Training via Zoom means kids can continue learning, and having fun, at home
Over the last 18 months or more many sports and youth clubs have taken a hit when it comes to membership and training but Phoenix Baton Twirlers have bucked the trend and have actually grown their club.
They achieved this through focused zoom classes during which children learned while playing games. Zoom’s whiteboard provided a good opportunity for some very creative pictionary!
“Phoenix Baton Twirlers provides an opportunity to learn something unique for children who like something different. Baton Twirling is a combination of Gymnastics, dance and skill” club coach Auveen Lynch told Drogheda Life.
“With individual and team events, there is something for everyone. Baton Twirling improves hand eye coordination, concentration, body awareness, communication and team work and all this is done with smiles and laughter.
“Baton Twirling allows athletes to learn more about confidence and fear, self-esteem and self-image, it gives the chance to realize that attitude is what makes or breaks the competition spirit, nothing else.”
Phoenix was established in 2013, by Edel Cooke, with Auveen Lynch as their head coach and has gone from strength to strength. Edel and Auveen have over 30 years’ experience in the sport and have represented Ireland at International level. They are qualified in coaching, sports psychology and are experienced with children with additional challenges.
For more entertainment Phoenix challenged their athletes to improve their splits. Every day at 7 all athletes logged on to do stretches. For weeks smiling faces filled computer screens everyday, as friends chatted while pushing themselves to improve a skill they thought was too difficult to achieve. The improvement of each athlete was amazing. Megan won a new baton for most improved split and Dani won a hoodie for best attendance. While parents got a very welcomed break as well!
Feedback from parents was great with Karen Browne Keane commenting: “The pandemic hit all athletes in all sports really badly. But just like a Phoenix, they rose to the challenge and trained the kids via zoom. They did a lot of the technical elements during the class and at the end they had the kids running all over the house putting on clothes, running up and down the stairs. The kids were having a ball not realising that they were actually keeping their fitness levels up. Not even a pandemic can stop Phoenix!”
As Phoenix is part of the Baton Twirling Sport Association of Ireland (BTSAI) their athletes got to attend a clinic in March 2021 with organised classes with champions from Europe, Japan and the USA, along with dance and acro classes free of charge for their members.
This was all done via Zoom. The Phoenix athletes got to train with the best in the World and got to chat and ask questions at the end of each session.
Phoenix is a member of the BTSAI (Baton Twirling Sport Association of Ireland), which is recognised by Sport Ireland and is the National Governing body for Baton Twirling in Ireland. They are also members of the World Baton Twirling Federation (WBTF), World Federation of National Baton Twirling Associations (WFNBTA) and International Baton Twirling Federation (IBFT).
Phoenix Baton Twirlers practice every Thursday from 6pm to 8pm in the O’Raghallaigh’s GAA Club at North Road, Drogheda. The cost is just €5 per class and new members are always welcome to try this unusual and fantastic sport.
Please contact Edel or Auveen on 086 8888 680
EMAIL: PHOENIX.TWIRL@GMAIL.COM
