By Rubin E. Grant
Sally Otts was a nervous wreck.
Even though she had just won the Senior Level A Three-Baton competition at the 2022 U.S. Twirling Association’s National Baton Twirling Championships, Otts was still on edge.
That’s because her younger sister Susan Otts still had to compete on the junior level in the national championships, which took place July 11-16 in Stockton, California.
“I was stressed,” Sally Otts said. “I was on the edge of my seat because I knew how bad she wanted it. We do fight, because we’re sisters, but I always support her.”
Earlier, Susan Otts was just as stressed watching Sally compete. In the three-baton, the batons must be kept moving at all times.
“I am her biggest fan,” Susan Otts said. “I was very nervous. I was up there holding my hands the entire time, saying, ‘don’t drop the baton.’”
She didn’t drop her baton, and Sally Otts qualified for the 2023 World Baton Twirling Championship & Nations Cup being held Aug. 4-13 in Liverpool, England. Her sister also earned a trip to Liverpool next summer by winning the Junior Level A X-Strut and placing third in Junior Level A Artistic Twirl.
“It’s very exciting that both of us made it,” Susan Otts said. “When Sally qualified, it pushed me to do what I needed to do to qualify.”
The sisters also qualified as members of Forte Twirl & Dance in Atlanta, where both are coached by Colleen Middleton. They qualified with Forte to compete in the Artistic Group team division at the Nations Cup.
Oak Mountain freshman majorette Grier Feldman also qualified in Junior 2 Baton during the USTA Nationals for the competition in Liverpool. Feldman, whose dad, Zachary Feldman, is the majorette sponsor at Oak Mountain, is close friends with the Otts sisters.
“We’ve known each other for a long time, so it’s great we’re going to England together,” Susan Otts said of Grier Feldman.
This will be Sally Otts’ second time competing internationally. In 2019, she competed in Limoges, France, in Junior Level A Three-Baton and Artistic Group with Forte and placed in the top eight in both.
“It’s incredibly exciting to qualify again,” Sally Otts said. “The first time, I’d never done qualifying competition before, so it was all new to me and a super big surprise when I made the team. This time I was working hard to make it, so it was another level of expectations. All my hard work paid off, but it was also a feeling of relief, too, so I could enjoy the rest of my summer.”
Sisters Share Passion With Their Mother
Sally Otts has been twirling for 14 years. She graduated from Oak Mountain High School in 2021 and now is a sophomore at the University of Alabama, double majoring in finance and economics and minoring in management communication.
She also is in her second year as a Crimsonette with Alabama’s Million Dollar Band, following in the footsteps of her mother, Anne Otts. Anne (Hardison) Otts was a majorette in high school and in the band at Alabama in the late 1980s, and that’s where she met her husband, Jody Otts, who was also a member of the band.
Sally Otts’ two older brothers are also in the Million Dollar Band. Cole, a senior, plays trombone, and Thomas, a junior, plays trumpet.
Sally Otts started twirling because of her mother, who grew up in Florence and twirled at what then was Bradshaw High School.
“I definitely get twirling from my mother,” Sally Otts said. “I was 5 and she signed me up for recreation classes and I just loved it.”
Susan Otts has been twirling for 11 years. She is a junior at Oak Mountain and majorette co-captain.
“I started twirling because of my sister,” Susan Otts said. “I would go watch her and it looked like fun, so I decided I wanted to do it, too.”
Anne Otts is absolutely delighted her daughters became twirlers.
“I couldn’t be more happy about my girls twirling,” she said. “I believe you are born with a passion for twirling or not. I discovered the sport in elementary school and longed to be a majorette. I introduced my girls casually to twirling in kindergarten through an after-school recreation program at Oak Mountain Elementary. I never forced it on them, they fell in love with it on their own.
“I’m so proud of their hard work and accomplishments. They surpassed my meager twirling skills years ago. I could only dream of twirling like them.”
The sisters are not cookie-cutter twirlers. They are quite different.
“We’re both our own person with our own skill set,’ Sally Otts said. “I love twirling multiple batons and doing power twirling with tosses, which requires strength. Susan is like a ballerina. She’s so graceful.”
“I am more of a dancer, an artistic twirler,” said Susan Otts, whose events combine twirling with dance and gymnastics.
Susan Otts is a two-time Strut National Champion – 2022 16-year-old Strut Champion and 2021 15-year-old Strut Champion.
“I love performing,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much until the last two years. I have a floor routine and I can’t lose focus. I love twirling before the judges and captivating them.”
