Colorguard is a fall and spring activity that consists of performative dance combated with spinning different equipment such as rifle, flag, sabre and sword. Colorguard is typically seen at football games, performing during half-time but also attending competitions throughout the year. Colorguard is much more than just spinning a flag and being a part of a band.
“Dancing is the foundation of everything we do, we call it equipment but essentially they’re just props,” Anna Coppin, 12, said.
There’s different equipment used alongside the performance like a rifle, which is a piece of wood with specific attachments like a strap, the flags which are six feet tall with silks, swing flags with a shorter pole and a longer silk. Silk is the patterned part at the end of the pole. Then the sabre is a dull sword with a protective tip.
“I love flag. I’ve tried to do rifle, and it’s just not my thing,” Ellie Schmitt, 12, said.
Colorguard is more than just spinning a flag, which many might not know. The process of trying out mainly contains specific performative moves that need to be learned over the span of three days. Although no prior experience is needed to try out for colorguard, it is not as easy as it seems.
“It’s harder than it looks,” Tegan Swanguarim, 12, said “It’s because you’re throwing inanimate objects in the air, hoping they come back and hoping that you can catch them.”
While colorguard does perform with the band during football games, they are not the same thing. For Eureka, band and colorguard are two different activities that will come together during certain events. During the fall season, they perform together during football games and during winter they split up.
“During the fall season, we’re more of a pep entity and then during the winter, we’re an actual sport by ourselves,” Kate Feeney, 12, said.
Throughout the fall season, Colorguard has three to four competitions. There are no big championships, and any local competitions are with the band highlighting the band rather than just Colorguard. However, during Winterguard season, there’s lots of local small competitions almost every weekend and the scores decide the ranking. With higher rankings, color guard attends championships in Springfield.
“We go there and then compete for our big title at the end of the season,” Coppin said.
Colorguard changes throughout the season. For example, from the beginning of the school year until November is the regular Colorguard. However, November to March is the Winterguard season. Some of the main differences are that Colorguard performs at pep rallies and sporting events but Winterguard is more competition based. Also, Colorguard is outdoors and Winterguard is indoors and in a more enclosed space on a tarp.
“It’s a good experience. It’s hard work, time. But super fun to be part of something that cool,” Coppin said.
