My Life in Guard
What is Colorguard/Winterguard?

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A Definition

Colorguard is a SPORT played by both men and women. There is no specified age to start this sport, or pre-training. Anyone who is interested can do guard, and become good at it. As with any sport, lots of practice and hard-work are the only ways to become good at colorguard.

Colorguard is split into two separate season: Fieldguard and Winterguard.

Fieldguard starts over the summer and ends around November. Fieldguard is the main visual effects for a marching band or drum core. It involves intricate pictures being made on a football field. Through the use of dance, flags, sabres, rifles, and lots of other various equipment; guard members can display action, emotion, or thought. Training for this is done half inside, learning, practicing, and perfecting whatever peice(s) of equipment the member uses on the field, and half outside, practicing the formations and moving from one form to the other. Also outside, members are able to apply the equipment skills that they practiced inside, out on the field with the formations.

Winterguard is the most rigorous season. Even though all of the practice and preparation for performances are done inside. Winterguard is done solely by the guard on a mat the covers an entire basketball court. Even though this mat is paper thin, it weighs anywhere from 400-500 pounds when it is being transported. The mat prevents the floor from being damaged in the event that a performer drops his/er equipment. The mat also serves as a prop, since it can be painted, cut, or molded to fit the show's theme. Props are most often seen during winterguard season, although on occasion a guard may use props during fieldguard as well. Shows during winterguard last anywhere from 4-6 minutes, and are divided into classes, based on the show's skill level.

Overview:

Colorguard has 2 seasons:
Fieldguard-performed outside
Winterguard-performed inside

Summary:

Colorguard is a sport. It requires strenuous training, and serious commitment. After all, how many sports players are required to do 500 jumping jacks at every practice?

copyright İAbby Blank 2003, amb02h@netscape.net