GOOD HOPE, Ala. — Good Hope junior twirler Jenna Crumpton has now been in the Raider Band for five years and has had a great time with an amazing group of fellow band members. She has taken away so much from her time with the band.
“I have enjoyed twirling for the Good Hope Raider Band since seventh grade. We had lots of fun. It was a great line this year and we spent a lot of time together on and off the field. We have gotten really close. We work hard so we can be ready to put on a great show,” Crumpton said. “I’ve learned there is so much that goes into being a part of a marching band. Band members really don’t get the credit they deserve. I never realize how much hard work went into putting on a show. We get so much accomplished at band camp. It’s amazing and I have much respect for our members. I’ve learned that being a twirler takes dedication and lots of practice. I twirl competitively and we travel a lot. You really have to put the work in.”
Jenna has been traveling to different colleges as she continues to perfect her twirling skills even more. She’s had several band directors during her time at Good Hope and has learned so much from this year’s director, Josh Anderson.
“I love learning from well-known instructors. It keeps it interesting and pushes you to work harder. There is nothing like twirling at Mississippi State and UAB. Having the opportunity to twirl on both of those fields meant so much to me. MTSU was great too. I can’t wait for college tryouts at the end of my senior year. It’s an exciting time for sure,” Crumpton said. “Each band director was different, and they had their own style of teaching. You learn to go with the flow. Mr. Anderson has been a huge blessing to our program. He is about doing things the right way. He has a genuine concern for each of his students. I hope he will be at Good Hope for a long time. It means a lot to have a teacher that is always in a good mood and that stays positive. He will definitely make the band grow. We may be small, but we are mighty.”
Jenna has soaked up so much from the upperclassmen before her and she worked on a lot during band camp.
“The first and second year, I was one of the babies of the group. The older kids really took us in and were good to answer any questions we had. I was close to Aaliyah Coleman. We have been good friends from day one. She always looked out for me. Our majorette captain, Avery Flynt, and I have twirled together since the youth league. Aaliyah is like the big sister I never had. Avery and I have the mindset of going the extra mile to do our best while also having fun,” she said. “The first week, we worked on basics of marching because we had several new members. Then we learned our routines and set drill for half of our show.”
Jenna had the special privilege of competing in the Junior Olympics at the University of North Carolina and her experience was one that she will never forget.
“My experience was one I’ll never forget. I have the best coach ever. Bess Willis is amazing. She pushes me to do my best and challenges my ability every practice. Having my twirl family there to cheer me on was great. I brought home some pretty nice medals: First place in basic solo, second in Freestyle, second overall in all-around twirling, third place in the parade strut, and third place on the baton. Participating in the AAU Junior Olympics made me want to work harder for next year.”
Jenna has enjoyed her time with the band this season and has already set some goals that she wants to achieve for next season.
“My individual goal is to qualify for Nationals at Notre Dame again. My goals for band are to have the best senior year ever and get best in class awards with all-superior ratings again,” she said. “This marching season has been great. The band has sounded really good, and the majorettes had so much fun. We learned how to quick-fix routines when unexpected things happened. We got really good at that. What made this band so special to watch this year was the majorette line all twirled fire.”
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