JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Chet Jones, the new director of Baton Hawaii, was inducted into the U.S. Twirling Association Hall of Fame last month.

Baton ambitions

Hall-of-Fame twirler Chet Jones has plans to raise the profile of the under-appreciated sport

Chet Jones has big plans for the future of baton twirling in Hawaii.

And the 68-year-old veteran of the sport - one of the few males to become a national champion - might be just the man to actually pull them off.

He and his wife, Lisa, moved from their longtime home of Portland, Ore., three months ago when Jones was asked to take over the directorship of Baton Hawaii.

But it's his history and credentials in the sport that warrant serious attention.

Jones was inducted into the U.S. Twirling Association's Hall of Fame on July 24, during the 2008 U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla.

He was one of eight people honored for their contributions as athletes, coaches, judges and advocates, all positions he's filled throughout his career.

Jones was the 1959 National Boys' Champion as well as the World High Throw Champion for many years. In 1960 he founded Twirl Sport International and spent the next 25 years teaching twirling in 64 countries, coaching many national and world champions both abroad and at his summer camps in Portland.

He also helped with the development of the U.S. Twirling Association, serving as director of the 1968 National Championships, judges' chairman and a member of the board of directors. Jones also served as the first technical director of the World Baton Twirling Federation, of which the USTA is a member.

Texting from the just-completed World Baton Twirling Championships in Limerick, Ireland, association President Sandi Wiemers wrote that Jones "played an influential role in the technical development and format of the events and disciplines that we presently have today in the championships of the World Baton Twirling Federation. Chet was also one of the key ambassadors in promoting the sport and in training key leaders in many countries around the world.

"A real tribute to his legacy is in the number of top world-level coaches today who were his proteges."

Now we'll see what he can do for our island twirlers.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Jones teaches proper form and technique during a Baton Hawaii class at the Kilauea Recreation Center in Kahala. Baton Hawaii offers daily classes in Kahala and Kaimuki for beginners and up, as well as private lessons.

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Chet Jones, the new director of Baton Hawaii, has sweated through his blue T-shirt while working with his 10 young charges at the Kilauea Recreation Center on their routine for next month's Aloha Festivals parade.

"Sacrifice, Strength, Endurance, Courage." Those words, printed in white on the back of his shirt, summarize both Jones' commitment to the sport and what he expects from coach Judy Anderson and the girls.

Jones reminds the girls to "keep your right hands on hips, swing your batons with your left and point your toes down with each step."

"Figure 8 right arm out, left arms high," "wrist twirl, now flat wrist twirl" and "flat toss, one hand to the other," he calls out as he, Anderson and the girls march back and forth along the length of the rec center.

"Now, shoulder up, circle and down, and diagonal salute, out toss, catch it and pose!" he says with a final flourish, never mind the few awkward drops of batons by some of the girls. "Stretch out, chin up, big smile!"

With five-plus decades of experience the world over, Jones now hopes to do his part in the islands and expand on what former owner and director Yasuko Hata started before returning to her home Japan.

Jones also wants to include anyone and everyone in his twirling crusade.

"There's always a network of twirlers, both past and present," he said during a break for stretching purposes, "and I'd love to get the alumni of Baton Hawaii back together again. There's also fire dancers and martial arts participants that I want to involve. Hawaii is home now."

Jones also hopes the islands will someday host a U.S. Twirling Association-sanctioned regional. In 2007, and after a nearly 20-year absence from competition, Baton Hawaii represented the state at the regional in Hayward, Calif., and scored several first- and second-place finishes in solo and team categories.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Chet Jones, director of Baton Hawaii, leads a class at the Kilauea Recreation Center. With more than 50 years of experience twirling, teaching and judging, Jones has ambitious goals for elevating the sport in Hawaii.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM "I know the national attitude generally is not to see baton twirling as a sport, and that needs an adjustment in thinking." Chet Jones, Director, Baton Hawaii

"I'm used to traveling the world over, working with athletes who know serious, hard training. Now I'm basically back teaching on the beginner level, where it's more for fun and recreation. But with the team's good showing in the regional in California last year, we can definitely work from that."

Anderson said Hata had planned to dissolve Baton Hawaii if a new leader wasn't found before she left. Unable to take the position herself, due to her day job and family concerns, Anderson remembered a conversation with Jones and his mentioning that he'd like to retire in Hawaii.

"If there was anybody that we wanted, it would be him because of his background and experience," Anderson said. "You know that for gymnastics, Bela Karolyi was the man. Well, Chet is kind of like that in the baton-twirling world. He has a lot of connections in Europe and Japan. Chet's former students are coaches now and have their own students, so he knows everything about the sport."

Anderson, too, hopes Jones will able to bring twirling exhibitions and contests to Hawaii as well as help coordinate meets and friendly competitions among local clubs.

GETTING OUT of generally gray Portland, Ore., has rejuvenated Jones' and wife Lisa's passion for baton twirling. "The weather is so conducive for this activity -- the sunshine, I love it," he said.

"We're here to educate people about the possibilities of the sport," Lisa added. "We want to rebuild it in Hawaii, give it a boost and not let it dwindle away."

"I know the national attitude generally is not to see baton twirling as a sport," Jones said, "and that needs an adjustment in thinking. Myself and others in twirling, we should all do what we can to promote and share our culture to a wider U.S. audience.

"Baton twirling gives youngsters an opportunity for fun -- and if they like it enough, they can go on to compete. I've seen and been through enough as a coach, teacher and judge, so I'm familiar with the sport's learning process. My approach to teaching is through love and kindness, rather than discipline.

"There's a lot of potential here in Hawaii, and I'm excited to be here."