I think to answer this, I will begin with my story. It was my first year of middle school. My parents decided to pull me from dance because they wanted me to become more involved in school activities. All of my friends did this thing called “Flag Line,” and I wanted nothing to do with it. Fast forward to middle school band; the advisor to the middle school winter guard walked in and explained what winter guard is and left some flyers for us to take. Obviously since she mentioned the word “dance” I just had to take a flyer home to my parents. And the next night I was sitting next to my parents and friends in a meeting about winter guard – little did my parents (or I) know how this one activity would become such a huge part of my life.

Prior to my first practice I had never touched a flag. I remember standing in the back with the instructor working on drop spins for what felt like forever. I remember being sad as the season ended because even though it was only middle school I had already fallen in love with color guard. I remember watching the high school girls and wanting so badly to get to spin their show. By the time high school rolled around I was practicing like crazy just to make the high school guard. Happily, I spent four years performing my heart out time and again, wanting to be the very best I could be.

What many people who aren’t in the color guard world fail to understand is how color guard isn’t just about winning. Sure, that is everyone’s goal – no one writes a show thinking “I want this show to be last place” – but it is about so much more. It is about personal growth, friendship, and attention to detail. Sometimes I wonder how different my high school years would have been if I never picked up a flag that day in sixth grade. I definitely never would have met my best friends, have the memories of our bus breaking down in Pittsburgh and knowing what it feels like to give it your all and still not make the cut. Color guard has shaped me into the person I am today, and for that I’m thankful.

When I entered college, I was torn on whether I should continue with guard. I definitely wanted to, but wasn’t sure if I would be able to handle it. I’m so glad I walked into that audition. Not only did color guard force me to manage my time wisely, it provided me with a family. Even during the hard weeks at school when I had two exams and a paper due, I knew that during the weekend I could go back to that gym and have the time of my life. My friends think it’s weird that I enjoy going to 11+ hour rehearsals. They think it’s weird that I’m okay with bruising my body tons of times when working on one toss. Most of all, they think I’m crazy to take away my weekends, that I willingly give away that free time. Some people think that guard must be stressful, and when you think about spending entire weekends in a gym, as people throw new work and critiques at you, going through hours of conditioning, frustration, blood, sweat and at some point tears – it does sound stressful. Sure, that is one way of thinking about guard, but it’s also blood and sweat and conditioning to make my team stronger. It’s tears because I’m frustrated at myself. It’s an entire weekend focused on a five minute show, not on my schoolwork, not on myself, not on anything happening outside of the gym – it’s time spent focusing on how I can help make my team better.

Why do color guard? Well what’s not to like about gaining an entire family of people and a community that will always have your back? The other day I found out that a girl in my history class did color guard in high school – we literally spent an hour and a half talking. Color guard not only teaches how to make sure your flag goes straight up and down, but it teaches how to pay enough attention to detail to know how to make sure your flag goes straight up and down. It teaches you to manage your time, to be punctual (no one likes having to run laps because they’re late), how to work on a team. It also teaches you how to be creative in everything that you do, to think outside the box. Not only is color guard a sport, but it’s also an art. In order to make it through that five-minute show you have to condition and train your body. But at the same time as you are running around the floor, focusing your arm muscles on your equipment and your leg muscles on pointing your toe, you are focusing your face muscles on performing and selling your show to the audience. It’s athletic, but at the same time allows for so much creativity that you cannot help but have fun. Why do color guard? Well, I hope I’ve made my case for this sport of the arts. I think the better question is: why not do color guard?