Twirling at Nationals
Over 50 athletes from New Brunswick will complete at four different levels as the 2008 Canadian Baton Twirling Championships come to Moncton
"Baton twirling isn't what it used to be," says Brenda Arsenault-LeBlanc. "It's a serious sport, and our athletes are trained in gymnastics and dance as well as twirling."
Brenda is coach and director of Club Baton Atlantik in the Moncton area, and events co-ordinator for the Canadian Baton Twirling Championships, which take place at the CEPS of l'Université de Moncton from June 28 to July 3.
This is the 27th annual national championship, and athletes from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia will be competing.
For the first time, New Brunswick's contingent is the largest at 56, a long way from the 15 participants last time the nationals were in Moncton, in 2002.
"Our athletes knew a year in advance that we would be hosting nationals this year," says Brenda, "and I think both the coaches and the athletes worked that much harder to qualify to be here."
Baton twirlers must qualify in provincial championships to compete at nationals. For beginners and those who didn't qualify but still want the experience of a national competition, though, there is an open class at the Championships.
New Brunswick has only a few athletes in the open class this year.
"You'll see six- and seven-year-olds competing," says Brenda. "It's wonderful to see what our sport does for these kids. They work on hand-eye co-ordination, discipline, and responsibility.
"Even the youngest ones learn to get ready by themselves, to get changed and come out for their next routine," she continues. "And the older ones learn to balance the sport with school, work and so on."
Baton twirling has four levels of competition: Level C is beginners; BN is beginner novice; BI beginner intermediate, and Level A is the elite level.
200 athletes will compete at all levels, with perhaps the most attention and drama focussed on the Level A competitors.
Those in that category whose routines excel here in Moncton will be selected for Canada's National team, which competes in the World Baton Twirling Championships in Ireland in August.
Some 15 countries will vie for the world title, including Japan, Australia, South Africa, the US, and several European countries. New Brunswick has one athlete competing at the A Level.
"I've been coaching baton twirling for 24 years," Brenda says, "and I'm not intending to stop any time soon. I started twirling when I was 13, in Dieppe. I have no kids of my own, but the 80 athletes in my club are like my kids.
"If I wasn't so busy with them and my full-time job at the Military Family Resource Centre, I'd start a class for the parents who are always asking for coaching."
Compared with other sports, baton twirling is relatively inexpensive to get involved with recreationally. Should a baton twirler decide to become more serious about the sport and take part in competitions, then further expenses are incurred for entry fees and extra practice time.
There is a national badge programme in which a badge is granted for each test a participant passes.
The Championships are open to the public and there is no admission charge. A full schedule is posted at cbtf.ca/canadians2008/schedule.
Brenda invites everyone to come out and support local athletes in this lesser-known but challenging sport.
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