When the halftime whistle blows, many students in the stands drift toward the concession stand or chat with friends in the bleachers. As the band marches out, the field suddenly becomes a sea of black and gold, but peaking through the black outfits and large brass instruments are figures in bright white. They raise their vibrant flags and begin to toss and spin them in the air, creating whirlwinds of color under the darkening sky. They follow the rhythm and movement of the band as they quickly weave their way across the green grass.
To some in the stands, these flag twirlers are accomplishing a simple feat. They may not realize that this visual accompaniment to the band’s music has its own name and its own group of tight-knit members. This group, known as Color Guard, trains multiple hours per week with practices every morning for two hours, except for Tuesdays which are for three hours, to synchronize their flag routines with the band’s performances. Members even bring home practice flags to perfect their routines.
Coach Vivian Smith, who has been LSE’s Color Guard head coach for three years, and members of Color Guard say they wish more students would give their performance the same attention they give the football game.
“There’s a lot of chatter that goes on in the student section,” Smith said. “[The student section] could be better attendees, actually watching and listening versus talking through the whole halftime.”
By tuning out during halftime, students miss the chance to recognize the talent and effort their peers put into creating a show that brings as much spirit to the field as the game itself.
“I realize halftime is [students’] chance to hang out with friends, but [they could be] just better about being attentive,” Smith said.
With this recognition would come a better understanding of what color guard is for students who aren’t involved in band.
“If you have never seen color guard, you’re not going to know what the activity entails or, [you’ll think] of it as part of marching band. It has that connotation of, ‘oh, it’s just a marching band. I don’t want to be in band,’” Smith said. “But people don’t realize it is a physical activity. It’s dance based and movement based.”
As Smith said, though color guard is a part of a musical performance, it is more than just that. It takes a lot of training and athleticism that can often be overlooked in the realm of sports.
“I think there’s a huge emphasis on sports and athletics and people don’t see marching band as athletics, so they don’t always see what the marching band does behind the scenes and they just see [students] playing music on the field,” Smith said.
Senior and LSE Color Guard section leader Chloe Blum also emphasizes that the physical effort and endurance that color guard takes is overlooked or that many students are unaware of it.
Often, students don’t realize the “amount of work we put in,” Blum said. Tossing the aluminum poles takes not only shoulder muscles but also a lot of leg work and stretching. This is due to the amount of running and skilled movements that being in Color Guard takes because, according to Blum, “[Color Guard is] like the dancers in the band”.
Since color guard often takes mastery over dance skills, members often work to give each other constructive criticism to help each other improve. As a team, they work hard to be able to aid each other in their choreography, which often includes giving each other constructive criticism of their performances.
Along with telling each other of what they did well, Color Guard teammates also work to encourage each other, creating a welcoming environment.
“[We build] each other up and [make] sure that nobody feels like they’re the weakest link,” Smith said.
This environment of positivity is a big part of what makes Color Guard such a community. Additionally, Color Guard members often have bonding nights, sleepovers, get togethers and trips for ice cream.
For Smith, “that group unity, the connectedness” is what she loves most about Color Guard.
This connection between members is what really brings LSE’s Color Guard together to give a cohesive performance.
For Blum, the only thing left to wish about the team is that more students are aware of its existence.
“A lot of people ignore us or don’t even realize we’re a thing. That’s really it.”
