A twirl for success

All around the UConn campus, there are plenty of championship banners for winning teams. But there's a couple of national champs who don't even play a recognized sport like baton twirling.

Some are born to do it like Alyssa Kane. "Hi, my name is Alyssa Kane and I'm a University of Connecticut feature twirler."

Her mom twirled in Storrs. Others are made. "Hi, my name is Alyssa McLaughlin and I'm a UConn feature twirler."

Their firsts names are a coincidence. Their ability is a commitment. "I started baton twirling when I was 4-years-old," McLaughlin said.

"I've been twirling since basically I came out of the womb," Kane said.

Together they make a pretty good team. "At nationals, when we compete, everyone always comments, 'Oh UConn has the best pair of twirlers in the country,'" said Kane.

Every year, they compete among the nations best. Both have earned national honors for their work. "Baton twirling has opened up the world to me," said Kane.

"My favorite performance that I've actually done was I traveled to Germany, performed for American Army troops based there," McLaughlin said.

The twirling Alyssa's put in hours of work a week. They train as part of the UConn band, basketball games, football games. And, they play to some of the schools biggest crowds.

All their moves, twists and turns are practiced before they perform.

"Do I ever miss? Oh absolutely, no ones perfect," McLaughlin said.

"Ya you do miss it," said Kane.

Sometimes it hurts. "I've been bopped in the head so many times over the years, I've had two broken noses, I've had few black eyes and I've knocked out a tooth," McLaughlin said.

Who would have known that twirling a baton is a contact sport?