Practice Makes Perfect

   Cheerleading is one of the most intense and dangerous sports that many people do not even consider to be a sport. Not only do we dance, jump, and tumble, but we carry 100 pound flyers.  You may think lifting up a skinny flyer into the air is a piece of cake, but it is not as easy as it seems.  The bases (cheerleaders supporting the flyers) get smacked in the face,  purple bruises on their arms, and even get severe injuries like breaking their wrist or their nose.  Some flyers hit their bases accidentally after performing a difficult skill in the air such as tick tocks, kick full baskets, and double downs.     
   It is not always the flyers fault that she hurts her bases or falls straight to the floor.  Some bases may grab the wrong grip on the flyers foot or may dip unevenly to start off a basket toss.  For example, a problem that may cause a flyer to freak out in the air is that the bases are not the same height or far away from their flyer.  This can cause an uncomfortable position for the flyer and failure to toss her in the basket.

   Teamwork is a big factor in holding a stunt in the air.  The bases, as well as the flyers, have to put forth their maximum effort to achieve and master the stunt.  Flyers need to stay tight and pull their body position, like a heel stretch or a scorpion.  They also need to lean on the foot the bases are supporting and square off their hips.  Bases need to make sure they are not twisting the flyers foot or leaning away from the flyers.  If this determination and hard work is accomplished, the stunt group would be able to ace any type of building skill possible.