Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

LGHS junior Marissa McLean twirls the baton with the school's marching band. This summer, she twirled in world competition in Lyon, France.

This summer was a twirl for Los Gatan Marissa McLean

By Michelle Alaimo

Los Gatan Marissa McLean may speak softly, but she carries a big stick--a stick that has taken her all the way to the 1998 Baton Twirling World Championships in Lyon, France.

The Los Gatos High School junior was one of eight Americans representing the United States in the little-known sport. While the United States did not take a medal in the competition, held Aug. 6-9, the team did place fourth.

Marissa earned the privilege of going to France after she and her team placed first in the United States National Team Trials, held in July in Colorado Springs, Colo.

As a baton twirler with the LGHS Wildcat Marching Band, Marissa wishes the sport of competitive baton twirling had more recognition.

"A lot of people try telling me baton twirling is not a real sport," Marissa says. "I get really, really mad."

Marissa's mother, Cecilia, who has coached national and world baton-twirling champions in the U.S., Europe and Japan over the past 15 years, explains that baton twirling is a demanding sport. Twirling requires a lot of floor tumbling, stamina, creativity and artistic expression, Cecilia says.

Marissa, who was also in gymnastics until age 14, says her conditioning from gymnastics has helped her tremendously, especially in avoiding any major injuries. However, Marissa says she does occasionally get typical twirling injuries including jamming her thumb on the baton or bruises from the baton hitting her.

Marissa, who says she never wanted to twirl but suddenly decided to one day at age 11, said she is glad she waited until she was older. "I probably wouldn't have gotten as far," Marissa says.

The 15-year-old comes from a family of baton twirlers. Her mother is a former national champion, and her uncle is a former national and world champion.

But Marissa says she does not feel too much pressure from her family and that it helps that her mother isn't her coach. Marissa, who has ranked in the sport nationally for the past three years, hopes to move into individual competitions this year and compete in the national championships in Florida next year.

Cecilia says the baton twirling has now come full circle in her family because 15 years ago, her first international competition was also in France. Now she says, it's Marissa's turn to share the spotlight.

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