Baton Twirling: Summer Olympics 2012

The music begins and my heart is racing. I start to twirl the baton in my hand and
my heart fills with joy. A smile appears upon my face as I catch the last trick in my
routine. My hands sweat as I look up into the stands at my friends and family and wait
patiently for my results. My scores flash before my eyes and I smile once again at a job
well done. This is the sport of Baton Twirling, and this is my life.

To some, Baton Twirling may seem like a stupid, ditsy hobby- but to me baton
twirling is a competitive, hard working sport. I have been twirling since the age of six ( I
am 17 now) and have competed in two international cups (one in Rome, one in
Minnesota) and one World Championships (in 2007 in Canada) in which my
team and I placed second (Silver) and Japan received first (Gold). I have competed in 10
National Championships and have placed within the top 6 at many of them. Because of
my amazing experiences with baton twirling, and because I have been privileged to
witness some of the amazing talent baton twirling has to offer – I believe baton twirling
should be an Olympic sport. Baton twirling involves many elements that other sports in
the Olympics have. Gymnastics is definitely something baton twirling uses- as athletes do
cartwheels, walkovers, leaps and many other gymnastic types of movement under a
baton. If anything, baton twirling could be put in with rhythmic gymnastics because it is
basically the same thing except they are using a baton instead of a ribbon or a ball. In a
recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jason Lee, a twirling veteran and a role
model in the sport, says “It’s frustrating, and it’s angering . . . We spend as much money
and as much time and care as much as any Olympic athlete.” I know Jason personally and
have seen him twirl on many occasions, and he is amazing! It is a shame that the whole
world doesn’t get to see what he has to offer. I completely agree with him by the way.
Another national champion and veteran of the sport, 24 year-old Liane Aramaki says “It
has sometimes been really frustrating for me… At my age, I’ll never have the chance to
compete in the Olympics, but for younger twirlers there may be that possibility.” This is
very true… To those of you who think baton twirling is just a geeky, silly event and will
never be in the Olympics- look out. It’s only a matter of time before the sport of Baton
Twirling gets the respect it deserves.

Libby Wilson