Bringing change to the Color Guard
Perri Wedlock
Students practice for a performance during the fall. Practices for the upcoming season have been moved up, starting in January instead of April.
The WHHS Marching Blue and Gold Color Guard has many exciting changes for next season. The guard instructor Cha’La Beverly hopes the upcoming changes will improve the guard and make them better than ever.
In previous seasons, guard practice started in April, but this year they are kicking off in early January: two days a week, 3 hours a day, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Beverly explained the reason for this change. “So the main big change is a change in technique, which just really involves going from keeping our hands really close together. When we catch tosses and things like that and do hand to hand miscellaneous spins, to spreading our hands out to give us a bit more distance to cover and really give us more power to stop the equipment. Another big change is the way in which I guess we kind of run rehearsals. I don’t really yell, I’m not the type of person to yell or to give punishments in order to rush to achieve results. I firmly believe [in] giving people a reason to feel responsible.”
“Through the use of props, usually flags, rifles, with dance, sometimes sabers, we marched alongside the band to kind of bring a part of a story to the music that the band plays. We’re kind of like the picture part of a book,” instructor Cha’La Beverly said.
The WHHS Color Guard is different than other schools in the way Beverly instructs.
“I took it upon myself to make it fun,” Beverly said. “You start silly traditions, you do weird things, [instead of having] this person who’s yelling at you all the time and telling you [that] you’re not good enough. And that you’ll never be as good as this school or that school [or] you’re not as talented as this school and that school instead of trying to motivate you and say, ‘Hey, you know, maybe that wasn’t our best. But I think we can do better because you guys are talented. You guys are smart. You go to the number one public high school in Ohio; there’s no reason you guys shouldn’t be like on top or at least top 10.’”
She continued, “Explaining to people why you have a certain expectation makes more sense than yelling and screaming and fussing and fighting with them and making them feel bad. You pay a ton of money to be here. And you should be having some sort of fun. I think that’s something that a lot of coaches just across the board miss out on whatever this activity is. Whether it’s a more traditional sport that uses a ball or a sport like ours where you throw a flag or rifle or you dance, the sport that you’re in is extracurricular and its supposed to be fun.”
The changes to the guard are to make it a better and more fun environment as well as improve their performances for upcoming seasons. The color guard is excited and ready for another season of hard work and perseverance.
Disclaimer: Chloe Smith, ‘22, is a member of The Chatterbox staff as well as a part of the WHHS Color Guard.
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