The Campbell Reporter | August 7, 2002

August 7, 2002 Campbell, California Since 1999

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Twist and Dance: The Campbell Valley Baton Club won first place in the National Baton Twirling Championships last month. (From left) Jenna Piraro, Jennie Chappell, Stacey Tudor, Kathleen Roberts and Ashley Toledo.

Campbell baton club wins national championship

By Amy Jenkins

Wearing bright pink and black costumes, the Campbell Valley Baton Club is eager to demonstrate the baton-twirling routine that earned them first place in the National Baton Twirling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last month.

With the Bee Gee's song, "You Should Be Dancing," on the stereo, the five-member team—ranging in age from 12 to 14—all move in syncopation, throwing batons into the air, dancing, twirling and doing cartwheels.

With a near-perfect performance, it comes as no surprise that the twirlers beat out 10 other top teams in their division. Yet the group has only been together since September.

The last national title won by the club was in 1999.

After the group took first place at the California State Baton Twirling Championship in May, coach Sharon Campbell decided to send this team to the nationals. A younger club team had also placed first at the state championship, but Campbell felt the older team was better prepared.

"This team was a little older and had more seasoned athletes," says Campbell, who was a baton twirler in high school and has taught the sport for 45 years.

"They could stand the pressure of a long week, which required expelling lots of energy," she says.

The team, named Master Plan, includes 14-year-old Del Mar High School students Jenna Piraro and Ashley Toledo; Redwood Middle School students Stacey Tudor, 13, and Kathleen Roberts,12, and Jennifer Chappell, 12, who attends Rolling Hills Middle School.

"I like being on a team and knowing my team is very supportive and always there for me," says Piraro, who has been twirling for nine years. "It is like being part of a family."

It was Roberts', Toledo's and Chappell's first national championship and Tudor's second. It was Piraro's fifth time competing in a national championship but her first win.

The girls excelled in the individual categories, with Roberts awarded three first-place trophies, Tudor two first-place trophies, and Toledo a third-place trophy.

Toledo says she was thrilled by her placement, after competing against 18 more experienced athletes.

Leslie Roberts, Kathleen's mother, says she sees many benefits from the sport of baton twirling. "It has boosted my daughter's self-confidence and ability to get in front of people. She was inspired by world champions at the nationals. I thought she was shy, but she loves performing. This is a nice side of her to see."

The club was started by Sharon Campbell 22 years ago and operates out of the Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Ave. It offers three competitive classes, two recreational classes and private instruction by four experienced coaches and assistants.

Campbell says girls become interested in baton twirling for various reasons; they receive a baton as a holiday present or have an interest in gymnastics and dancing, which are key elements in the sport.

The challenge was teaching young girls "John Travolta moves" and "how people danced in the 1970s, before they were born," says Paige Campbell, 34, Sharon Campbell's daughter, who also helped coach the team and choreographed the club's routine. Another challenge was making the team members look like they were moving in unison—a goal that was made more difficult by the five different body sizes.

Roberts, the smallest and newest member, had to work the hardest, Paige notes. She had to toss a baton several sizes too big for her because many times during the routine team members exchange batons. A baton is typically custom fit by measuring the length from the inside of a student's arm to the fingertips.

Costumes also differ because of the girls' varying heights and body sizes—some girls wear pants and some wear skirts.

"Teams look better wearing the exact same costumes, but it is hard to make these girls look exactly alike," Sharon says. "But the girls designed their own costumes and we've gotten many compliments on them."

As a team, there were challenges for everyone. During the most difficult part of the routine, one girl tosses three batons at once, then two girls toss two batons, then everyone tosses a baton and does cartwheels underneath. The team is judged on the degree of difficulty of the trick. They also must toss the baton at the same rate of speed and at the same height, Sharon says.

"Nationals was the first time they did this perfectly," Paige says. "It sent chills down my spine."

All the hard work and weekly practices during the 10-month season paid off when the team got first place, Paige says. Now the team is looking forward to next year's national championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. They will resume practicing in September with the same team members but a brand-new routine.