Hello Texas Twirl Fans! I hope you
all have been enjoying the weekly Friday Night Lights Feature. We know we have
enjoyed reading the answers these lovely twirlers are giving. All that interview
practice is paying off! If you have a High School twirler you would like to
nominate, please email us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com.
As a special treat, today we kick
off our new weekly Collegiate Twirler Spotlight. We wanted to start off BIG so we
went all the way up to Lubbock to introduce you to a fantastic young lady, Miss
Sydney
Webster. Sydney is not only the Texas Tech University Feature Twirler,
but she was also Miss Lubbock and was awarded second runner up at the 2016 Miss
Texas Pageant where she won both her prelim talent and fitness award.
Texas Tech University has a
wonderful history of baton twirling, and the feature positon has always been
filled by amazing Texas twirlers. In order to earn this title, the Tech Feature
has to re-audition every year to make sure they stay competitive and keep their
skill level up. As a senior, this was Sydney’s last year to audition and she
will be graduating in the spring. With four awesome years to look back on, we
asked what she will miss the most about being the Texas Tech Feature… “I will
miss pre-game performances, because the energy is through the roof and the
crowd is so supportive! You can feel the passion in the stadium; it is just an
unforgettable feeling!”
With Sydney graduating, there will
be an open Feature spot for the 2017-18 season. We asked Sydney why twirlers
should consider auditioning for the vacancy. She says “Texas Tech is an amazing
school with so many wonderful traditions that you get to be a part of. We have
outstanding leadership (twirling coaches, band directors, etc.), so you will be
in great hands, and The Goin’ Band is so supportive of its twirlers! Also,
people are so passionate about football in Texas so there will NEVER be a dull
moment”.
We had to hear, what is her FAVORITE
of these great traditions? “Throwing tortillas on the field at kickoff…I don’t
even know why Tech fans do that, but it’s hilarious every time!! It looks like it
is raining tortillas”. She also says that the band has its own set of
traditions and inside jokes. She is most fond of “when we march over to the
stadium, the Goin’ Band has these chants that we say to fit the drum cadences.
Nobody knows how they were created or even what they mean, but it’s so fun
because everyone is so ready for the game! There is so much energy and we do it
so often that fans walking by even chant along with us.”
If you think you want to be a part
of the tortilla throwing and chanting next year, check out this blog post with more information about the opening.
In the meantime, let’s take a minute to get to know more about this Red Raider off the
field…
Sydney Webster,
Senior, Competition Level:
Advanced/Collegiate
Sydney is from Lubbock, Texas and is
currently a senior at Texas Tech University where she is a Public Relations
Major. Sydney is taught by Coach Bethany Tolley and has been twirling for 15
years. She says she is most proud of earning the title of College Miss
Majorette of Texas. Her favorite competition trick is her front neck rolls, and
her favorite field trick is a toss leap walkover (“The crowd loves it!!!”).
Sydney says her biggest twirling inspiration is former Texas Tech Feature, Lee
Bobbitt. After graduation, Sydney plans to move to the Metroplex area and get a
job in the Public Relations field.
When asked what her favorite moment
of twirling has been, she said it was becoming a coach herself. “It’s so
important to teach younger generations about twirling so the sport can continue
and become more popular”. We also wanted to know what she thought was the
funniest moment she has experienced in twirling. She said “when I went to Peru
in 2012, we learned an entire routine about 5 minutes before the performance…it
was a disaster but we had so much fun and surprisingly the crowd thought it was
great!!!”
Sydney says that the number one
non-twirling life skill she has learned from baton twirling is to be confident
and carry yourself with poise. “You never know who is watching!” So true! She also
advises all future collegiate twirlers to make sure to “always be nice to band
members… you will be with them for four years, so make as many friends as you
can”.
Fun Facts!
Color – Green
Movie – “Me Before You”
Music – Country
Quote – “Be a pineapple… stand tall,
wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside.
When she isn’t twirling she loves to
– Read Books!
You may not know that she – skipped first grade! “I’m younger than everyone in
my grade. I will graduate college before I even turn 21!”Most Memorable Advice from her Coach: “Watch the baton into your hands and say CATCH every time.”
Since we had Sydney answering
questions, we just had to hear about her experiences at the Miss Texas pageant!
The whole twirling community was so proud to see her prelim wins and to watch
her take 2nd Runner Up in her very first attempt for the crown. Here
we learn more about the pageant and her advice to twirlers considering the
pageant route…
Q: What were you most proud
of?
A: I was most proud of my Lifestyle
and Fitness award. I am definitely someone who likes sweets so I had to make a
lifestyle change leading up to the pageant. I never knew I could be that
self-disciplined!
Q: What surprised you the
most?
A: The girls competing surprised me
the most, actually. I didn’t know they would be that funny behind the scenes.
We had a blast together and I will never forget the memories we made!
Q: What would you go back and
change?
A: I don’t think I would change
anything… I felt confident in each phase of my competition and I was extremely
pleased with the outcome.
Q: Will we see you competing again
for the Miss Texas title in 2017?
A: As of the year 2017, I will not
be competing since I am graduating from college and trying to find a
“real-person job.” As for 2018 though, that is definitely a possibility!
Q: Many twirlers debate if they want
to go the pageant route. What would you tell them to help them decide?
A: Pageants do require a lot of time
and dedication, but if you compete you will already be SO prepared! As a
twirler, we already have a talent, practice with interview, we know how to walk
in a gown, and twirling keeps us physically fit. Basically, if you are a
twirler you have been preparing for pageants the whole time without even
knowing it!! Miss Texas was a wonderful experience and I firmly believe it
helped me become a better field/competitive twirler, as well. If you are on the
fence about pageants, try it once and I promise you will be successful with it!
What wonderful, insightful advice
from a great role model. We were so honored to be able to share this great
interview with all of you, and hope you enjoyed learning more about Sydney.
Until next time Texas Twirl Fans… and don’t forget… GUNS UP! WRECK EM TECH!
Have a favorite High School or Collegiate Twirler that you
would like to see interviewed? Please contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com
with their name and email address so that we can reach out to them!
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