Color Guard Family

Hello Spinthusiasts!

I am back and ready to hit on another subject that I feel we can all agree on. "Color Guard Family". I feel like it goes without saying that when you are a member of any team, there is a very obvious "family" sense. Color Guard seems to be a very special type of family unit, from my own experience. This year has been my first time to view from the instructors perspective, but I most definitely see the same thing that I felt as a performer many years ago.

There are so many factors that play into this special connection we feel in the Color Guard world. The first time my guard was able to really connect was at Band Camp over the summer. Think about it. Some of these students have never been away from their own families this long in their entire life. Some of these students wait all year to have this entire week where they feel like they are a part of a family, because they simply don't have one the rest of the year.

This opens up so many different emotions for each side of the spectrum. Some are finally getting to be their own person away from their families. This gives THESE students a bigger opportunity to "find themselves", so to speak. They aren't under the microscope of their parents(now it is just the scary directors and instructors😂). Maybe they aren't having to help with their siblings. Maybe they don't have to work longs hours to help make ends meet, even if only for a week.

 Now for the other end of the spectrum. These students either come from an unstable home, they are missing a parent(or both), they have no siblings, they are bouncing from home to home, or they just are struggling with numerous things that none of us could even comprehend. These students come to Band Camp and feel a sense of unity. They FINALLY feel like they are a part of something BIG, because they ARE! They are surrounded by other kids their age that they can relate to. They are surrounded by a group of adults that already love them and are ready to do whatever it takes for them to get everything they possibly can out of an absolutely amazing program. These kids are making connections that some of them have waited their whole lives for.

Band Camp was my own teams biggest opportunity to connect and become a family, but they have held that connection all year and it only got stronger when they began competing. There is something so strong about the connection they feel when they realize how much they all have to work together to make a team like this work, and to even score well. This added a completely different dynamic to their family connection. Not to mention the HOURS upon HOURS of hair and make-up we spent doing together through the season, but we won't go there this time😂. All jokes aside, it was one of the most exciting things I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of and I look forward to many more years.

Now for you, Spinthusiasts! When did you notice your team REALLY connect? Was it before Band Camp(Or if you are indoor and you do your own Guard Camp)? Was it the first performance? First competition? Maybe something TOTALLY unique? Let us know what YOUR experience was!

"When a team feels like a family, they will go all out to love a serve one another." -Perry Noble

Until next time, Spinthusiasts!

The Skye Writer