The football field. The running. The sweat. The tears.

But I'm not talking about football. I'm talking about marching band.

Since the first marching band formation in 1907, marching band has been as popular as ever in America, and it's here to stay.

However, marching band isn't just to provide entertainment. It provides us with life lessons, too.

1. You need to work hard. A lot.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) requires that high school marching bands practice for a maximum of eight hours per week. From the outside of marching, two hours a day may not seem much, but once the heat, music, and footwork are taken into account, these two hours feel more like six hours.

2. You're not alone.

Bad rehearsals are just a part of marching band life. There's always that one day where no one can stay in step, no one can hit the set point in eight counts, or no one can read the drum major's intricate patterns. Getting through the hard times of marching band practice requires patience and acceptance. However, remember that whenever you're struggling to move and play flawlessly, there's always someone else struggling to even out that sixteenth note run or get exactly 1.5 steps from the home hash, too.

3. Marching band members are pretty cool.

Approximately 50 percent of people on Earth play a musical instrument. But how many can boast that they're able to play an instrument, march across a field for durations at a time, endure the thick polyester of a skintight uniform, and still sound like they're not wheezing into their horn? When these factors are added, the percentages drop significantly. So, band geeks, the next time you put on those God-awful overalls, do it with pride.

4. You matter.

For my first year of marching band, I felt that since I was new to the field, I didn't matter as much as the show's soloist or the most experienced senior. However, I came to realize that if I messed up or wasn't there to do my part, a domino effect occurred. The person beside me was thrown off, causing another beside them to screw up, and so on. Without one player in the formation, the whole band falls apart. The weakest trumpet player and the principal trumpet soloist are equally significant.

Marching band involves brains, beauty, and brawn. Why do you think that an entire organization is dedicated to such an exquisite art? I'm positive that it's not because the creative sport is frivolous. So before anyone watches the football game and leaves for the concession stands during halftime, think of everything required before taking that 22.5 inch step. Then, try and march yourself. I'm sure that most of our critics couldn't make it past playing their instrument properly, anyway.