Slippery Rock junior twirler looks toward future in coaching and judging

For 21-year-old dual major in public relations and political science, Emily Strickland, twirling has been a major part of her life since she was a child.

She started twirling at a young age and performed in local parades and then at age 12 she went away to twirling camp where she met her future coach who helped her become a more complete twirler.

Emily Strickland talks about meeting her coach and getting into twirling

After going to the camp, Strickland joined the National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA) and started competing against twirlers who have been competing since age three or four.

Strickland excelled in the sport and eventually won the Senior Intermediate Pageant and became the Miss Majorette of Pennsylvania. After her success in the Miss Majorette competition she went on to compete in the American Youth in Parade competitions against 38 other national and regional champions. She took home eighth place in the competition.

While she has had success in twirling, Strickland has also been able to be involved in other hobbies and sports, unlike some of the girls she twirls against who have only focused on twirling.

“I was lucky enough to be able to do other activities like play the trumpet in concert band and the piano,” Strickland said. “Some girls that I compete against have twirling as their life and don’t get to do other things they enjoy because they become so competitive in it.”

For a story in The Rocket, Strickland showed me how to do different basic tricks that ultimately get incorporated into a routine to tie everything together. 

Video of Emily Strickland teaching a single, double and triple elbow roll.

Strickland works to come up with unique ways to remember the basics of different tricks such as telling the students to imagine that their favorite Kool-Aid is sitting on the table that they make with their arm. When I was getting a lesson from Emily, she showed me how to make a figure eight with the baton acting like it was an ice cream scoop.

Video of Emily Strickland teaching how to pull of the thumb toss

After learning several different tricks and starting to put them all together, it is possible to put together a routine. Strickland shows examples of the elbow roll and thumb toss several times in her routine.

Video of Emily Strickland putting together several different tricks to create a routine.

Strickland has had a successful career in twirling but is considering retiring from twirling to become a coach and a judge.

While there may only be a limited time to see Emily twirl in front of an audience, there is a chance that she could someday be your coach if you're looking to get into twirling, and if you get good enough, she might even be your judge at a future competition. 

Emily Strickland talks about her plans for after she graduates and retires from twirling competitively. 

Pictures of Emily performing her routine.