Unless you have been living under a rock the past year, you probably know that the beautiful and talented Caroline Carothers has been graciously representing our state and baton twirling during her reign as the 2016 Miss Texas. We have all enjoyed seeing her at contests, watching her live feeds from her many adventures, and felt the impact she has had on our twirlers. I know my daughter has an autographed picture of Caroline hanging on the wall right when she walks in her bedroom so that (in her words) she can "see it every day and know that I could be a princess just like her!"
We asked Caroline if she would be willing to write some words of wisdom for the blog as she winds down her time as Miss Texas. Caroline was happy to share with us her letter, entitled "The One Spin", so that we could post it here for everyone to read. This letter also appeared in the April 2017 edition of The Drum Major, but as all twirling families don't have a subscription, we are honored that Caroline has let us publish it here as well.
From the entire State of Texas and the Texas Twirling community, we want to say a huge thank you to Caroline for all she has done for this sport in the last year. We will be sad to see her reign end, but we know she will continue to spread her message of positivity and perseverance, and we hope you enjoy reading it here:
"The one
spin. For so many twirlers, this is the
milestone that represents the start of something great. Done correctly, it is the foundation for baton
twirling - proper thumb flip, baton placement, foot placement and catch. Once this is achieved, the possibilities are
endless. As twirlers, we all know that
our sport takes commitment, perseverance, practice, and patience. We drop the baton and pick it back up thousands
of times before accomplishing the trick, whether it’s learning a one spin or a triple
illusion. Twirlers learn to never give up.
My story
starts when I was just six years old and it took me nearly a year (yes a
year!!) to catch my first one spin. (My teacher Miss Belva was a real stickler
for technique!) After months of practicing
in my living room, I started thinking that maybe baton twirling wasn’t for me. My mom had twirled and knew there would be
challenges along the way, although I don’t think she expected me to struggle that
much with a one spin. But I kept
working, and finally, it “clicked” and I started catching it. At seven years
old, I had learned so much more than a new trick. I had learned that if I didn’t give up, I
would eventually achieve success. Each
time I picked up the baton and tried again, I was practicing perseverance. And
that became the foundation for the rest of my twirling career, earning a spot
as a college feature twirler for Baylor, and eventually winning Miss Texas.
As Miss
Texas, my “one spin” story is the foundation for my message in school
presentations across the state. This
message resonates with students of all ages, from preschool to high
school. I ask the students to think
about their “one spin” - their own challenge - and I encourage them to never
give up. I talk with them about
overcoming obstacles, setting goals, and working hard every day to achieve those
goals. I take my batons to every school
I visit (about 70 schools so far) and I juggle three batons (in a crown and
heels!) to show them that dreams do come true.
I’ve also realized that twirling is the universal language that brings a
smile to the face of nearly every student I meet.
Since
winning Miss Texas last summer, my life has been a whirlwind. The position is full time, so I spend almost every
day of the year speaking to schools and community groups. I’ve had the opportunity to meet all types of
people, from sick children to celebrities.
I’ve ridden in parades, carriages, and even on horseback with
billionaire Richard Branson. I’ve been in a rattlesnake pit with a thousand venomous
snakes and spent an afternoon playing cards with Veterans. I’ve encouraged kids to love math, read as
much as possible, volunteer in their communities, limit social media, and say
no to drugs. I’ve done dozens of interviews
and driven over 20,000 miles to appearances across Texas. And through all this,
time and again, I’m grateful that baton twirling prepared me for the job of
Miss Texas. Not only is twirling my
talent, but this sport has taught me so much about developing a strong work
ethic, how to win and lose gracefully, and how to juggle multiple
priorities. I can truly say that I am
more confident, independent, driven, and organized because I grew up twirling.
Just seven
weeks after winning Miss Texas, I went to Miss America. I’d always loved watching the pageant on TV
and cheering for the twirlers. I never imagined that I would one day be there
too, and even place in the top seven. The
other 51 contestants were all so beautiful, articulate, smart, and successful
in their own fields. During the two week period, we lived together, laughed,
cried, and leaned on each other. There
were two other baton twirlers competing at Miss America this year – Aleah Peters
(Miss Nebraska) and Katelyn Niemiec (Miss Arizona.) We cheered for each other, talked about the slippery
stage and spotlights, and prayed for no drops!
Just as in twirling, the “sisterhood” is real.
Now that my
year as Miss Texas is winding down, I hope I have had an impact on students
through my “one spin” message and I have represented baton twirling in a
positive way. People often ask me for
advice for twirlers just starting out, preparing for high school or college
tryouts, or even thinking of competing in the Miss America system. Here are a few words of advice:
*Be patient* Learning anything new takes time, especially
baton twirling. Time is needed for practicing, improving, pushing for new
heights. The best advice I can give a new twirler is to twirl every day. Don’t
be afraid to try new tricks. Don’t get
discouraged if there are more drops than catches at first. Take one step at a
time, learn proper technique, and be patient.
Ultimately, there are no shortcuts in twirling.
*Be grateful* Appreciate your parents, coaches, and even
judges. As I look back over the last 15 years, I have been able to work with so
many wonderful coaches because we moved frequently due to my father’s US Air
Force service. I lived in four different states growing up, and each time, I
was blessed to find a great twirling coach and continue doing what I love.
*Share the
sport* Get out in the community and
perform! Even if your school doesn’t have twirlers, find ways to twirl for
others – at community centers, children’s events, talent shows, and parades.
This will not only build your confidence, but you will learn how to perform for
exhibition, not just competition, which will give you invaluable experience if
you want to twirl on a college field one day.
*Find a way
to give back* This is twofold – give
back to the community and give back to the sport. Partner with a community organization that is
your passion. Develop your personal
platform and share your message and talents with others. My pink hairpiece idea combined my love of
rhinestoning with wanting to raise awareness about Twirling for the Cure. This
campaign has resulted in twirlers all across the country wearing their pink
ribbon hairpieces and $6,300 raised for breast cancer research.
*Enjoy the
ride* As I look back, it’s hard to believe that I have been twirling for 15
years. I have so many wonderful AYOP memories – from “sparkle hunts” collecting
rhinestones off the floor, to begging my mom to stay and watch every single
rhythmic routine, to playing with my twirling friends by making up duets and
trios in the fieldhouse after competition was over. I can’t remember how I placed in every event
at AYOP, but I CAN remember each year leaving the arena after the Big Show
feeling energized and inspired. Looking
back, that’s what really mattered.
What’s next
for me? I will return to Baylor to
finish my degree in math education. Over
the next couple of years, I want to learn from my coach Patti Mickey how to be
a great role model, judge, and coach by inspiring and motivating. I eventually hope to become an NBTA certified
judge, coach a few twirlers, and of course, teach them all about THE ONE SPIN."
Twirlingly
Yours,
Caroline Carothers
Miss Texas 2016
Baylor Golden Girl Feature Twirler
