Jessica Haney, USTA Professional member from Tennessee, has been involved in our sport as a competitive athlete, a collegiate twirler, a coach, and a judge. In addition, she was recently appointed as USTA's National SafeSport Compliance Officer. Inside Loop recently talked with her about her varied roles in baton twirling. Here's what she had to say.
Inside Loop: Jessica, tell us about your time as an athlete, and why you decided to continue as a coach and judge.
Haney: I began twirling when I was five years old with the Tennessee Twirlers and started competing with them when I was six years old. Initially I was terrified and did not want to go out on the floor to compete. I am grateful for the baton twirling friends I made, and am still friends with to this day, who encouraged me to keep going. I continued to fall in love with the sport which provided me with many state, regional, and national titles, as well as the opportunity to represent the U.S. in the International Cup from 2005 to 2009. I knew I wanted to continue twirling in college to have fun with the sport and share it with everyone. I grew up going to the Ole Miss games to watch my coach, Kelly Miller, so it was a dream to be able to perform at the collegiate level, especially at a big SEC school. I was blessed to have received one of the feature twirler positions at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) from 2010-2014. After performing, I knew I did not want to give up baton twirling, so I began coaching full time with the Tennessee Twirlers along with earning my judge’s certification. It has been beneficial to have gone through both certifications to know and understand the fundamentals from a coach’s and judge’s point of view.
Inside Loop: Why were you willing to become USTA's National SafeSport Compliance Officer, and what will you be doing in that position?
Haney: I became the SafeSport officer because I believe that everyone should feel safe while doing something that they love. I felt that I could bring my clinical knowledge to the program and help provide that to our athletes. I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work and am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). I have been working in this field for almost 10 years while helping children and families work through and process their traumatic experiences along with encouraging and building their skills. I hope to be a safe space for our athletes and members to talk through challenges that they may not feel comfortable expressing otherwise.
Inside Loop: Finally, tell us three things the twirling world might not know about you.
Haney: Three things the twirling world may not know is that I enjoy traveling, I love hanging out with my golden retriever, Miss Magnolia, and I love reading. I read 133 books in 2024 and am about to start my 10th book of 2025.