isn't fair to the rest of the team. Especially the rest of her stunt group if they are always working hard and doing everything they can to make it work and they never get to be successful. 50% is not good enough to be hititng and be put on the competition floor. I'd say fliers need to be hitting 90%.
Agree 100%. Just because members on your team appear to have the skills needed, if they are only landing them 50% of the time it's not enough. That is exactly why I can understand gyms making changes or dropping a level if necessary. You go out on that floor with the best your team has.. otherwise what is the point?
You have a stunt group that seems to have issues on the floor at every comp. The flyer hits her stunt about 50% of the time in the gym and at the last three comps it has not gone up. We have already spoken to the flyer and told her that we may have to replace her in that stunt if she can not hit it at the next comp. Well, it went down....we have worked adn worked wit her..We love the kid, but what is best for the team, I feel, is to try and find a new flyer for the partner stunt. I would like to know if I'm wrong?
Thank you!
It appears that the best thing would be to either change to stunt sequence so she could hit it, change flyers or the stunt group makeup, or eliminate that stunt group. IMHO if a stunt/tumbling is not hitting at 95% or better it should not go to competition. That seems to solve the competition issue. Now you have to work on that group/flyer to see what else can be done to bring them along.
Have you videotaped the stunt group to see what is really going on? My daughter's team had flyer that she hated to backspot because she said the flyer gave up too easy and bent her leg all the time. She would jump out of stunts and then blame the group for not keeping her in the air. When she (my daughter) told the coaches they reviewed it and saw she was telling the truth. They addressed that issue with the flyer. Turns out she wanted to fly but was scared to fly. her size however made her an ideal canidate to stay in the air. When it became apparent that flyer was still jumping out of stunts they moved her to another stunt group who can keep her up even if she bends her legs. That team did not have the luxary of just switching flyers. On other teams we just switch out flyers and usually we do not have to change the sequence. Each team usually has at least one extra flyer/trainable flyer put on it just in case of injury, quitting, etc.
If you really beleive the flyer has that type of potential you could also have her and the stunt group in for stunt privates to help her work on those skills. That would also show her and the team that even though you may have removed her from the competition routine as a flyer, you still believe in her ability as a flyer and the groups ability to work together.
