2023 U.S. PreTrials and Athlete of the Year Order of Appearance

Athletes from across the country will compete in the prestigious U.S. PreTrials competition on Tuesday, July 11, and the Athlete of the Year (AOTY) competition on Wednesday, July 12, at the U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships, being held July 11-15, in the Silver Spurs Arena, located at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. The competitions are supported by the Greater Orlando Sports Commission and are free and open to the public.

The U.S. PreTrials program is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing programs offered by USTA. It is designed to prepare athletes, coaches, and judges for the prestigious U.S. Trials program.

The U.S. PreTrials program is available to individuals, pairs, and teams. It has four levels of competition: A, AA, AAA, and Elite. The first three levels have content restrictions to ensure that athletes are utilizing the proper skills by performing movements that are of their ability level.

All Juvenile, Junior and Senior A, AA, and AAA individual athletes compete in Compulsories and Freestyle. Junior and Senior Elite athletes compete in Short Program and Freestyle.

The A Level is offered only at USTA regional competitions. AA, AAA, and Elite Level athletes must receive a qualifying score at a regional competition to continue to the U.S. PreTrials.

The Athlete of the Year (AOTY) event is an all-around competition that gives Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced athletes the opportunity to compete in Solo, Strut, and 2-Baton, as well as an essay question for Beg. and Int. athletes and an interview for Adv. athletes.

The Athlete of the Year competition begins at the regional level. Athletes must compete in the region where they reside. An athlete's level in Solo determines which division (Beg., Int. or Adv.) they enter. At each of USTA's five regional championships, there is one round of competition in Solo, 2-Baton, and Strut. Based on combined scores, the top three athletes in each division (Beg., Int. and Adv.) qualify for the national Athlete of the Year competition, which is held during the U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships.

At the national level, qualifying athletes compete in Solo, 2-Baton, and Strut. In addition, Beg. and Int. athletes complete an essay question (which will be provided in advance), while Adv. athletes compete in a live interview.

Good luck to all athletes competing in the U.S. PreTrials and Athlete of the Year competitions!!