Band Camp-- Day 1

Time has quickly past as the summer months draw to a close, but before we are ready to set foot in the crowd filled football stadium to display our show, we must prepare it first. Band camp is where the magic of flagging begins. As I rose early on Monday morning the thoughts of preparing our band show excited me. I quickly took a shower and braided my hair so nothing could stand in the way of me learning my routine,not even my wild and frizzy, curly hair. When mother finally arose I tried everything in my power to get her to rush along so we could leave. Mother pulled into the parking lot five minutes late as the straggling band members slowly walked through the band room doors.

    The time I had anxiously been waiting for was right before me as I raced to the student parking lot. When the team was reunited, Cheryl handed us a piece of chalk which quickly became our best friend. In order to start plotting our sets, we had to have our plot charts, which is a grid with our placements on the field. As we began to find where our places were, we would mark them with the chalk.   Finally after two hours of plotting sets it was time to break into sectionals.

Sectionals were the most relaxing time during band camp, but that was not saying much. Cheryl was a stickler for discipline but this taught us to respect her. As we went into our first sectional my excitement had already left as the heat from the blazing sun lowered my energy level greatly. Cheryl began to expound upon what our agenda was for our time in sectionals. As we stood in front of the auditorium Cheryl began to teach us our basic tosses. For the ladies that came to the practices over the summer that did not face them with a challenge, but for the girls that never came this faced them with great difficulty. After we successfully completed our basic tosses it was time for the first day of band camp to end. (355)

                                                                                                                                                              

Finding a Coach

After recovering from the anxiety of tryouts, the team felt as if we were ready to conquer the world. Little did we know that our world would be occupied by numerous  practices. We had practice regardless of the extreme weather conditions.  Some afternoons felt as if we were in the Sahara desert with the scorching sun beaming down, blistering our delicate skin.  While others felt like we were in the Amazon Rain Forest with torrential downpours, sweeping the earth away from under our feet.   Regardless of the amount of practices we had participated in, we knew that before anything could be accomplished, we had to have a coach.  Someone that would teach us the fundamental skills of flagging.  That someone would be my cousin, Cheryl. Cheryl’s dream was to be accepted into the University of Tennessee and to be a member of their amazing, highly talented band. Her dream turned into a nightmare the moment she became diagnosed with a life- threatening disease known as Crohn’s.   After battling many years with this disease, her health finally allowed her to pursue her dream of flagging at a lower level. She was not able to be apart of  UT’s band but she was able to be a part of Lee High’s band.  She  showed us that she had an abundance amount of talent bubbling out of her like an erupting volcano. What’s more amazing is that she was willing to be our coach!  We begged Mr. Harding for an experienced coach that would bring an electric wave of energy to the color guard program.  He knew Lee High’s color guard program was at the lowest it had ever been. Everyone agreed that Cheryl was our only chance to build back our legacy.

    The first time the new team met Cheryl, it did not go as Mr. Harding had expected. Returning band members were willing to accept the challenge; however, the new girls were not. Some of the members had a false image about color guard.  They thought that this would be an easy sport that they could put very little effort into it and still look pretty at the same time.  This extra curricular activity  will make you bleed, sweat, and cry all at the same time, but it becomes worth it when you portray a breathtaking show. Step two is accomplished.