THE SUPERBOWL OF TWIRLING CONTESTS
AYOP General Information
1. DATES AND LOCATION	AYOP is officially in session Tuesday through Saturday. All AYOP events are held in the Joyce Center at the University of Notre Dame. The huge facility contains an arena, a fieldhouse, and three gymnasiums, plus numerous other special rooms. The building is not available for practice on Monday, although at times, it may be possible to enter for a walk-through inspection.
2. HELP WITH HOUSING	Housing in the South Bend, Indiana area is tight during AYOP week, but help is available by contacting the South Bend Visitors Bureau at 401 E. Colfax Ave., Suite 310/PO Box 1677 South Bend, Indiana 46634-1677. Telephone 800-828-7881 Fax 574-289-0358  www.exploresouthbend.org
3. REGISTRATION	AYOP registration is handled by mail prior to AYOP in order to save valuable time. Contact AYOP headquarters, PO Box 266, Janesville, Wisconsin 53547 Telephone 608-754-2238 Fax 608-754-1986 Email - baton@americanbaton.com
4. CONFIRMATION	Each participant will receive a computer printout indicating contests and age division entered. Group directors will be sent a separate printout for each group member. All corrections must be made prior to AYOP, either by letter, telephone or fax, no later than mid-July. Don't wait until you arrive at Notre Dame to ask for changes. Directors of groups are responsible for making corrections prior to AYOP.
5. AYOP HEADQUARTERS	The MONOGRAM ROOM, on the second floor of the Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center, is headquarters for AYOP. Monogram Room hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm. Tuesday through Saturday
6. CONTESTANT'S AGE RULE	A contestant's age on September 1 of the previous year determines his or her competitive age for the entire contest year from that September 1^st through August 31 of this year. In other words, you actual age last September 1 is your competitive age at AYOP.
7. STARTING LETTERS	Each year's first day start letter advances 7 letters. Corps will be assigned starting times in advance. See schedule for this year’s letters.
8. PARKING & ADMISSION FEES	During AYOP, there will be no extra charge for daily parking (C-1 lot, south of Joyce Center) or for admission to the Joyce Center where all contestants and events are held. For the convenience of participants, parents, and spectators, the cost of daily parking and admission to the Joyce Center have been amortized into the entry fees. (Parking directly behind the building is reserved for Notre Dame employees.)
9. SEATING	Tickets and passes are not needed.
10. FOOD SERVICE	Generally speaking, food service on the upper level of the Joyce Center will be open daily from 9:00am until about 7:00pm Tuesday through Saturday.
11. LANE ASSIGNMENTS	A lane assignment sheet, indicating which lanes contestants are to report to for the open strut, two-baton, open twirl, flag twirl and duets contest will be mailed to each individual and group leader just before AYOP. A copy will be also be posted in the Monogram Room.
12. LINEUP OF CONTESTANTS	A lineup of contestants will be posted just outside of the Monogram Room. You must performed as assigned. No one is permitted to "jockey" for position.
13. MASTER SCHEDULE	Any last minute changes in the AYOP schedule of events will be noted on the master schedule posted in the Monogram Room.
14. ORDER FOR CORPS	Order will be determined by drawing at the Corps Director's meeting on Monday in the Monogram room.
15. RESULTS	After results are announced at a contest, they are taken to the Monogram Room for recording, typing and posting. Results are posted on top of the respective printouts on the wall just outside the Monogram Room. Late afternoon and evening contests will be posted the following morning.
16. SCORE SHEETS	For your convenience, score sheets in the Monogram Room will be placed in piles corresponding to the first letter for your last name.
17. AWARDS	In an effort to provide AYOP winners with innovative recognition, group and solo 1st place winners will receive a beautiful plaque. Second and third-place winners and beginner and intermediate winners will receive a Wreath trophy (the kind that can be used on a desk or book shelf).  Each of the awards will feature the distinctive AYOP emblem. For your convenience, plaques and medals for most solo events may be picked up in the awards section of the Monogram Room upon receiving your score sheet. If you are a winner, take your sheet to the awards desk to receive your award. Awards and score sheets not picked up at the end of a contest may be claimed the following morning in the Monogram Room.   Awards for these contests will be presented at the respective contests.
	CORPS - at Corps final on Friday
	TEAM AWARDS - Directors and members are reminded that all awards for competitions held during the week will be presented Saturday morning as part of the Grand Team Finals.
	BEGINNER & INTERMEDIATE PAGEANT - Awards will be presented in the arena on Thursday afternoon.
	MISS MAJORETTE OF AMERICA - Four youngest division in the arena on Friday afternoon.
	SOLO CHAMPIONSHIPS - Winners of the twirloffs, strutoffs, two-baton twirloff, advanced duets twirloffs, National Collegiate and Men's Nationals will be presented in the fieldhouse on Friday evening.
	MISS MAJORETTE OF AMERICA - College and teenage divisions will be presented at the big show on Saturday.
18. GROUP NAMES	Address any team name concerns well before AYOP begins by contacting AYOP.
19. CONFLICTS IN SCHEDULING	If you plan to compete in competitions being held simultaneously, be sure to report to the appropriate director/starters in each event. It is the contestant's obligation to continually check in with the judge/director. The definition of a conflict is when a contestant is expected to perform in two or more lanes within a 20-minute period. A conflict "is not" when a contestant is entered in two contests during the same part of the day, but when the contestant is to perform at the same time.
20. PRIORITY FOR NATIONAL	The National Majorette Contest and the Little Big One contests have priority over other contests being held during the same time period. A contestant must appear in described order. Contestant should report in advance to other contests so arrangements can be made.
MAJORETTE CONTEST
AND LITTLE BIG ONE
21. NO DOUBLE ENTERING	Excerpt for NBTA rules "Double entering is NOT allowed at official state, regional and national events nor at any multi-skilled pageant event." If two divisions (i.e. Novice and Beginner) are marked, you will be entered in the higher division.
22. SAFETY FIRST RULES	Gymnastics stunts are not allowed in any type of NBTA sanctioned contest. You can be disqualified if using (a) body aerials, (b) walkovers, (c) cartwheels, (d) butterflies and/or (e) somersaults on the floor. Cheer, pom and dance groups are also reminded that body mounts and body throws are not permitted.
23. PRACTICING	One of the best areas in which to practice during AYOP is the large open spaces in the upper arena area, just behind the folded seats. At NO time should one twirl a baton or practice in the glass-encased concourse where the cafeteria is located or in any low-ceiling area or near offices. The J.A.C.C. is available to AYOP Tuesday through Saturday and is not available to twirlers on Monday. Gyms may not be used for practice purposes. No early morning corps practicing except on the parking lot in back of the Athletic and Convocation Center.
	Courtesy and common sense should be displayed at AYOP. Blankets - Families should not use a blanket on the floor near a contest or heavily traveled area. Such a practice can be dangerous and discourteous to others. Baby Equipment - Portable baby equipment should not be near a contest floor. Smoking - If you want to smoke, go outside where it won't interfere with others. The key to safety and fairness is common sense and courtesy.
24. BLANKETS, BABY
EQUIPMENT & NO
SMOKING
25. MARK YOUR ITEMS	Mark all of you personal possessions with your name and if possible your address. A lost-and-found box is located in the Monogram Room.
26. WALKING SHOES	Avoid foot blisters during AYOP by wearing your sneakers or running shoes when walking the nearly eight miles of hallways in the Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center.
27. SLOW LANES	Because one large event follows another on a tight schedule, should a competition be completed except for a slow lane(s), AYOP reserves the right to move the slow lane(s) to another area so the next competition may begin.
28. NURSES STATION	The nurses station is located on the ground floor near gate 6. Nurses are at the First Aid Station from 8am to 10pm.
29. NO PRACTICE STUDIO	Available practice areas during AYOP are for all participants and not for individuals to block off areas to conduct lessons. AYOP has received complaints that some teachers have used the Joyce Center as a studio to hold paid lessons.
30. REST IS IMPORTANT	The biggest mistake AYOP participants make is NOT scheduling sufficient rest time during AYOP. A short nap might be just the "fresher upper" needed for the long days. Take advantage of time when you can run back to the motel for a short rest. Pace yourself by planning your activities and "rest times" with equal thought.
31. HELP	If you still need advice, tips, suggestions or help getting untangled after reading all of these details, merely stop by the information desk in the Monogram Room and visit with one of the smiling faces.
32. BATON TWIRLING WEEK	The week of July 20th has been designated as National Baton Twirling Week. Governors and officials across the nation will be signing special proclamations. If you would like to have a copy of the proclamation for use on the local level, merely write: Twirling Week Proclamation, Box 266, Janesville, WI 53547.
33. DISCOUNTED BATON AND	Twirling supplies and batons will be available at a discount price during AYOP. For your convenience, a baton supply area will be maintained in the Monogram Room.
TWIRLING SUPPLIES
34. FOREIGN LANGUAGE	The geographic scope of AYOP has become like a small United Nations, bringing together twirlers of many lands. The "international scope" at AYOP is beautiful to behold. If you would like to be a part-time volunteer hostess/host and help guide twirlers with different languages around AYOP, let us hear from you. An ability to speak a foreign language is obviously helpful.
HOSTESSES/HOSTS
35. BRING A CAMERA	No doubt you will want to record your many exciting and valuable memories of AYOP. There are historical and beautiful spots of interest on campus. Following AYOP you are invited to submit your best snapshot for possible publication in the DrumMajor magazine.
36. OVERSEAS TWIRLER	Though not often publicized, twirlers attending AYOP from overseas, non-North American nations attend AYOP entry-free. This gesture of goodwill is meant to encourage fellowship among twirlers of all nations.
GUESTS
37. EXPERIENCED CLERKS	If you are an apprentice judge or an experienced contest clerk who is interested in clerking for an AYOP judge, let us hear from you.

38. RESULTS ONLINE

AYOP results since 2005 are online at www.batontwirling.com and clicking on AYOP.  We hope to provide the same coverage this year.