Friday Night Lights Feature - Melisa High School Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Another great weekend of twirling means we are almost done with marching band season. Can you believe it? Only a few more weeks with these amazing twirlers representing on their High School fields. We hope all of you are enjoying it while it lasts. We know we will miss it! In the meantime, we have another Feature Interview with one of our awesome Texas Twirlers for your reading enjoyment this lovely Sunday. 

This week’s Friday Night Lights Feature is the Melissa High School Twirler!

Melissa High School, located in Melissa, Texas, is the home of the Cardinals, and this senior Feature Twirler. Hollyn Fleming-Stump has been bringing baton twirling to the MHS Community for several years now, and we are excited to learn more about her. 

First we asked her what the process was to become the Feature Twirler at MHS, and she told us, “You make up a routine, go in front of the band directors, and hope for the best!” 

Luckily this worked out in Hollyn’s favor, and she has been doing an amazing job representing MHS. We wanted to know what her favorite part about marching season is and she said it was just being a part of the band program in general. “My band has an amazing support system!”

This is also part of what she will miss when she graduates. “The parents are so amazing and supportive. I do not know what we would do without them!”

Now that we have learned more about being a part of the MHS, lets learn more about Hollyn!

Hollyn Fleming-Stump, Senior
Competition Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Holly has been twirling for six years with the Dixie Diamonds in Shreveport, Louisiana. The competition event that she is the proudest of winning is the USTA Central Regional Freestyle First Place for two years running. Her favorite field trick is any leap, including firebirds and split leaps. In baton twirling she has been most inspired by her mom. After high school she hopes to attend college to study anthropology.

Fun Facts!
Favorite Color – Yellow
Favorite Move – “Mama Mia”
Favorite Music Style – Any
Favorite Book – “Hamlet”
Favorite Quote – “Just Go For It!”

When she is not twirling, she loves to…
“Hang out with my friends!”
 
Something most people might not know about her is...
“I have a bone disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta.”

#1 non-twirling life skill she has learned from baton twirling…
“Patience with myself and people around me.”

Most memorable tip from her coach…
“Advil, breakfast of champions!”

Advice for future twirlers…   
“Stretch, stretch, stretch!”

Favorite moments as a baton twirler…
“When little kids want to say hi or just say that it is so cool.”

Funniest moment as a baton twirler… 
“One of the high school boys came out from the stands and started twirling with me.”

Best MHS School Tradition…
“When everyone chants ‘Let’s go big red! Ahhhhhh! Oh!'” 

Best MHS Band Tradition…
“Last time, best time!” 

The past year has been very unprecedented. We wanted to know what kept Hollyn motivated and working toward her goals, and she told us just remembering what she was doing it all for. “Knowing what it was like to twirl and wanting to experience it again, kept me practicing a lot.”

All the uncertainty created many life challenges, and we wanted to know what Hollyn learned from all of this, and she told us, “I am graduating a year early and that has caused me to grow up a lot faster.”

We want to thank Hollyn for sharing her experiences with us, and we want to wish her an amazing rest of her Senior Year. Go Cardinals!

Each season this blog likes to get to know many of our awesome Texas twirlers a little better by learning about their experiences. We will be meeting many HS twirlers on Fridays throughout the season with the Friday Night Lights Features and discovering more about our Texas Collegians with the Collegiate Twirler Spotlights during the week. We will also be having many of our HS and Collegiate twirlers take over our Social Media Story for their Game Days. Make sure to follow us on Instagram @twirlingiscatchingtx or at facebook.com/twirlingiscatchingtx so you don't miss a thing!