Have you ever tuned in to the Macy’s Day Parade, watched all the excited high school and college bands parade by, and found yourself asking, “What’s the story behind all those flags being tossed around?” For the longest time, I was right there with you, puzzled by it all.
When you dig a little deeper, you uncover that those mysterious flags being tossed around are actually a fascinating sport known as color guard. You might think, “That’s not a sport, just some military guys waving flags around!” But let me tell you, if you didn’t know what the color guard was, you’d be missing out on the dynamic and captivating activity that blends artistry and athleticism in ways you might’ve never known was possible.
To clear up this common misconception, I contacted an expert on the matter, Rose Shanahan.
Rose Shanahan is a sophomore at Salem High School who has been in the color guard for three years for a total of six seasons. In her free time, Shanahan loves to hang out with friends and family and play tennis with the Salem High School Tennis Team.
Shanahan is also a very musical person, as she participates in her school’s musicals every year and is a part of the Salem High School Percussion Ensemble and Salem’s very own WitchPitch A Cappella group.
I got the chance to sit down and talk with Shanahan about the sport of color guard and asked her some questions. Here’s what she answered:
What is color guard?
“Color guard is an artistic sport that started in the military, although it has changed a lot over the years. We spin and toss equipment such as flags, wooden rifles, and metal sabres to tell a story as we dance to music.”
Is color guard a sport?
“I would definitely say it is a sport, as it requires a certain level of athletic ability to be able to excel in it due to the long practices and how hard it genuinely is! We also compete to win against other groups, so I think the competitive aspect of it would classify it as a sport.”
Do many people know about color guard?
Color guard has nationwide organizations, with over 40,000 people participating in WGI’s (Winter Guard International) regional level this year. So there definitely is a strong community, but I think more people should learn more about it so it can become a more mainstream sport!”
What is one thing people don’t realize or understand about color guard?
“One thing people do not realize about color guard is how time-consuming it is. During the fall season, we have three rehearsals a week.”
“On Tuesday and Thursday, we practice for two and a half hours, and on Saturday we practice for four hours. We also perform at the football games on Fridays and then compete on Saturdays. The competitions are tiring as they can last up to ten hours!”
“During the winter, the hours stay the same, but our rehearsals move to Mondays and Wednesdays, with competitions still being on Saturdays.”
What is your favorite thing about being in the color guard?
“My favorite thing about [color] guard is the feeling that I get while performing. Whenever I catch a hard toss or complete a difficult section of our show, it makes me feel so accomplished and proud of myself!
Anything else you wish to say about the sport of color guard in general?
“I definitely believe more people should know about color guard so they can get involved in it, particularly people who dance! My dance background was a big part of the reason I grew as a [color] guard member so quickly. It is really just an incredible experience, and the friends you make in this sport are forever.”
After wrapping up an incredibly insightful and informative talk with Rose Shanahan, I concluded that color guard is a very artistic and fun sport that everyone should look into. Like any other sport, it requires a lot of dedication and athleticism while also displaying captivating skills for audiences to look at!
If you would like to know more about the sport, get involved, or just go and watch a performance, visit Winter Guard International and find a team near you!
