Flyers weighing in at tryouts?

Date: Wed Jul 13 8:47 PM, 2005

Flyers weighing in at tryouts?

Date: Wed Jul 13 9:11 PM, 2005

Bad. If I got weighed at almost ANY college tryouts accross the country... I probably wouldn't make the team. Is this fair soley based on what number is on a scale? But without weighing me, I have more of a chance.

For example... While I was in San Diego for a practice weekend, the subject of weight came up between me and a few guys on my team, who I had stunted with. The subject of MY weight came up, I told them I weighed 115 lbs, which I do. They didn't believe me. Why? I hold my weight and I have a lot of muscle on my body, and muscle weighs more then fat. Which is why scales don't work.

I think in general, it causes girls to want to fall into the misconception that only tiny skinny girls can fly or cheer, and then causes eating disorders.

I personally have never had an eating disorder, but I have known girls who have, and at one point in time, I did lose a little too much weight becuase I believed I needed to look a certain way or weigh a certain amount, in order to be put in the air. It wasn't until afterwards, that I realized that I wasn't meant to look like that, and that I can hold my weight well enough to where the extra 15 or so pounds of muscle that I have over most of the girls on my team, doesn't matter. But some girls don't see that until its too late, and there are girls who would do ANYTHING to cheer.

But I'm not a college coach, so I really don't know exactly what they look for. All I know, is there's no more trying to be something I'm not.

Date: Wed Jul 13 10:08 PM, 2005

I agree with Amac on this one. I don't think it is appropriate to judge how well a flyer does in the air by her weight.

Amac weighs 115 pounds and is a FENOMENAL flyer.. compared to maybe a smaller 100 pound flyer, who isn't such a great flyer.. which one belongs in the air? Amac.

If the flyer has the skill, and is a reasonable weight to put in the air.. then they very well should be put in the air.

Just my opinion!! =]

-Jensen

Date: Thu Jul 14 8:58 AM, 2005

I had to do this for Sacramento State Tryouts. They weigh you in April, and then when you come back after the summer you have to weigh less or the same. I understand that, they dont want you to gain weight over the summer. Especially for coed teams I understand that there needs to be a weight limit. But I think it was just the way they did it. They called your name and you came into a room and everyone else who had already gone were just sitting there watching and then they would say your weight outloud. So yea I think if teams are going to do this they should do it a little more privatley!

With lots of sports you have to weigh a certain weight like wrestling. It just becomes more controversy with cheer because its girls... but i really dont see the big deal if its a private thing and they are doing it to try to keep everyone in shape and healty.

-Brittany
SBE Coed

Date: Thu Jul 14 9:11 AM, 2005

Well, w aren't at the college level yet but I am on the fence with this one. Weighing in for wrestling and boxing is because they put you in a "class" with others who weigh similar. There is a specific reason for that. You wiegh in for horse racing to make the race similar.

But for cheer??? Hmmmmmm... Will we have Senior 100 lbs to 120 lbs categories one day?? And then what do you call the girls who are over that weight?? No, I don't think that is ok.

If your bases can't put the girl up in the air, then she shouldn't fly. Weight should have nothing to do with it. I do see WHY it is done but just cause it's done doesn't make it right. My kid eats great, works her rear off in the gym and is thin. Does that make her better than any other kid on her team based solely on her weight? Nope. Her skills make her advanced, intermediate or novice. Not her weight.

You can't go in to college and go against the system cause you don't agree with it but you can try and change it. Eating good is always a good choice. But trying to lose weight just to weigh in really isn't all that smart.

Date: Thu Jul 14 9:11 AM, 2005

I don't think it's a good thing, it's just another thing that adds to the whole skinny image. A coach should be able to tell if a flyer is putting on too much weight and causing bases to struggle. The number on the scale means nothing, I've seen many tiny flyers that really shouldn't be up there because they are not staying tight.

As for weighing in for a sport like wrestling, that's to make sure there isn't an unfair weight advantage - not to tell the wrestler that they won't be able to wrestle. If a wrestler gains 5 pounds, he/she can still wrestle just in a higher weight division.

Date: Thu Jul 14 9:39 AM, 2005

Ok so everyone is thinking differntly than what I thought.

I do think it is bad to weigh a flyer and tell them yes/no, you can/cannot fly. Personally, I'd rather lift a heavier girl with muscle than a skigny light girl with no muslce. Muscle helps to stay tight, so ultimately I'd like to base any flyer that can stay tight, no matter how much she weighs.

-Bryan
Motions Senior Maroon

Date: Thu Jul 14 10:13 PM, 2005

^exactly..

Date: Thu Jul 14 11:22 PM, 2005

I understand the reasoning behind Bryan's idea about being able to keep an eye on the athletes if they weigh in but from experience once everyone knows they have to weigh in, the girls tend to eat less and exercise more which is already a bad idea. I can tell you that I cheered and danced at a college on the east coast over 10 years ago and they weighed us in everyweek. Now this particular coach did this infront of the rest of the team and then proceeded to walk up to the cheerleader and "pinch an inch" in particular parts of your body. No matter if you are in shape or not that definetly effects your mental state.

I don't agree with weighing in at all.....I think that there are better ways to ensure that your team looks fit. Its called proper and positive coaching and conditioning.

Date: Tue Jul 19 8:52 AM, 2005

wieghing in is not a good idea in my opionion. up untill a high school i was a gymnast. I have a lot of muscle with adds about 10 pounds to my normal wieght. I started cheer my freshman year. i started flying and i loved it. But i think i would be a litle embarrassed for other teamates who think i wiegh a lot less then i really do to see my actual wieght. In gym we used to be wighed before meets and once a month just to keep in shape. i hated being wieghed in and letting everyone no my wieght. even though it was a lot less then wieght is a subject girls dont like disscussing with others. when a girl my age and about my size wighed less by about 4 pounds i started thinking do i need to loose wieght? am i fat? i was about 11 yrs old at this time. i began eating only enough to get by with out my parents noticing. quickly after i loss the 4 pounds and thought wow this is easy i can loose even more. i began lossing more and more wieght. It was at about 11 pounds my coach noticed and talked to me. i told him the whole story. I didnt think of it as an eating disorder i just thought it was an easy way to stay "in shape" After what happend with me my coach stopped wieghing girls. i started eating normal and gained most of it back. PLEASE do not wiegh your flyers. They dont need the stress of feeling "over wieght".

Date: Tue Jul 19 5:34 PM, 2005

Weighing in...hmmm, don't think I can see the advantages of this one.

I see the kids I coach twice a week, a few I see more. Over time, I can tell if one of the girls gained more then 5 or 10 pounds. But, even then, if it's a flyer...really, what is the difference? In a stunt group, that weight is distrubuted over 3 people. So, if a flyer were to gain 6 pounds (which, as I understand is a ginourmous amount of weight for adolescent females) that is an extra 2 pounds per person. Come on...if you can't deal holding an extra 2 pounds, perhaps you shouldn't be a base?

I think part of this is perception. If you're a base and your flyer tells you, "hey, I gained 6 pounds since you started basing me" you're probably going to react as if its the end of the world and maybe your flyer should go on a diet because you can't hold her up for a mere 10 seconds without collapsing on the ground and blaming it on that quarter pounder with cheese your flyer had 2 hours before practice.

And if that's your case, trust me on this one, Golf is a great game. Take it up.

Nelson

ps I'm hungry.

Date: Mon Jul 25 11:28 AM, 2005

what about girls with a high level of ability to fly and are not given a chance because they don't look slender enough? I've seen this happen way to often A coach is defeating the purpose of the best person for the job if size is more important then talent. Or what about the girls who are labled base only because they do their job really well? something to think about....

Date: Tue Jul 26 7:30 AM, 2005

I agree with bryan 100%!!! I've never been the smallest flyer on my team. i have been a base and a flyer and most of the i've been the biggest flyer on my team even though i'm not that big. Flying is about muscle and body control. If you can hold you skill and stay tight, while looking amazing in the air then you should be a flyer. Do i think some people are overlooked as flyers because of their body type, yes...i think it has happened in the past, but it doesn't mean they can't fly or in that case, it doesn't mean that they would've been a good flyer. A good flyer doesn't have to be skinny, they have to be confident and have body control along with flexiblity. I think people forget that and try to put the smallest girls in the air or the most flexible, but if you can't hold yourself than being little or really flexible is no good!

Date: Fri Jul 29 3:17 PM, 2005

I would like to make a comment to all those bases out there. My daughter is an awesome flyer. The girl knows her stuff. But who is important to ME??????? Her bases!!!!! You keep my daughter safe. You catch her when she falls. You make her look good. She is NOTHING without you!!!

Last season she gave her bases cards with angels on the front. Inside she wrote,"You are my wings that make me fly!" Trust me...... I just love you guys/gals! YOU are the important ones!!!

Date: Sun Jul 31 9:36 AM, 2005

Advanced Flyer Mom,

I applaud your efforts. As a quarterback will go out of their way to make his offensive linemen know how much they appreciate them, a flyer doing the same with their bases should be just as important.

Date: Sun Jul 31 2:53 PM, 2005

I think weighing in has its purposes. I feel at the collegiate level, you are really looking for the best of the best people, especially flyers. Yes there are MANY girls who can hold their weight in the air and maybe even stunt better. You have to think that there is only 1 guy under these girls though, not 3 or 4 girls/guys. There have been medical studies done about cheerleading, regarding that a flyer should not be over a certain weight, just do to the skeletal system and how much a person should be lifting over their head. Conditioning is great, but consistently if a small girl is being untight, its a lot lighter than when a larger girl is not. Its the whole year and various events that a coach is worried about. Not just one tryout or just a month. You have to think what will work every time, and not just sometimes. Saying that, there should be a range with your height. In addition, all girls in college, if on a coed, and partner stunting should be heigh/weight proportionte. They can do other things like tumble and basket tosses. Not everyone was made to fly, just like not like everyone was made to tumble or base. I have cheered in college, and its not safe for the flyer or base if they can't go up everytime, or if the base cannot put up the flyer safely. Why make a girl go through a whole year of having accidents. In addition they maybe able to fly but only on certain guys, again strikes against them. My feeling to end this is either talk to the coach about what you need to achieve,and decide if you wanna go all girl or coed.

Date: Fri Aug 5 9:59 AM, 2005

in regard to cheer fan, i dont think you understood what people were trying to say. People arent trying to say that everyone should have a chance flying, and i agree with you on that, its just that the people who are skilled flyers and can hold up there own weight shouldnt be taken down so a less advanced flyer can go up just because she might weigh a little less than the other girl. Because not only would it be unfair to the bigger flyer, but it would be unfair to the team, because chances are the smaller flyer will have a much bigger chance of falling.
just a thought

Date: Thu Aug 11 12:32 PM, 2005

i think it's awful to weigh flyers! It's like saying to them, you had better be skinny or else u better get that way fast!(eating disorder) I don't think just anyone should be allowed to fly, but if a flyer can hold their own weight, and it's not to much weight for the base/s, then they should be allowed to fly. I mean, bases, which is easier to hold up, a flyer who weighs less but can't hold her own weight and is loose, or a flyer who ways a little more but can hold her own weight and is tight?

Date: Thu Aug 11 12:46 PM, 2005

I totaly agree with "flyer". I am a flyer, but I am dissapointed to say that most teams pick there flyers by how skinny they are, but maybe even the biggest person on the team will be the best flyer, because they know how to keep themselfs tight. If you give everyone a chance, and don't just single people out because they are bigger, then the teams will work better together. The worst thing you could say to a flyer is, "you are getting to fat, so we are switching you out with someone else". I am surprised that weighing in is even allowed, that is something I know I wouldn't want to annouce to the whole world, but I don't know about every one else. As for cheer fan, I personally think that your post is offending, because you're basically saying that bigger people can't be the best of the best. Although I am small, I think that there are tons of bigger people out there who are 100x better then me as a flyer.

cheergyms.com flyer

Date: Thu Aug 11 9:37 PM, 2005

People should be judged on weather or not there good flyers, not on how much they weigh! However there are some @^*((&()ing heffers on my team that need to not be flying. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The thought of it makes my arms kringe!