Give It A Twirl: Illusions Club Cultivates Young Skills

Baton twirling might not be a sport that gets the accolades of football or lacrosse, but it has many benefits, according to Theresa Ferree, assistant coach of the Arnold-based Illusions Twirl Club, which starts its 31st year in October.

The Illusions Twirl Club is a nonprofit organization that teaches children ages 2 to 18 the sport of baton twirling. “Baton twirling teaches [the kids] teamwork, self-confidence … [and] it promotes an ability to be more outgoing and make new friends,” Ferree said.

The club’s founder and director, Colleen Rowe, added that “when [the kids] go to the national level, there are thousands of girls from all over the United States. They have friends now from all over.”

The group accepts children of all skill levels. Youth are taught basic skills and also advanced skills so they can have something to work toward and achieve.

The kids are from mostly the Arnold area, but members also come from Severna Park, Baltimore and Southern Maryland. They participate in local parades and national competitions, and some of the girls even go to world competitions.

Some of the older girls who started twirling on the Illusions team now twirl for the Broadneck High School team.

Emily Cooper, an 18-year-old senior at Broadneck, started twirling when she was 6 years old. Cooper tried the sport because her mom wanted her on a team, and after trial and error, twirling “just clicked.”

Even though Cooper is no longer a part of the Illusions, she was on the senior-level competition team until age 16. She still plans to twirl throughout senior year and in college.

“Twirling in front of a bunch of people is my favorite. It makes me so happy to see someone smile in the audience because of something I did,” Cooper said.

Senior Sarah Okes started off twirling for the Illusions around 14 years ago. Throughout the years, Okes said that she feels that she has grown in her skill level and she is the “older kid that little me used to look up to … I’m doing what I wanted to do forever.”

Rowe started the Illusions Twirl Club 30 years ago. She twirled as a child and “just fell in love with the sport.” She has been teaching for more than 40 years and Ferree was one of Rowe’s second students she taught.

When asked about the difference between the Illusions today versus 30 years ago, Rowe said that there is less participation because of the different sports offered. However, the skill level of the children is higher, Rowe said. “The girls are doing incredible stuff that we never did,” she said.

“Our big trick was throwing [the baton in the air] and do a front walkover,” Rowe added. “Now, we have girls that are throwing [the baton] and doing two and three [walkovers].”

Ferree said that now they have girls who do back handsprings with the baton.

The organization is all run mostly by parent volunteers. Parents file paperwork, plan fundraisers and drive the bus in the parades. “All the parents pitch in and help out,” Rowe said.

The goal for this year is to recruit more kids who don’t know about the program and mainly that the girls have fun and find a sport that they love.

Practices start on October 4 at Broadneck Elementary School at 5:30pm and will continue on Thursdays. Anyone can stop by practices and register.