Positive Effects in Competitive Baton Twirling – Terms of Reference for Training and Monitoring

Abstract

Competitive Baton Twirling is a new discipline in Romania. It has been developed through two organizations: MBTA (Majorettes Baton Twirling Association) and AMR (Romanian Majorettes Association), which gather every year more and more clubs, both private and state organizations. Baton Twirling is one of the disciplines of this system. There is a wide range of effects on cadets or junior women: motor, artistic and aesthetic. The study of choreography performed by the "Euritmic" group from Children's Club in district 6, Bucharest, trained by coach Adela Popescu, formed by 12 students aged between 12-15 years, including 9 coordination, speed and safety tests and 10 tests for control of technical execution, has revealed a part of the complex positive effects of practicing this sport and some terms of reference which can be used in the training and monitoring process. Intermediate results supported their importance and strategic value. General results confirmed the efficiency of the tests performed using different methods, such as the number of spins in 30 sec for reaching higher speed and execution velocity, as well as the efficiency of the tests "3 out of 3", "5 out of 5" or "10 out of 10" spins to achieve stability, safety and precision of execution. All these assure the base structure in monitoring and the qualitative support in choreographing routines for competition.