Welcome To Spintronix!

Welcome to Spintronix Color Guard! I know some of you have been with us an followed us for a long time, but we also have a lot of new followers and interest in the layout of our programs. So I am here to be your guide. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) education organization with multiple branches in fine arts and youth development. Our organization is very active in the fine arts community both online and in person as we run camps, clinics, competition teams, and virtual courses.

Summer camp consists of a week-long stay at Central Methodist University in Missouri, a beautiful secluded campus near the center of the country with access to the Columbia regional airport. World class color guard instructors with experience both instructing and performing at all levels teach students from all over the country throughout the camp, culminating in a showcase performance at the end of the week for friends, family, and local community members alike. Students get hands-on experience with spinning equipment at the level they are most comfortable. They also get a more in-depth color guard education as they learn about the importance of leadership and team building to the success of their home color guard, and they delve into the history of color guard so they can understand why it has developed into the activity that it is today.

Some branches of the summer camp that have been exceptionally useful to people involved with our organization include the Spinternship program and instructor certification. The Spinternship program is available to high school graduates looking to network and gain experience in color guard instruction, and they are the lifeblood of the summer camp. Instructor certification involves classes in color guard teaching, design, choreography, copyright, and other aspects necessary for color guard instructors to be fluent in when teaching their teams.

Clinics can be single-day, weekend, or multi-day clinics and are held at host schools throughout the country. Hosts simply apply to hold a clinic on our website and will receive a quote usually within 48 hours. Clinics can be open to the public so that any students in the area can attend, or they can be private only for those students who attend that school or live in that area.

Our competition teams are located in Mountain View, Missouri and compete in the Mid-Continent Color Guard Association circuit along with Winter Guard International. This is a more intense color guard experience as the team meets for rehearsal every weekend beginning in September and running through the first weekend in April.

Finally, our virtual courses are online and available through our YouTube channel. There are hundreds of free videos teaching technique, choreography, body conditioning, instructor training, and more available, along with occasional live stream classes or performances.

In addition to these main programs, we also offer choreography and design services for your fall or winter guard program, solo and ensemble competition, and so much more. You can always request a quote by e-mail or on our website at www.spintronixguard.org.

<3 Jackie

Preparing for the 2020 Marching Band Season in Uncertain Times

    Hey guys! It's Sam and I'm here with some hopefully important information for performers and coaches as we go into this fall season.  Currently things are really uncertain.  And that's okay.  All we can do right now is listen to the experts and try to keep ourselves as safe as possible.  And, what better thing to do than to prepare for the coming fall season from the comfort of our own homes?

Here is a list of things that you do have control over to help you be your very best for your team!

1.  Keep a healthy diet.

  This one goes without saying.  We should ALWAYS be eating healthy, drinking lots of water, and listening to our bodies.  But, with the world being as it is and so many of us are cooped up in our houses, it begins to get difficult.  I find myself waking up late in the day, not eating a meal until after 1 pm, and then my last meal of the day is 30 minutes before I go to bed.  Or I consider a handful of chips a meal.  I'm sure you all can probably relate.  

     The good news is, there's plenty of easy ways to get out of this funk!  The first is by drinking lots of water.  I let myself have a cup of coffee after I wake up and then I drink just water until 5 or 6 pm.  Staying hydrated is no joke, and it's nice to get into the habit now so you won't be tempted to reach for a soda when your body really needs water. The best part?  You definitely do NOT have to brave grocery stores in order to have water on hand.

If you're working from home you have more time to plan meals, or even just make the conscious decision that a snack food is not a meal.   Maybe you live alone so it feels ridiculous to cook a whole meal for yourself.  Use those leftovers as easy meals for later in the week when you don't have the energy to cook!  Or maybe you're in high school so your parents take care of the meal prep and planning.  Offer to help out in the kitchen or ask your parents to pick up some healthy snacks.  I personally love a handful of cherry tomatoes or hummus and something to dip in it.  Am I telling you to never snack, and only eat a vegan, gluten free diet? Absolutely not! But remember all of the physical activity you're preparing to put your body through and try to make choices that help your body succeed.

(Pictured above is a baguette with fresh mozzarella and charred tomatoes, penne with a rustic tomato sauce and vegan tofu sausage) 

2. Practice

    This is also a thing that seems completely obvious, but it is way too easy to let your equipment sit in the corner collecting dust.  I'm going to break down my advice into two sections: indoor and outdoor.

Indoor

This one is pretty easy, I think.  If you have any linoleum or hardwood floors in your house, get your dance on! Practice those pirouettes and chaines! Do your dance warm up or just practice some tendus.  I prefer this kind of floor for more of my technical skills because it's easier to glide across.  If your house is like mine and you have no slick surfaces (except a tiny patch by the door and in my too narrow kitchen), then maybe work smaller things and do your best on carpet or outside.  

    Other things you can do include working those body isolations.  Have a full length mirror?  Stand in front of that and watch what it looks like when you move a muscle group in a specific way.  Learning what it feels like when you do different things will increase your body awareness and will hopefully make more sense when your coach tells you to do something specific.  If you can get away with jumping around, do that on carpeted areas!  You're less likely to slip and fall and you can practice all of those saute to roll on the ground without fear of bruising.  Just make sure to wear long pants to you don't get carpet burn!

        Coaches, take this time to work on the body and dance warm ups for your kids!  Maybe your vets have taught your rookies so you haven't really had to look at your warm up in a while.  Or maybe you're just looking for ways to improve it.  This is the time to move the coffee table out of the way and relearn it yourself.  When I was making videos for my students to learn from I realized it had been a while since I'd really thought about what each exercise is supposed to accomplish and I got to think through what I want my students to get out of each part.  It was an eye opening experience!

Outdoor

    I'm sure everyone knows how to go outside and practice.  Even if you don't do anything specific, just spinning some basics is a great way to stay in shape for the fall season.  Instead, let's talk about where to spin.  If you have your own front or back yard, perfect! You have your own cozy little spot.  But, what if you live in an apartment or your yard is flooded from the wacky weather?  I personally live in an apartment so I spin in one area of our parking lot that is away from cars.  There's not a ton of people coming and going so it's safer than ever for me to spin here.  If you live in a very residential area without much traffic or near a cul-de-sac then it may be an option to spin there.  The next option is parks.  I have a small one half a mile from my house so I'll load up my equipment and walk to it to spin for a bit.  If you cannot go by yourself, see if a parent will bring a book or something and sit on a park bench and supervise you. 

3. Exercise

    Gyms are closed, schools are closed, everything is closed.  And though places are slowly beginning to reopen, do not feel pressured to go out to these places if you don't need to.  There's plenty of at home options.  You can go for walks around the neighborhood or go for a run.  Another option that's just as good is using a fitness app!  If you have a planet fitness membership, they are currently live streaming at home workouts every day and their app is full of body weight exercises you can do at home.  Our personal favorite app at Spintronix is Down Dog.

    This is our favorite yoga app!  We cannot recommend it enough!  They're not paying us to say that, it is just a genuinely fantastic app.  It has a variety of difficulty levels, types of yoga, and you'll never get the same flow twice (unless you want to).  Yoga is the perfect combination of stretching and working out, in my opinion.  You don't need to be a Buddhist to appreciate the things yoga can do for your body.  It can also help you control your breathing, which is so important for a 10 minute marching show.  Breathe in and our when the narrator tells you to (it's much easier than breathing block, I promise).    Right now I'm live streaming my yoga practice every Wednesday morning at 8 am on our youtube channel. Come join me! https://youtu.be/tTK0BYVX-Ck 

    This company has another app called Barre.  It is workouts based on barre and ballet.  I have only recently began to use it, but I love being able to see the timer on screen, the short duration of each exercise, and the calming narrator telling you what to do.  It is one of my favorite workout apps to date.

4. Be Understanding

    We are currently living through something that no one on earth has had to deal with before.  It is an uncertain time for performers, parents, students, and teachers.  There are 16 year olds who are essential and folks with pH D's who are not.  We are learning to communicate as effectively as possible via technology, but it is incredibly difficult being alone.  It's hard not getting to see your friends or coworkers or practice as a team.  Everyone is going through something right now, so please let's be gentle with each other.

    If a student is just not understanding a warm up or a piece of choreography, spend some extra time telling them it's okay and helping them to the best of your ability.  Maybe they've never learned from video before.  If you feel like your section leader is not telling you the information you need to know or is being rude for no reason, reach out to them.  Right now all we need is someone to listen and to feel like we're still connected despite the physical distance between us.  

    We need compassion and understanding more than ever right now.  Rather than tearing down a rival guard, instead like their instagram post and tell them how good they're getting.  Now is the time to come together and support each other in a way that we never have before.  

    Spinthusiasts, I hope I have helped you help yourself.  I hope that these tips will prepare you for a strong fall season.  --Sam 

 

Heading to Costa Rica!

Thanks to Winter Guard International and our generous sponsors at Halftime Hardware, we are thrilled to announce that our director Jackie Brown will be heading to WGI Costa Rica this year! The contest covers the weekend of May 9-10, and while there Jackie is excited to be volunteering on the ground floor of BN Arena to run the social media for WGI.

"We have always had a large social media following from Latin and South America, so it's going to be an incredible experience to put real faces to screen names in real life on this trip," says Jackie of her impending excitement. The Spintronix social media channels have already been flooded with excitement and thanks - mostly in Spanish - from those directors and performers who have used the free resources offered by Spintronix online over the years. "I'm definitely practicing my Spanish every day!" says Jackie, laughing when asked about her language skill. "I only ever learned Portuguese and it's just similar enough to be completely different."

She will be posting to the Winter Guard International social media pages, which we will link once the time gets closer, for the duration of the trip. This will help to bring exposure to the hard working teams in attendance at the Costa Rica contest, as well as attention to color guard as a worldwide sport rather than a niche community. "One of the other exciting aspects of this is that the students who I worked with when I lived in Brazil are all older now and teaching their own teams," Jackie explains when asked about how she feels toward the teams who will be attending the competition. "Getting to see how they have grown with the influences and opportunities provided by WGI, Spintronix, and their own dedication will be a reward in itself for me."

Jackie's trip is sponsored by Halftime Hardware, supplier of Concert Band, Marching Band, Color Guard, and Choral equipment. They carry a full line of guard equipment, uniforms, and silks. They also have shoes, gloves, podiums, storage and equipment carts,  uniforms and accessories, field accessories, drum major equipment, and rain gear  for your marching band. Directors can contact them for a free catalog!

My Visit with Spintronix!

Hello Spinthusiasts!

I was able to spend this past Friday hanging out with my Spintronix peeps! They were preparing for their first performance. It was a lot of fun to watch(Even if Jackie said it is usually a lot more fun when they don't have a competition the next day). I love the atmosphere and the personalities in the group.

It made me think of something that I just find funny. Every team that I have been able to be around shared the same "type" of personalities. They tend to have 'the dedicate one', 'the quiet one', 'the newb that is ROCKING IT', 'the chatty one', 'the rule follower', 'the silly one', 'the serious one', are just a few that come to mind. The reason I find it so funny is because they all have VERY different personalities, and yet, they are able to all come together as one for a sport they love so much.

I find these personalities are what makes the team stay balanced. We NEED 'the dedicated one' to give everyone something to strive for. We NEED 'the quiet one' to remind us all that sometimes our best tool is simply observing. We NEED 'the silly one' to remind us that we all shouldn't constantly take ourselves so seriously. We NEED 'the chatty one' to give all of us a little more courage to speak up(or maybe even as a reminder of what NOT to do😂😂😂). It seems we really need each of these personalities to really learn from one another and grow as a team and even just as a person.

Do you find this to be true in your guard? What are some more personalities you would add to the list?

"Ever since the beginning, to keep the world spinning, it takes all kinds of kinds." -Miranda Lambert

Until next time, Spinthusiasts!
The Skye Writer

Coaching ENERGY in your Color Guard Rehearsals

Hello Spinthusiasts!

I am back! I feel like it has been ages. It has definitely been a few weeks since I have been able to make a post. With the holidays and the pure craziness of getting back in the groove, things have been WILD!
 I've begun planning for this upcoming marching season. I can't even describe how excited I am. Last year was my first year being a Color Guard Instructor so there was definitely a huge learning curve. I have been able to adjust so much so this season runs even more seamlessly. With all of that being said, it brought me back to a quote I recently stumbled upon that I just LOVE.

"A coach will coach your technique. A coach will coach your game intellect. A coach will coach your practice habits. A coach will coach your fundamentals. A coach should NOT have to coach your energy, EVER. Your energy reveals your attitude and how badly you want it."
-Darren Fenster

It may come off a little harsh but it is the absolute truth. I personally believe that there is nothing a coach can do to give you the ENERGY and the DRIVE to do well. That has to come from inside of you. Sure, a coach can make practice more fun or exciting but we definitely can not take a student with no desire to do well in the sport and MAKE them want to do well. We just can't.

The ONLY thing we can do is SHOW these students with no drive just how amazing this is. We can PUSH them to be their very best. We can show them the ins and outs of what makes this sport something really special. We can perfect their technique until we are blue in the face. But we simply can't TEACH them how to LOVE the sport. I feel like the ones that are unsure about how to feel, at first, will definitely know when they excel in their performance just how much they LOVE what they are doing. It will take these students the opportunity to LOVE it, to find that drive and energy to REALLY succeed.

So, maybe we can't force them to have the energy and drive. That doesn't mean that we should give up on these students. But if we can show them what makes US love it, then maybe they will reach deep down and find the drive that will help them reach their true potential. This is what I hope for my team last year, this year, and every year from here on out: To be able to look back on their Color Guard career and be PROUD of all of their hard work. Because with hard work, these kiddos can do AMAZING THINGS!

Until next time, Spinthusiasts!

The Skye Writer

Online Etiquette, Color Guard and Beyond!

Hello Spinthusiasts!

Thank you for joining me this week for a new discussion. Jackie and I discussed this a little bit last week and it is actually a pretty interesting and lengthy topic. BUT WAIT! Do not look away. This subject is true for so many things. Not just Color Guard related. This is something we can all take a few minutes to ponder on.

Let's look at Color Guard Specifically. We all see so many posts from so many different Color Guards. Some just showing off their progress and some asking for feedback on how to improve many different aspects of the art. Have you ever seen, firsthand, a person post a video simply SHOWING us how far they have come with their toss(or any other move)only to be met with disapproving comments and unwelcome criticism? This person says, "Hey! Look at how awesome my around-the-world has gotten! I have been working on it for weeks!" Instead of a "good job!" They get, "Well, you need to keep your shoulders more square" or "You're moving around an awful lot to be working on it so long". How DISHEARTENING! It is heartbreaking to watch this from afar, as well. Here is a person, who has worked SO HARD on their technique, and is SO PROUD of their progress, only to be torn down by unwelcome comments about what they STILL need to improve when they didn't ask.

Now, maybe someone posts a video of their 45 toss and they can't, FOR THE LIFE OF THEM, get the catch. They just can't. So, they post a video and say, "Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong? I have been trying for weeks to perfect my catch and I STILL haven't mastered it! HELP!" Now THIS is the perfect time to chime in with your expertise and help this Spinthusiast out! This person is very obviously ready for the constructive criticism they need to get this right. Let's help each other out!

Let us take a tiny peak at the social media aspect. I will likely often talk about social media. It is everywhere. It is used for so much GOOD. But there is a dark side. In my opinion, social media is SO useful and can be SO great on so many fronts. I love that I can re-connect with people I haven't seen in years. I moved around a good bit as a kid and as an adult, so it is nice to be able to keep in touch and watch each other's families grow, successes, and everything else life gives us that we want to share. I love it. But I dislike how disconnected we have become. Not just disconnected because you are always on your phone. I mean disconnected because people seem to be WAY more likely to say not-so-nice things that they really wouldn't dare say so quickly to someone's face. We have all seen it. It happens everyday. Social media has disconnected us from emotions. Our own and other peoples. Common courtesy and KINDNESS has become increasingly nonexistent and that is terrifying.

What can we do to combat this? I have said this many times since becoming an instructor: "The most important part of being a leader is leading by example." Let's be the change. Let's throw some more kindness around. Let's hold the door open for someone. Let's give out compliments like we do our IG(because, come on, you know you do it A LOT😂). WE can do it, together!

So, now it is your turn! Please give me feedback. Do you agree that you should never give criticism on a post where it wasn't asked? Maybe you agree with this, but you have exceptions to the rule? What is YOUR opinion? We all want to know!

"You can not so kindness too soon, for you never know how soon will be too late."
-Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Until next time, Spinthusiasts!

The Skye Writer

Color Guard Diversity on Social Media

Hello Spinthusiasts!

It feels like it has been AGES since I made a post(but, I have only been MIA for 2 weeks). Between family cooties and Thanksgiving I have been all over the place. I suppose I shouldn't say anything because our wonderful Jackie got to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade AGAIN! I am slightly envious(😉💓) but I was also SO excited that she was sweet enough to share with all of us. Go check out her adventure if you haven't. You won't be disappointed.

It is that time that Indoor Guards all over are gearing up for their season. It is amazing to get to see all of the guards sharing some of their extremely entertaining shenanigans on social media. I may be biased, but Spintronix pages have been my top favorite over the last several months😁. I am so excited to spend some time with the team this year, as I am able. It has been sad to not be able to much, so far. That will change!

This brings me to my topic of the evening. Color Guard Diversity on Social Media.
Thanks to social media and the good ol' internet itself, we are given the gift of sharing an infinite number of things. I am always completely intrigued by the different ways that different guards represent themselves on social media. Some share choreography. Some share different tricks to make your performance planning spectacular. Some share hilarious antics that they all like to get into together. Some share taping tips, uniform hacks, make-up hacks, you name it. They may be different in their presentation, based on personality and what exactly they wish to convey, but they all definitely share to help others in their position. There is something pretty special about that. It goes to show that the strength of your team has so much more to do with the diversity itself than it does knowledge of the sport. If this wasn't the case, we wouldn't have so many willing to share so much of what makes them successful.

I know this post isn't very long but I feel like the paragraph above speaks volumes about how diverse this little world is. It is actually super fun to have the opportunity to watch the guards from our screens.

What is your favorite thing about being able to watch your favorite Guards on social media? Let us know!

"Strength lies in differences, not similarities." ~Stephen R. Covey

Until next time, Spinthusiasts!

The Skye Writer