Train Your Flyers to be the Best!

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Whether your flyers have been doing this for years or it’s their very first time in the air, they can all take some advice when it comes to improving! Even the most flexible flyers have room to grow and increase the amount of control they have over their body positions in the air. Like all skills in cheerleading, practice will always make this easier. Here are some of the top pieces of advice we have to coaches who want to help their all star cheerleaders become better flyers at any level.

Above and Beyond Stretching

The key to really perfecting body positions is to constantly train. Most coaches know that flexibility alone is not enough to keep a flyer in the air. Flyers need muscle control. No matter how flexible your flyers might be, they need to stretch daily to not only keep this flexibility but also to gain muscle memory and strength. If they keep fighting to pull even a low heel stretch, then they will be much more likely to fall. Also, encourage your flyers to stretch both sides equally. The best stunts require equal flexibility on both sides.

Even if you have a flyer who seems to compare to a rubber band, have them hold their body positions for as long as they can. These positions will help them build their muscles, as well as teach their bodies how to move without them having to think too hard about it. Work on kicking up heel stretches without using their hands and holding their legs in the air as long as possible. This muscle control will allow them to look sharper in the air!

Drills Pay the Bills

One of the most important parts about flying is understanding where to stand. Each flyer needs to spend time learning and recognizing how to stand on certain parts of the foot so they can adjust to any grip that the bases may have. It might work to relate the flyer movements to daily movements. For example, tell your flyer that stepping into a lib is a lot like stepping into a big truck.

If your flyers are showing a good amount of control, have them start thinking about spinning stunts. Have them tell you what part of the foot they put pressure on, and make sure they know not to shift their weight to both feet until their secondary base has the food. The more understanding and control your flyers have, the easier it will be!

Performing the Best

If you know that you have some stage-shy kids on your team, start teaching them how to have fun in the air. The more confident they feel in the air, the better they will perform! While everyone on your team will likely get some jitters before hitting the performance mat, your bases can make eye contact and vocalize their technique as they need; your flyers, on the other hand, are up there all alone and are expected to smile the whole time. The more fun they have performing, the more at ease they will feel while performing.

All Star Cheerleader Competitions

With careful attention to detail and dedication, your flyers can be some of the best competitors around! When you are ready to hit the mat and show off what your athletes can do, contact WSA Cheer! We look forward to seeing your team compete with the best at our nationals. Whether you are looking for a Cheerleading Worlds bid or just a trophy to take home to show off who is the best, choose WSA for your next competition this season.