Friday Night Lights Feature - Azle High School Twirler

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Happy November! How are we already here? The football season is winding down, and the competition season is about to start. Just a few more twirlers left to feature, including this excellent young lady! 

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

Azle High School, located in Azle, Texas, is the home of the Hornets, and the subject of today’s interview, AHS Feature Twirler Diana Garcia! 

Diana loves being a part of the Azle community, especially the AHS marching band. She really enjoys the competition side of being in the program as well. While her band has had a great season so far with making UIL Area Finals and are now gearing up for the BOA San Antonio competition this weekend in the Alamodome, when the season is over, the competitions will be what she missed the most. “We have worked really hard to have a good season and I am going to miss the announcement announcing the scores and the tensions hearing 1st and 2nd, etc.”

Regardless of the placements though, the achievement of working hard and having it pay off is what she looks forward to the most. In fact, Diana says her favorite part of marching season “is the looks on people’s faces when they think they had a really good run.”

Now that we have learned a little more about being in the AHS Band, lets learn more about Diana! 

Diana Garcia, Junior
Competition Level: Intermediate
Diana has been twirling for five years with the Vick's Chicks and is coached by Vicki Ray. The competition title she had the most fun winning was Southwest Duet Champion, and her favorite field trick is a high toss double leap. In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by the amazing Savannah Miller. After high school, she hopes to attend the University of Texas and major in criminal law. 

Fun Facts!
Favorite Color – Any shade of blue
Favorite Movie – “The Bridge to Terabithia”
Favorite Books – Anything that is a romantic mystery

Favorite Quote…
"'I ultimately control my destiny,' because it shows that others don't have as much power in my life as I do.”

When she is not twirling, she loves to…
“Be with our marching band, eat ice cream, go to debate competitions, and sleep in.”

Something most people might not know about her is…
“I drive 4 hours a day to attend my high school.”

#1 Non-Twirling Life Skill she has learned from baton twirling…
“To learn how to be independent even when people are there to help you.” 

Most memorable advice from her coach… 
“Act like I have lost when I haven't even competed because something good will come from it.”

Best advice for future baton twirlers… 
“Just keep going. You practice your best when you are constantly moving, it doesn’t have to be routines, but don't stop your flow you have going.”

Favorite moments as a baton twirler…
“When little kids get really excited to meet you and want to just touch your baton.”

Funniest moment as a baton twirler…
“The first time I signed myself up for a competition and I put myself in the 0-6 category, and I was 13!”

Best AHS School Tradition…
“Buzzy the mascot!” 

Best AHS Band Traditions…
“When our principle conducts blink 182, false starts when every member plays as loud as they can on any note they want, and the plastic ducks the trumpets give out.” 

During the past year we experienced some very unprecedented times. We asked Diana what she did to keep going. “I kept myself motivated by wanting to be really strong this year.” 

With all the uncertainty, we all faced lots of challenges. We wanted to know what the biggest challenge Diana faced was, and how she handled it, and she told us, “I faced challenges with being dependent on my teachers. I have put a lot of credit on using them to teach me and I had to learn to help myself.”

Despite the trials, Diana felt Azle High School came out stronger on the other side. “COVID has actually improved my school's motivation, wanting us to be a lot stronger this year.”

We want to thank Diana for sharing her game day with us, and we wish her and the AHS Band all the best at BOA San Antonio this coming weekend. Go Hornets!

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!