Baton Twirler is Costly

   My parents on average spend about 1000 dollars a month just on baotn twirling. To start with, there is an automatic $80 fee a month to be on my baton team. Then every week i have a private lesson with my main coach for an hour....$40. Then a 1/2 hour technique lesson with a different coach for $25. An multi-baton lesson for 45 minutes... $30. And a choreography private lesson for my Rythmic solo  for one hour... $40. Every time our proffessional choreographer comes to teach my team it is $12 per team and per hour he works with us. Since i am on Senior Twirl, Senior Dance Twirl, Junior Twirl and Junior Dance twirl its about $24 in chorography fees a week. Then when i come for private lessons twice a week, each night i have to pay a $6 gym fee, so in total $12 a week. And lets not forget that my baton practices are in baltimore about 80 miles. If gas is $3.30 a gallon and adding on time for traffic, thats alot to pay for gas 4 times a week.


  Then i have to add in costume fees. My team uniform cosists of a leotard, Team tank top, black dance pants, black socks and black cougar dance shoes, totaling about $75. Then my velvet team warm-up suit, $120. And ofcourse the team set of earings & hair pieces for $40 total. Then comes our costumes. Our dance twirl costumes are about $120 each (i have 2) and our twirl team costumes are $240 each (i have 2). Then i have a mathcing pair of shoes for each. For 4 pairs of these shoes running $30 each, its alot of money to put in to feet. Then i have to wear tights and strapless bras under each. We buy about 10 pairs of $20 tights at the beggining of the year and one nude and one black bra about $15 dollars each. Then comes my individual costumes. I have 7 individual costumes that last normally 2 years, but not always, Each costume ranges from $350-$600.

  Lastly is my entry forms for each contest. i have 5 mid-sized competetions a season. In total i have to pay $20 for team entries (5 dollars each) and $8 per idividual event i enter. i enter on average 14 events per competetion. In big competetions such as congressional cup tournament, state overalls, regional overall and nationals the prices raise as well as events i enter. My entry for for each big contest (besides nationals) is $380 dollars, and nationals is $600 every year. Then if they are far a way i have to pay 2 nights in a hotel for about $150 each because they are 2-day competetions. Then 8 days in a $240 hotel for nationals.

  I will never be able to repay my parents for letting me take all this money from the family. That is probably why i never waist a second during practice time. Because after looking over a yearly billl for twirler, not including other small things they give me, its way more than any teenager deserves.