Information for Filling Out the Forms
General Contest Information
USTA MEMBERSHIP: All contestants (including those participating in events for evaluation only) must be athlete members of USTA. The Twirler's membership number MUST accompany entries. Click here to join the USTA. Notice that for families with twirling siblings, the second twirler can join USTA with a "family membership," which is less expensive.
USTA 'Non-Member Fee': If you are not a USTA member, you must join for one day in order to compete in an OBC contest. This cannot be used for National Championships. A twirler may only use "member for a day" for one year.
AGES: When filling out entry forms, give the age the twirler will be on Aug. 31 of the year of the contest. This means one may be placed in an age group that isn't their age on that exact day, which may confuse some children.
FOUNDATION EVENTS are presentation, basic march, military march, and parade march, which are recognized by USTA. The Oregon Baton Council has also added Trick Meet, Pre-2-baton, Juggling/3-Baton Trick Meet, and Apparatus Twirling to encourage beginning twirlers to expand their skills.
CONTEST ADMISSION & PROGRAMS: No admission will be charged at Oregon contests. However, each contest sponsor will charge a fee for their printed program.
SURCHARGE: Expenses for the average contest are $2000 or more! These expenses include judge's fees, travel expense for judges, facility fees, custodial fees, awards, decorations, USTA sanction fees, etc. Therefore, each contest will charge a surcharge per entry form.
PROCESSING FEE: Contest directors spend a large amount of time processing entries with numerous mistakes. To help offset the many hours spent correcting these mistakes, there is a refundable processing fee. If your entry form is filled out correctly and completely, you will get a refund!
SOME COMMON MISTAKES ARE:
STATE CHAMPIONS: At the State Championship contest, the winners from each level will advance to the finals for each division.
LIABILITY: Neither schools or contest directors are responsible for lost or stolen articles or injuries.
AWARDS: Each contest director may decide what awards (trophies, ribbons, medallions, certificates) are given at each contest. Contest directors strive to make their events special for all twirlers, while working within a limited budget. A winner may get a trophy at one contest and a rosette for the winning the same event at the next contest. That's up to the contest director. The "Footlights" contest is unique in that it is a "recycled trophy" contest, with all awards donated by past Oregon champions. Please encourage your twirler to appreciate these special awards for their historical value.
LAWN CHAIRS AT COMPETITIONS: Sorry folks. The policy of most of the schools that we rent is that for fire safety reasons, we can't have audience members sitting in their own folding lawn chairs in the gyms. We suggest that you look into the padded, supported bleacher chairs available at most sporting goods stores. Accommodations will be made for handicapped fans, of course.
USTA MEMBERSHIP: All contestants (including those participating in events for evaluation only) must be athlete members of USTA. The Twirler's membership number MUST accompany entries. Click here to join the USTA. Notice that for families with twirling siblings, the second twirler can join USTA with a "family membership," which is less expensive.
USTA 'Non-Member Fee': If you are not a USTA member, you must join for one day in order to compete in an OBC contest. This cannot be used for National Championships. A twirler may only use "member for a day" for one year.
AGES: When filling out entry forms, give the age the twirler will be on Aug. 31 of the year of the contest. This means one may be placed in an age group that isn't their age on that exact day, which may confuse some children.
FOUNDATION EVENTS are presentation, basic march, military march, and parade march, which are recognized by USTA. The Oregon Baton Council has also added Trick Meet, Pre-2-baton, Juggling/3-Baton Trick Meet, and Apparatus Twirling to encourage beginning twirlers to expand their skills.
CONTEST ADMISSION & PROGRAMS: No admission will be charged at Oregon contests. However, each contest sponsor will charge a fee for their printed program.
SURCHARGE: Expenses for the average contest are $2000 or more! These expenses include judge's fees, travel expense for judges, facility fees, custodial fees, awards, decorations, USTA sanction fees, etc. Therefore, each contest will charge a surcharge per entry form.
PROCESSING FEE: Contest directors spend a large amount of time processing entries with numerous mistakes. To help offset the many hours spent correcting these mistakes, there is a refundable processing fee. If your entry form is filled out correctly and completely, you will get a refund!
SOME COMMON MISTAKES ARE:
- No current U.S.T.A. membership number included
- Adult forgetting to sign the entry form
- Not adding surcharge and processing fee (must pay both)
- Incorrect addition
- Unreadable handwriting
- Entering the incorrect level or event and phoning later to make changes, except in the case where a twirler just recently moved up a level after winning in a different contest. If this contest entry deadline is before you win and move up to a new level, you can still enter at your previous level.
- Phoning later to add or delete an event. Depending on how complete the program already is when you call, the contest director may or may not accept any changes.
STATE CHAMPIONS: At the State Championship contest, the winners from each level will advance to the finals for each division.
LIABILITY: Neither schools or contest directors are responsible for lost or stolen articles or injuries.
AWARDS: Each contest director may decide what awards (trophies, ribbons, medallions, certificates) are given at each contest. Contest directors strive to make their events special for all twirlers, while working within a limited budget. A winner may get a trophy at one contest and a rosette for the winning the same event at the next contest. That's up to the contest director. The "Footlights" contest is unique in that it is a "recycled trophy" contest, with all awards donated by past Oregon champions. Please encourage your twirler to appreciate these special awards for their historical value.
LAWN CHAIRS AT COMPETITIONS: Sorry folks. The policy of most of the schools that we rent is that for fire safety reasons, we can't have audience members sitting in their own folding lawn chairs in the gyms. We suggest that you look into the padded, supported bleacher chairs available at most sporting goods stores. Accommodations will be made for handicapped fans, of course.