Hi! Can y’all tell me if I’m overthinking this whole situation please.

So, this is one of the first years my school has had a guard. When I first transferred here, it was just me and another girl, but for our WinterGuard season, I’ve managed to recruit 8 more people. Since I’m the captain, everyone keeps asking me when rehearsals will start, but I honestly have no clue. I’ve texted our coaches to try to work out a schedule or set up a day to practice and teach the new members basics, but my messages have been left on delivered for about one or two weeks now. People are starting to get impatient because I still don’t have any rehearsal dates, and they’re asking me if we’re actually gonna have a winterguard season or not.

On top of that, we asked if we could do a small routine for our school’s Winter Fine Arts Showcase, to which they agreed to help, but we haven’t started working on it yet and we’re supposed to present it in two weeks, so this is definitely giving me some anxiety.

I understand they’re human and have their own personal lives to attend to, but people are starting to pressure me for rehearsal dates and the choreography for the showcase. I feel bad because I have absolutely nothing to give them and I don’t know what to do about it.

I feel like I am just overthinking the whole situation but idk.

hi, ive written on the subreddit once before regarding my coach, and im looking for advice again regarding my band director, i come from an interesting set of staff members if you can't tell already lol. essentially over the last week ive auditioned for a DCI group, not saying which as to not give away my location, and my coach and assistant band director approved of the audition and let me audition. i made the ensemble (woo-hoo) and to date would've been only the 2nd person in my highschool to march dci while in highschool. i went to go ask my assistant band director to sign off of my forms and to put my absent dates for band camp into her computer. we'll, my band director walks in asks what she's doing and when she tells him, he looks at me and just says no. he said marching dci ruined highschool for him, which i reminded him, we are not the same person, and he told me, "You're going to go there, be surrounded by talented people like yourself and people better than you and you're going to come back as a captain and be surrounded by people who are unmotivated and lazy and you're going to lose all love for marching band.". he told me that he won't sign off and i need to wait until i graduate but i was offered a contract to march with this ensemble and feel like im throwing away a great opportunity. i also only have 3 days to sign the contract or else it becomes invalid. i asked my coach to help and she told me it's not his choice to decide for me and she'll try her hardest to talk to him.

what CAN i do in this situation?

I've been able to do a turn under a 1-and-a-half silk and money toss for over 3 years but I've been terrified to try it under a 45. I finally have access to an indoor gym to practice any other new tricks I've been working on so does anyone have any advice to get over anxiety? I feel like mental block and anxiety have been holding me back for ages and I could do so much more but I am genuinely so terrified. Even doing turnarounds at practice one after another makes my anxiety rise and I sometimes need to take a break and bail on turning. This is my first season with an independent group and I want to make the open team next season. I already know this is something they want us to possibly know before auditions as a skill.

Ok so first thing, I'm a freshman. Why do I have almost 4 years under my belt is because my highschool has this clinics middle school kids can go to and up until the end of 8 grade I went to them (I started in 6th). This is my first year in I guess real colorguard with the competitions and such and honestly, and I've felt this way for a while, it has been the most stressful, disheartening, and overall self esteem crushing thing in the world.

So it all started in 8th grade, had some trouble in 6th but it was mostly due to the coach being crazy but anyway. This one day I think, I hear about this girl let's call her Vegemite had been chosen by the new director to be apart of the highschool guard. I had been doing it for about 2 years at the point and well I didn't believe it at first until I saw her practicing with the guard for their marching show. And, to be honest that shit just crushed me. I was confused to say the least and when I went to ask her about it she said it was because the director said she was "naturally gifted" which made me mad obviously. I even asked the director himself and he said something along the lines of like "if I knew you were this passionate about it". And the guard before hand (mostly due to myself the people are amazing) just hurt my self esteem a lot and this had just added to the pot even more. Cause like I said I didn't know why she was better, why she got picked over me, I was just so confused and anger. I asked the guard members about it they said it was nothing to worry about this only happens once every few year but I was still just hurting. Like I would cry about this to my parents about how I just didn't know why.

But then summer rolled around and I went to the marching band camp and it was alright but it just, idk it just still hurt. But Vegemite kinda messed up and y'know shit happens but anyway. Recently these feels have just been, kinda all over the place. We're going into winterguard and I just hate the show were doing the same thing for the third time, I don't like the costume or music and the varsity is just better. But during the summer I got a close friend of mine to join and of course I was super happy, but then, without warning, the director said that he and another one of my friends are going to be JV captains. It still hurts writing this right now. I was just on the brink of tears and this girl I hate asks me if I was ok and in this guard we can't be mean or rude, but I almost told her to shut up. One of the older kids took me aside and I was just a angry crying mess and I tried telling them how I felt and they said Vegemite kinda got in because of her age (she got held back) and they told me I reminded them of them which is really sweet cause I want to be them in the future but yeah, talked about Alvin and the chipmucks for a little and then went back inside.

I was in therapy (for reasons I won't get into) and that was kinda helping but every time my friends would say something to us I just got so annoyed. I was mad about them being captains I mean they were working their asses off but idk it just got to me and I started just get mad at the one I got to join but then I wouldn't I would just calm down right away. The director knows I have been here the second longest I've seen some of these kids from 8th grade to junior year he said it as much but, idk. The most thing is that I want to be on riffle line and I've been practicing my butt off, I know it's toxic to think but somethings it's not an if I make the line it is a WILL make the line in that weird toxic way of saying it. This also might have to do with me maybe being autistic but that's still up in the air. But before break JV was moved to another studio where I just started doing riffle. Where, as my autistic friend with a fixation on this said when I told them about it, I was hyperfocused on my riffle and I just would not stop. I didn't talk to anyone I didn't look at anyone but myself in the mirror, I didn't listen to anyone. And it was time for us to move back into the main studio and well I just couldn't stop. The friend even came up to me and tried talk to me but I didn't respond I didn't look at him until at the very end other people walked up and told me it was time to go I just, I started crying. I stopped soon after but yeah.

I don't know if I'll get picked for riffle after this. It's, for me, more of a recognition thing. I don't know why I didn't get picked, idk what I did or was not doing I feel like everyone's just protecting me from it. It's like my dating scene right now, I put in all this work and I try and try and try but no one seems to care. I know life's unfair I shouldn't expect me to be handed this but still. For me guard kinda like a toxic partner. They make you feel like shit but god you can't live without it. I mean guard has given me so much but, it's just kinda wrecked me at the same time. Worst part I feel like I can't talk about this with the director or older members and I don't know why. I just want answers too. Answers to all of my whys so I can get better. Idk but if read this thanks for reading this rant I guess.

I've gotten my fives more consistent over the past month or two, and this was my first time trying sixes so they need the most work.

Fives

Sixes

My director just released our schedule for winter guard and it's weird to say the least. Monday: 5pm-9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 4:30pm-8pm. so that's 4 hours on Monday 3 hours and 30 minutes on Tuesday and another 3 hours and 30 minutes on Thursday, in all that's 11 hours of practice after school. Now I know about the UIL 8 rule where you can't have extracurricular practice for over 8 hours a week but now I've had time to think about it I'm not sure how that rule applies to the winter season. Is this many hours allowed? (not sure if the rules change based on other factors but we're in Texas going into open class)

I’m the co-captain in a community marching band in my city and tomorrow we’re marching a televised Thanksgiving Day Parade. They’re calling for a high of 50° and significant rain. I marched in HS like 25 or so years ago (dear lord) but I don’t recall ever spinning in the rain. Maybe my memory is failing me, but I think the guard would just march with the band in our uniform rain coats without our flags.

For those who have spun in the rain, any words to the wise? I suspect the saturated silks will make it harder to maneuver the flag— should we fake tosses or alter any other moves that may be difficult to do in the rain? My co-captain has minimal experience so these types of decisions would be mostly left up to me to make.

Please give me strength to go through with this 😂🤣

I’m in 8th grade, this is my first year doing colorguard. I’ve been really stressing out because almost all my tosses are under rotated and I just feel really slow at learning stuff (for reference, I still can’t do a pop toss even though we’ve first learned it a month ago). I love guard and still want to continue it in high school, but with the way things are going I don’t think I will be able to keep up. Is it silly to feel this way? Should I just focus on having fun this year and start taking it seriously when I’m a freshman?

Good Christmas song to do a fast upbeat routine to

So I have a really hard time practicing skills in isolation as I get frustrated or just simply start losing motivation and the skill gets sloppier as I go on. I think writing little like “routine” ish things might help but I have no idea where to start. Do I need to know what the music is counted in (like 4/4 or whatever?) or can I just go off lyrics? I really want to improve before next season but we aren’t gonna have a winterguard season this year (long story) so I have to just do it on my own.

Heya! I'm wanting to make a routine from scratch, but I'm completely new. I believe it's in 4/4, so would it just be all 8 counts? Also, any tips for making a routine are very welcome: https://youtu.be/zaaEvo_8i4Y?feature=shared

Sorry if this is an obvious question! Thank you <3

Hello everyone!

I am holding soloist auditions tomorrow for our winter guard and I want to have an "interview" with them in order to get to know their ideas on what they want the season to look like. I don't want any more than 3 or 4 questions, but I don't know what questions to ask. I have them doing a set of choreography they wrote, but like I said, I want to ask just a few questions to get to know where they are for the season.

Can anyone help me out?

For Christmas I’m hoping to get a saber and start really getting into the technique behind it. What is the baseline for a saber’s size? 36in, 39in? There’s a couple on Amazon, are those worth it?

Also, are there any resources anyone knows of to learn proper saber techniques? I know very little, only doing some rifle in high school before graduating. Thanks for any and all advice!❤️

What size pole should I get? I am 5ft tall and would like to know if I would benefit from a shorter pole. But I already spin with 6-foot poles. Is it worth it?

winterguard, only went to 2 callout things for highschool and I am VERY new, but basically the instructor said you need to atleast know how to cartwheel and I don't know how... is this gonna be a big deal?

hi, i'm miles! I'm currently a high school marcher but don't let that fool you, I have many ideas and have been writing for two years. Looking to write for other schools as well as get some credentials in the color guard world!

email me at milesguard45@gmail.com or dm me here

Me and my friend are wanting to do a doll themed duet and are looking for song ideas! If anyone has any reccomendations I'm open to all! Any genre as long as its with the theme!

My teenager has just finished a season of guard and joined winter guard. It has been so good for her! I’m trying to think of Christmas gift ideas. Any thoughts?

Just bought a new rifle (dsi elite 37.5) and it’s wayyyyy heavier than my previous one in the neck - butt area. I started tossing it and noticed that it rotated faster bc of the weight but idk how to handle that. Like my tosses seemed slow but were a whole rotation over. I’m currently in design camp for winter guard and need urgent help. How can I control my gun better?

[FOUND} WGI (Canada) VICTORIAVILLE PHOENIX 1994

The show I'm looking for is kinda strange so I'll describe it.

• It happens on an all white floor
• The guard are dressed in school uniforms
• There is choreography involving apples
• There is a lot of giggling sounds
• The voice over says at on point "I still have my memories!"
• I am not sure if this is true but upon describing the show to CHAT-GPT it told me it might be a show by Broken Arrow Highscool from 2015 called "Recollections" I have not been able to find this though.

Please help the first time I saw it I thought it was really great, please help me find this 🙏

so i wanna audition for the uga flagline, i already know double 45’s and doubles, but i was wondering do any of yall know what other skills i would need to know? also, im worried about learning stands tunes, how complicated are they??

Hello! So I'm currently in the process of trying out for Winter Guard and I'm very new to it. As in this is my first time even holding a flag new. My instructors and the veterans say I'm doing well so far but I'm struggling with catching the flag and tossing a 45. I also have a bit of some issues with height on my tosses but I'm slowly improving on that. I still can't seem to get my catches down though and I recently sprained my finger trying to catch it so are there any tips to kind of ease my mind when catching? Also maybe a few tips on tossing a 45? (Tips to help a sprained finger would be much appreciated too LOL)

Hi! I march trombone during field show season, and I want to try out for winter guard this year. Any tips from going from marching? Tryouts are this Friday, but there's clinics all this week so I've been learning the basics.

theres not gonna be a lot of people but I need tips!! I’ll be back here on Thursday to tell you guys if I made it or not. Wish me luck!! :)

my highschool team is having lots of trouble finding items, specifically service coats and class B button ups. If anybody has any advice or information please let me know. Thank you!

Ok we are working to make these flags for the 3 christmas parades we are in. And well. Due to work, my friend and i do not have time to finish them with the time we have been given.

So we have old white nylon practice silks we could lightly spray paint those with silver to get the effect we want or get silver non wired ribbon and hand sew stripes or something.

Or any out of the box idea that is low cost and we can do the original flag routine with without flags??? Needs to incorporate SILVER (dang parade themes)