Performing for the first time this year, the 2010 winter guard team will compete in the San Joaquin Valley Color Guard and Percussion (SJVCGPR) competition at Clovis East, Friday, Jan. 29. The guard will take the floor at 6:47 p.m. in the gym.
This year, the team will be part of the “Regional A”, Gold Division along with six other schools, consisting of Saratoga, Clovis, Hanford, Arroyo, Buchanan JV and Sanger.
Although they have been working hard, including some practices over winter break, 8th grader Ileana See recognizes the nerves included with the first competition of the season.
“I know we have all worked really hard, but that does not remove the feeling I have in the pit of my stomach,” See said. “It happens every year. The first show of the year is always the hardest; we are never as prepared as everyone would hope to be.”
However, with the new incorporation of stretching and conditioning into the guard schedule, captain Jessica Massie, ’11, feels confident in their ability to perform proficiently.
“We told all the girls at the beginning of the season that we would start conditioning because we thought it would help us in the competitions,” Massie said. “We have only been at it for a couple weeks and already there have been improvements. I really think that our performance will improve and we will do better in shows because of it.”
Similar to color guard, winter guard incorporates the same maneuvers and routines, but consists of more solitary group competitions rather than performing at the football games with the band. To be more specific, winter guard is performed indoors and usually in a gymnasium.
“I think of guard as being something fun to do, but at the same time, you have to be willing to work hard and practice hard,” head coach Lacey Miranda said. “All the girls this year are willing to try all my crazy ideas, even if they hurt. They push until they get it right; I love my girls.”
Also, while color guard usually just consists of performances with flags, winter guard uses rifles (wooden guns that are taped) and sabres (metal swords that have the hilt taped). Adding these weapons creates more difficult routines and adds another element to the performance.
Tickets cost $8 for adults and $5 for students.
After the Jan. 29 performance, winter guard will next compete on Feb. 12 at Buchanan High School. The time of performance will be announced at a later time.
For more information on the competition schedule, ticket costs and locations, visit SJVCGPR.org.
