New Hyde Park High School's Twirling Tradition

The New Hyde Park twirlers have been in existence since about the same time that the school started, noted Coach Anna DeMartino, adding that they recently had a reunion with some of the members of the earliest twirling teams.

This year's team includes nine seniors; the team is open to anyone from freshmen to seniors. DeMartino, who is coaching the team for the first time this year, is hoping that she can open up the team to seventh and eighth graders next year, particularly because she will be losing so many seniors.

They're great girls," DeMartino said of the members of her team. "They make it easy."

DeMartino said that she wanted to coach the team because she was involved in something similar as a kid and thought that this would be "a good way to get involved." It's her third year teaching English at .

The twirling team, which is the only twirling team in the , competes at Hofstra, performs at school events such as at halftime at varsity basketball games and marches in some of the local parades. DeMartino would like the girls to start to get into flag competitions.

Besides performing at the games, the girls practice between four and six hours a week at school and often practice at each other's houses during their off time. When it gets closer to the pep rally, the team will practice about 10 hours a week.

The team performs between six and eight routines a year, DeMartino said, adding that the students choreograph all of their own routines. Click on the video below to see a routine choreographed by Emily Innvar, Gladys Argueta and Stephanie Chirinos.

This is senior Innvar's first year on the team. She said that she and a friend made a pact that they would try out for the team and if they made it they would do it. Imvar had never twirled before.

"I love the girls," she said, adding, "I love coming to the practices."