You Know You're in Color Guard If....

Now that I’ve discussed the basics of color guard and where you can find it, I suppose I could give you a little more detail about color guard – other than what it is, where it is, etc. There are certain things that you wouldn’t know about color guard unless you are a part of it, and now I’m going to share those with you.

The following is a “You Know You’re in Color Guard If…” list. It’s a list of qualities, characteristics, events, etc. that a person in color guard (or for some, just in marching band or drum corps) would understand very well from experiences in guard. Some are self explanatory if you know anything about guard (which you should if you’ve been reading all of this), but others might not be, and I’ll provide some explanations and examples. Enjoy!

You know you’re in guard if…

You walk in step to all the music you hear - Because all movement (walking on the field, performing the show, walking off the field), involves walking to the beat of the music/drum. Because it’s such a common practice, it ends up happening in real life too.

You spin pencils/pens/mops/brooms/pool cues/etc. - Either to practice when not at practice, or sometimes just for fun!

You’re constantly involved in fund raisers - Either because the band needs to raise money, or you do to participate in drum corps or winter guard.

You are an expert at assembling backdrops

When you hear a song you’ve done a routine to, you get ecstatic - For example, two songs my marching band used were Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Styx’s “Come Sail Away”. Now, over 8 years later, when we heard those songs, we can’t help but get excited and think back to the shows.

You have more inside jokes than any of your other friends

You can catch anything that is thrown at you

Every song becomes a possible flag routine

You know that “one more time” never really means one more time - It really just means, “okay let’s do that again, and then again ‘till it’s perfect”, and even “okay this is the last time I SWEAR”, can’t be trusted

You can do your hair and makeup/change into your uniform anywhere - On a bumpy bus, in a bathroom, in the hallway, without a mirror, etc.

You have never taken a dance class, but you know more terms than in the foreign language you took

Getting a sip of water is considered an act of love and kindness from your instructor
You know what jello arms and legs feel like

No matter how good your guard is, you still get the smallest coverage in the yearbook - And the football team gets the most. For some reason, marching band and color guard aren’t the most respected and appreciated groups.

You try more stunts than the cheerleaders

You went to every school football game but never paid - One of the perks, you know, despite having to sit through the games.

The gym/football field becomes your second home

You have more bruises than you can count - And sometimes, you don’t even remember how you got all of them.

You toss your flag even when there are 50 mph winds - My guard once changed a routine last-minute to remove a toss because the wind was so treacherous. But usually, you have to toss it anyway and hope you can catch it. And high-wind days usually become “toss in the wind” practice.

Guard tape fixes everything - Otherwise known as electrical tape, but we like to make it our own.

There are many more qualities on this list, and more that can be added, but these are some of the best – and most relatable – ones. Hopefully this gives you a little insight into the color guard world.

SOURCES:
Color Guard Corner. (Date Unknown). Color guard corner. Retrieved from http://colorguardcorner.tripod.com/colorguard/id2.html