Holy Trinity Catholic School was filled with baton twirlers and instructors this past Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2.
They were there for the Alberta Baton Twirling Association's (ABTA) fall training camp. This was the first time the camp had been held in Olds.
A total of 84 people from across Alberta participated. About 62 attended a two-day competitive camp and another 22 attended a one-day camp at the school. Instructors came from as far away as Tennessee and Texas. Some came from Regina and Winnipeg as well.
Normally the camp is held in either Calgary or Edmonton, but local baton twirling and dance instructor Jenna Jemieff said they decided to hold it here for several reasons.
For one thing, Jemieff is on the ABTA board as its technical representative.
Also, she says the Alberta Baton Twirling Association Provincial Championships held this spring (April 29-May 1) at the Ralph Klein Centre were a big hit with all involved.
“Everyone really liked the community; everyone loved the facilities,” Jemieff says.
“It's halfway between a lot of our athletes who are both in Calgary and Edmonton, and it's a lower cost than renting some of the major facilities in Calgary and Edmonton.
“It's a good place to host it because it's a great community, it's central for all our athletes and the price is right for the facilities we could get.”
Jemieff co-coordinated the camp with ABTA staff in Edmonton.
Local students tended to participate in the one-day pre-competitive camp on Saturday.
That camp was essentially for beginner and novice twirlers in their first or second year of baton twirling.
“This (was) an opportunity for them to work with different instructors and to develop some new skills,” Jemieff says.
Participants at the camp learned several skills including using two and three batons. They also learned different choreographies – ways of twirling their batons to music.
“One of our instructors at the camp is a sports psychology professor at the University of Manitoba.
“She was a world level baton-twirling athlete. She attended numerous world championships and then went on to complete her PhD in sports psychology, and she is a coach and a judge in Canada,” Jemieff says.
“We love to hire her out because not only is she a great coach, but she's also going to be giving the students some sports psychology classes as well.”
Jemieff notes 27 students are taking baton twirling in Olds this year.
"It's a good place to host it because it's a great community, it's central for all our athletes and the price is right for the facilities we could get." JENNA JEMIEFFINSTRUCTOR INSPIRE BATON TWIRLING CLUB
