Student Spotlight: Ashley Sheil, twirler
It was a warm August evening in Ann Arbor, where more than 100,000 fans were gathered in the Big House to watch Michigan Football take on Middle Tennessee. It was nothing like she had ever seen before. This was nearly four years ago when Ashley Sheil first fell in love with the University of Michigan. And now, the Michigan Band is thrilled to welcome her back to the Big House as a new twirler.
"I came for the Middle Tennessee game in high school and it was a crazy experience," Sheil said. "It was hard to top, and that's why I'm back. There's no other school and team compared to Michigan. A lot of people end up going to college and hating their sport, but for twirling it's kind of the opposite. Getting to represent your school and show your passion on game days is an incredible experience."
Sheil has been twirling since the age of four.
"Initially, my cousin wanted to start twirling in a local recreational program," Sheil said. "She wanted someone to twirl with her and since we are really close, she asked me. Since then, I was asked to join the competitive team and I have loved it so much."
Sheil has been twirling with the Silver Starlites her whole life, with numerous regional, state, national and world titles. This summer, the Silver Starlights will be traveling to Liverpool, England for the IBTF World Championships, where Ashley will be competing both individually and with her team.
"The competitive twirling world is very small," Sheil said. "I've made great friends with twirlers across the country that we compete against. As we graduate, everyone is so excited to see which colleges everyone is going to, and whether they will be working with the bands there. We are competitors, but also friends. We all love each other and can't wait to see where we all end up. It's also nice to see the younger girls grow in the competitive world. We get to see those relationships build. I consider my team a special little family and my coaches like second parents. It's a cool little world we all share."
Ashley Sheil is a transfer student from the University of Minnesota, majoring in Communications and Media, with a minor in History of Law and Policy.
"I am interested in pursuing a career in sports media and communications," Sheil said. "Then, in my freshman year I took a prerequisite law course and ended up really enjoying it. I want to pursue more aspects of law and public policy alongside communications. After seeing more of those aspects, I think I would be really interested in pursuing a career in the communications side of business law."
Even though balancing competitions, performances and academics can be challenging, Sheil has found ways to coordinate her practice schedule so that she can continue to prioritize academics and compete with her team.
Sheil's first collaboration with a marching band was at the college level.
"Not a lot of people at my high school really understood what twirling meant," Sheil said. "Not a lot of people really took it seriously or knew what competitions were like. In college, there's a lot more respect for the twirling community. It's such a great feeling to know that there are a lot of people who really enjoy watching what I do. There's also a lot more creative ability in the college realm. In the competitive world, my coaches choreographed everything. Yes, it was in a way that showed off my abilities and that was fitted to match my interest, but in the college realm, I make my own routines. When I get to twirl in such an isolated environment like that, they really get to see what I do. I love getting to represent the twirling world like that."
Sheil previously worked with the Minnesota Marching Band for their 2022 Fall Season, including a performance at the Pinstripe Bowl.
"I have learned so much from my time at Minnesota," Sheil said. "I love the girls I twirled with there. It's also really cool to see how a Big Ten marching band operates: learning about the traditions in pregame and seeing all the different characters in the band. I also love getting to be a part of the behind the scenes work that goes into preparing a new show each week. I have so much respect for bands and how much time goes into everything."
While transferring schools, especially at the university level, can be very stressful, Sheil's excitement and passion for her sport and her introduction to the MMB at the Spring Game have helped ease the transition.
"I'm very excited to get to go to band camp," Sheil said. "I'm interested to see how the band operates and how they are different from the Minnesota Band. It was interesting to get a sneak peak of what the band is like at the Spring Game. It felt like the start of a journey. I have always dreamed of coming here and I already love the other twirlers. I'm just so excited to experience it for real."
