Have you sent in your entry for the 2017 Fall Twirling Festival? If not, you better hurry! The deadline is Monday, October 23rd! You will not want to miss this great beginning of the season event!
This week we are back on that football field, but this time with a very special group of twirlers, as they happen to be the largest group of High School Twirlers we have ever interviewed. For this week's Friday Night Lights Feature we are meeting all 13 members of the Thomas Jefferson High School Twirling Line!
Many of those in the Texas Twirling community will recognize the name Thomas Jefferson High School as it has regularly been the home of the South Texas Camp of Champions, a program that will return to TJHS this November for the STCC Winter Camp. For more information on this awesome skills camp, please visit www.southtexascampofchampions.com.
Thomas Jefferson High School has had a great history of baton twirlers. The TJ Twirling Program, which was started by Coach Pat Montgomery, has continued on the past couple years with Coach Shelby Parker. The program seeks to increase the number of students exposed to the sport of baton twirling while focusing on the skills required to perform. As Ms. Parker tells us, "I would never want to deny students from learning this awesome sport! I accept students into the class if they have an interest, and then if their skills are good then they can perform in the football games and pep rallies. I do encourage ALL of them to attend camps and competitions. Also, all of my students are required to participate in UIL".
Having a program of this size has to have it's challenges. Ms. Parker sites finances as the programs biggest hurdle. "It is a financial challenge even to have student be able to participate in camps or contests. Timing is also hard because I have to compete with their work schedules". Despite these things, Ms. Parker finds the program hugely rewarding to work with. "They are all working GREAT together! They are very uplifting and not negative, and some individuals go out of their way to include the others at all times. It is very sweet".
Now, lets take a moment and learn a little bit about each of the TJ Twirlers!
Molly Romo, Senior, Competition Level: Novice
Favorite Trick: Elbow Push Out
When Not Twirling she loves… “Drawing and Painting”
Favorite Quote: “Maybe in another life when we are both cats”
– Vanilla Sky
Advice to future twirlers: "Focus on yourself to achieve greatness"
Future Goal: To become an art teacher
Elia Escalante, Junior, Competition Level: Novice
Favorite Trick: Mouthrolls
When Not Twirling she loves… “to watch make up videos”
Favorite Quote: “Practice makes perfect”
Future Goal: Go to college
Zala Weappa, Senior, Competition Level: Novice
Favorite Trick: Horizontal One Spin
When Not Twirling she loves… “Making art”
Favorite Quote: “Don’t paint me black when I used to be
golden”
Advice to future twirlers: "Don't stop one you start something because it is so worth it!"
Future Goal: Become an ER Nurse
Hope De Haro, Junior
When Not Twirling she loves… “To eat and sleep”
Favorite Quote: “Never give up”
Advice to future twirlers: "Practice, practice, practice!"
Future Goal: Graduate High School and go to college to
become a nurse
Bryanna Perez, Junior
Favorite Trick: High Toss
When Not Twirling she loves… “Go to different places around
town”
Favorite Quote: “Trust is like a piece of paper, once it is
crumbled it can’t be perfect again”
Future Goal: Get into college and study to be a forensic
scientist
Jhovana Maquez, Junior
Favorite Trick: Thumb Toss
When Not Twirling she loves… “Dance to my freestyle and KPop”
Favorite Quote: “Love myself, love yourself” & “Do what
you love and you’ll love what you do.”
Advice to future twirlers: "You should have fun no matter what. Twirling is fun if you give in to the fun. Practice makes you better and new tricks are always there."
Future Goal: Get into Korean school to learn more about
their culture
Nayeli Salas Mata,
Junior
Favorite Trick: Blind Catch
When Not Twirling she loves… “to dance”
Favorite Quote: “Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as
far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I
dream I can be” – Karen Raun
Future Goal: Go to a 4 year college and study to be a
fashion designer
Maddie Morales, Junior
Favorite Trick: Thumb Toss
When Not Twirling she loves… “go out with friends”
Advice to future twirlers: "Don't fool around when it comes time to practice. Get excited at the games and pep rallies for the best experience"
Future Goal: Go to college and stay happy
Mia Hernandez, Sophomore
Favorite Trick: Fishtails
When Not Twirling she loves… “sing and draw”
Advice to future twirlers: "Even if its hard in the moment, keep practicing even if you "can't" get it... you will soon!"
Favorite Quote: “If something is too hard, don’t quit. Just keep going”
Eryn Salas, Junior
When Not Twirling she loves… “talk with friends”
Kassie De Leon, Junior
Favorite Trick: Multiple baton
When Not Twirling she loves… “listen to music”
Henrietta A, Senior
Favorite Trick: Thumb Toss
When Not Twirling she loves… “work hard studying for school
Future Goal: Go to college
Franshae Kirven, Junior
Favorite Trick: Box toss
When Not Twirling she loves… “spend time with family and
work”
Favorite Quote: “Life is what you make it”
Advice to future twirlers: "Twirling is what you make it"
Future Goal: Army or Navy to major in law
Ms. Shelby Parker,
Coach
Favorite Trick: Hand rolls
When Not Twirling she loves… “to be involved with Jefferson
in all events”
Favorite Quote: “What you get by achieving your goals is not
as important as what you become by achieving your goals”
Advice to future twirlers: "You can always count on your fellow twirlers"
Being such a large group and working together, these twirlers have had many great moments as a team. Molly said her favorite moment is "when the crowd is in awe of what you are doing on the field during the performance". Zala says she loves the "Pregame Handshakes", and Jhovana said she most enjoys being "all together working as one team and having fun". Mia will never forget the first time she caught her high toss, and Franshae always loves learning new tricks. Eryn says she thinks it is funny when they get to be "little duckies to Ms. Parker", which Ms. Parker explains as when the twirlers "quack to follow me and call me their 'mom duck'".
When asked will asked what they will miss the most about the program when they graduate, Kassie and Zala said the competitions and football game, while Eryn said "being a close group of friends". Molly also said she will miss "the peoples faces looking at us when we perform".
We hope you have enjoyed this edition of our FNL Feature. Have a favorite High School or Collegiate Twirler that you would like to see interviewed? Please contact us with their name and email address at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com so that we can reach out!
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