You’ve seen them perform at football games. If you’re in the band, you’ve practiced with them. You all know about the existence of the color guard, but do you really know the color guard? 

The color guard team practices countless hours with and without the band to put on the best performance they can; though, this often goes unnoticed. 

Freshman Nova Wilson talks about the underappreciation of the color guard team. “I don’t think that the guard is recognized enough for the amount of work we put in,” Nova says. “I really wish that we were recognized more, especially since that could help us grow the color guard in the coming years.”

Nova says that a favorite part of the color guard is performing. “It’s when the dozens of hours of practice we’ve put into this really shows,” Nova said. “It’s amazing to be able to know that everyone on that field has put in so much effort to be able to make this show possible now gets to show off.”

Co-captain Ava Malinowski talks about how important the color guard team is to the halftime performance and how much their performance adds to the football game and to the marching band.

“I think football games are very sporty, so having a marching band and visual units during halftime really compliments it,” Ava says. “Our movement and choreography go hand in hand with the band. We are there for people to watch when the band can get kind of old…we add a pop of color”

Ava also loves the chemistry and overall togetherness of the team. Ava says, “I really like the team…we are really close and before each game, we all go to someone’s house to eat and get ready.” 

Sophomore and returning color guard team member Eshana Kaur also appreciates the community within the team and how hard every individual is working.

“It’s my second year with basically the same people and we already know what our faults are, and we’re working on those already,” she says. “We hang out a lot like before games we all get ready together. Even pre-season, we have our own sectionals and practices, but we also do stuff together outside of that.”

Needless to say, the color guard team is an essential part of the football game halftime show and the overall visual effect of the marching band’s performance. The color guard adds school spirit and a nice visual effect to games. It’s time we start showing the team more appreciation for the hard work and stunning performances.