By book definition, a sport is: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

People with little to no knowledge about color guard -or anything for that matter- walk around the world making harsh judgments. How can one have an opinion about something they know nothing about? Well, it’s simple: society feels entitled. Yes, we have the right of speech, but we also have the right to not incriminate, so before you become outspoken, make sure you know all the facts.

Simply by walking around my high school I’ve heard several comments that were unnecessary and unappreciated. A girl in one of my classes commented on how “color guard is for the fat girls that don’t want to take P.E.”- why does that even matter? Most of the girls on the team aren’t over weight and maybe the girls don’t want to take P.E. because they actually see the beauty in color guard and want to be a part of it. The girls on the team are still required to take the physical activity test all high schoolers take and a few years ago color guard wasn’t even counted as a P.E., so is that statement completely accurate? No. Another boy commented on how “JROTC is the real color guard” and that what we did on the field was a “joke”. Again, an unnecessary comment. We both coexist, we both present colors- even if in a different way- and we both train hard in regards to marching. How is one fake and the other not? Why is what we do on the field a joke? We spend countless afternoons working on that show in order to put smiles on the faces of those in the stands. When at rallies there are constant wishes of “drop, drop, drop”- why are you wishing failure upon another? Psychologist say it’s because of low self-esteem (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2073208/Secretly-feel-good-fail-Its-YOUR-low-self-esteem.html). Others acknowledge the work that gets put into colorguard, but don’t recognize it as a sport because guard doesn’t receive an award from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF); however we do compete in the Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC)- is that not similar enough?

Color guard members in high school typically practice 5 hours during school hours with an added 3 hours after school once or twice a week;  some may practice more, but never less. During practice, males and females undergo conditioning in order to have the stamina to compete during winter guard, march through the streets, and perform on the field. Conditioning includes flexibility and strength training as well as core workouts and cardio. In other words, physical exertion- that’s more than a mediocre PE class and one check box filled on the list of requirements for being a sport.

Guard members are able to toss their equipment several stories in the air, turn and dance under it, with a finish of catching the weapon behind their back. This takes hand-eye coordination, confidence, strength, and several other skills. Color guard is constantly mocked by saying “all you do is spin a flag”, but it’s much more than that. Even if we were just talking about spinning a flag, there are several guidelines to consider. Stay in your toaster so you don’t hit those in front of you, keep your spacing when marching, stay on step with everyone around you, watch your lines, hands away from your body so you don’t hit yourself, keep your hands at belly-button level, spin and stay with the tempo of the band (every time you step with your left foot, the flag is down, and every time you step with your right, it is up), etc. Some of the tosses may seem simple too, but it took me weeks to learn a basic under-over and when I tried teaching my football-player-of-a-boyfriend, he hit himself in the head immediately, nearly hyper-extended several of his body parts, and is now terrified of my equipment. Color guard, although it may not seem like it to the ignorant, requires a lot of skill and that’s another box checked off on the requirements list for sports.

Although it seems like not a lot happens during field show season (Football season), there are parades that both guard and band march in competing as both single and separate unit(s). For example, most recently, in the Tustin Tiller parade, the Bands of Santiago Sharks (and Color Guard) marched and performed together, but the scoring went as followed: Third place for auxiliary (color guard), first place for drum major, and sweepstakes- which is higher than first- for all of us as a single unit. Although parades are fun and refreshing, winter guard is where the magic and real competition is. Teams from all around the world compete for a place in the championships and train to come out on top. Stands are filled with friends, families, and fans. Each team is called up to the floor and scored on facials, complexity of work, execution, whether everyone is in-step, how fast to take your team to set up and clean up, dancing ability, and so much more. Winter guard is when members of color guard are able to tell their story through the art that is guard. Self-expression is valued highly and skill is praised. The show is put on for not only the judges, but for the audience as well- we get to leave them in awe, shock, fear, sadness, whatever we want to make them feel. In other words, guard members are a group of individuals who compete against others for entertainment- and that’s the final box checked off the list of requirements.

By book definition, color guard is a sport, but if you still don’t consider it as such- fine, but don’t insult us, wish for our failure, comment on our weight, or say we’re not even a “real” guard. In other words: be a respectable human being by respecting those around you, treating others the way you want to be treated, and not being a bully.