Aiming High: Twirling Champion

by Brooke Whiteleather

Sophomore Alaina Rongione started twirling at the young age of three.

Image courtesy of Delone Catholic

 Rongione said “I just picked up the baton and then coach started teaching me.” She has been in multiple competitions including globally. According to  Rongione, baton twirling is a sport in which a person manipulates a metal stick while performing an artist routine. Considered to e be similar to rhythmic gymnastics, however, a baton isn’t an instrument used in that style of gymnastics. 

 Rongione’s mother worked as a coach in the gym that holds baton twirling,  Rongione stated that while she was little she would “wander around the gym picking up batons that were bigger than I was” she said that she fell in love with the sport watching all the twirlers perform and seeing her mother coach. 

When asked what her greatest accomplishment was  Rongione said that she had been to World Championships and won multiple gold medals. In past conversations, she had competed at the World Competition in Italy in the summer of 2019. 

Rongione would like to continue twirling and she hopes to attend a college that includes a twirling program. She also said that she would really enjoy coaching in the future when she is an adult. 

Rongione said that some of the hardest things in twirling are injuries during the competition season. 

“Going out to perform is very stressful especially if it’s a huge competition,” she added.

When she was ten she said it was her first time competing at the World Championships and she had pulled a muscle in her leg making it very hard to perform. She said it was hard but she pushed through the injury ultimately winning a gold medal at her first World Championship.

When asked what her training schedule looks like,  Rongione said she twirls six times a week. During the week practices she trains for two to three hours, and on weekends she would train for five to six hours. Sometimes her gym will bring in other coaches from different states to help them; those practices can go on for ten hours. During the holidays,  Rongione stated that she’ll twirl for hours to prepare for the upcoming competitions that start in January.

Rongione’s competitions are very unique, as she explained, “Baton twirling competitions typically begin at 8 a.m. I like arriving at the contest at 7 to get make-up finished, to practice, and to get dressed into my costume.” 

Modeling in twirling competitions is when the athletes walk for a minute then sit and speak with the judges like an interview, according to  Rongione, which is also one of her least favorite parts of competitions. After modeling comes strut, which is when the competitors perform a routine in which their feet continue moving and you stay on beat with the music being played. She explained that during this routine you’re not allowed to throw the baton in the air. 

Later, they have events in which you toss the baton in the air and twirl it to music.  Rongione said that you can twirl solo, with a partner, with a team, or with multiple batons; these events are the ones in which they will perform at the World’s Competitions.  

Her favorite element of twirling is solo twirling.  Rongione explained that during this solo routine she gets two and a half minutes to “show off” her skills and perform the hardest ones she can manage. She stated that “This is my favorite element because I get to express my twirling ability and style through this routine.” 

She went on to explain that twirling has given her very good time management skills.  Rongione said that twirling has taught her that school comes first, in order to twirl she needs to keep her grades up and she must be on top of her homework.