Baton Program Lets Girls Give It a Twirl

For nearly a quarter of a century, Debi Barr has been encouraging young girls to twirl their way to the top.

“We’ve had a lot of girls who have gone through the program and become leaders,” said Barr, 40, who founded the city’s Community Services Division baton program in 1973.

Her latest success story is longtime student Tricia Michels, 18, Fountain Valley High School’s valedictorian this year and the school’s majorette.

In the fall, she will be Harvard University’s first twirler in decades, performing for sporting events.

“I get goose bumps thinking about it,” Barr said.

The instructor, who started taking baton lessons at age 6, has had plenty of successes of her own. She was a twirler for Edison High School and later for the Los Angeles Rams.

Four years ago, she introduced baton routines to a dance group called the Orange County Stars.

The combined group at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center now has about 45 girls enrolled, from beginners to the 10-member Fountain Valley Twirlers, who perform, compete nationally and have brought home a number of state and national awards over the years.

Barr, who directs the program, has five instructors, all of them her former students.

The benefits are many, Barr said. The students not only develop hand-eye coordination, she said, they learn self-confidence, discipline and the satisfaction of excelling.

Michels, who started the program at age 6, said of Barr, “She taught us about poise, performance and working toward a goal and accomplishing it. The leadership skills have helped me to go on to other activities in school and the community.”

Another pupil is Beth Meyers, 16, of Huntington Beach, who will be a junior next year at Rosary High School in Fullerton. The biggest benefits to her have been making new friends and becoming more self-assured, she said.

“I don’t mind performing in front of lot of people,” she said. “I like it. It’s fun.”

Barr doesn’t see herself retiring from the program any time soon, not only for the satisfaction of seeing her students succeed, but also because her daughter, Jennilee, 7, has taken up twirling.

“I see how much poise she has and how much she excels,” Barr said. “I see all the good things it’s doing for her. I thought about stepping down last year, but I said, ‘No way. It’s in my blood.’ ”

Information: (714) 841-3913.