To start out building strength you want to practice a hang drill. This is really basic, and focuses most the work being done on the flyer (the girl on top). To do this the flyer wants to jump in with her hands on the bases shoulders and her legs bent, and then hold herself up by supporting her weight in her arms (Webber 68). I have done this drill countless times and it always pays off in the end. This drill teaches the flyers to hold their own weight, which is very important to do in any stunt. If a flyer doesn't hold her own weight and depends solely on her bases to do all the work, the whole thing will come crashing down. I have experienced this first hand; when a flyer doesn't do her part to make herself as light as possible, it prevents the whole stunt from being solid and going smoothly.
After you have mastered the hang drill you can move on to a prep. A prep is the one of the most basic stunts that everyone has to do. When you first start off cheering, this can be a little weird; you are now holding someone in the air with your own hands. Its very important the bases stay steady and strong while doing this, "Keep your arms bent and close to your sides as you dip by bending your legs. Shrug quickly through your shoulders and start to lift the top straight up to eye level. Then settle her foot back down at chest level" (69). It is extremely important the bases do this motion quick, so they can use their momentum to lift the top girl. Keeping you arms to you sides is a great pointer. I have been doing cheer since I was four years old, and the majority of those years I have been a side base. It is a lot of hard work, but the tips Varsity gives us in this book can make a dramatic difference. My coaches have always told us that we are like trees and our arms the branches; the farther out the branch the weaker it is. So the same goes for our bodies, the farther out your arms from your sides the less strength you have. Your form makes such a big difference, and by keeping the proper movements it makes your stunt look so much cleaner.
After reading this, I want to know what tips you know that help the bases and flyers stay strong while stunting?
Citation: Webber, Rebecca. Varsity's Ultimate Guide to Cheerleading. Boston: Poppy, New York. Print.
I believe that mentality is just as important as strength. Communication with the other bases and the flyer is very important; it facilitates and is major part for synchronization of the bases in the stunt. As a back base, I would give signals such as nods, head movement, hand signals, eye movement, and I would yell key words to execute a stunt safely and effectively. It requires all effort of everyone in the stunt so it is important for everyone to do their own part and co-operate well with others through communication. Just like football: if one person is not doing their part/job someone else has to make up for it to be done.
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