A baton is a short stick or rod used for a specific purpose. The word appears in several contexts:

1. The stick a conductor uses to lead an orchestra or band. The conductor waves the baton in patterns that help musicians stay together and know when to play louder or softer. Watch a conductor closely and you'll see that every movement of the baton communicates something specific about the music.
2. A hollow metal tube that relay runners pass to each other during a race. Each runner sprints their portion of the track, then hands off the baton to the next teammate. Dropping the baton or fumbling the handoff can cost a team the race, so runners practice the exchange until it becomes smooth and automatic.
3. A stick twirlers spin, toss, and catch during performances, often while marching in parades or at halftime shows. Baton twirlers develop impressive coordination, learning to throw their batons high in the air and catch them while marching in formation.

What these different batons have in common is that each is a tool of coordination, whether coordinating musicians, teammates, or a solo performance.