School starts Monday here in Texas, though for kids in football and marching band, it started much sooner. You see, while football may be big here in Texas, marching band season ranks just about as high.
Starting August 1st, these kids began practicing for the 2014 marching season. A season that reaches far beyond football games to marching competitions that will take them all across the state.
For anyone who thinks that marching band is for wimps, think again. While most kids are reveling in the last dregs of summer, these kids are on the practice field at 7 AM in an effort to avoid as much of the heat as possible.
On this particular occasion, an evening parent's performance, the thermometer was reading 100 degrees. And, with the first football game slated for Friday, they may not fare much better in their first few half-time performances.
(See the redhead wearing the red sunglasses at the back? That one's mine.)
Of course, things aren't easy for the band directors either. They get to sweat right along with the kids as they watch over them.
The main director and the marching coordinator stand atop their perch, while others move along the field (a parking lot that has the yard lines painted on it) with the kids, making sure everyone is in their proper position.
As you can imagine, in this heat, staying hydrated is key, so they take water breaks every 10 to 15 minutes.
Every kid is required to bring a large water jug, along with a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. And they do not wear black shirts during regular practice.
There's that redhead again, along with his trumpet.
So by the time the instructors finished going over what they do in practice and then giving us a peak at their performance, we were all sweating. And hungry.
What better way to get into the spirit of the season than barbecue.
Who's ready for some football?
I sure was skinny in high school thanks to marching band! We had full military uniforms and wore them every football fame..the last 15 yrs or so they wimp out and wear regular clothes marching but with school shirts. Can't say I blame them!
ReplyDeleteSusanna
Yeah, they won't switch to their regular uniforms (which, thankfully, are cotton) until about the third or fourth football game. However, uniforms only for marching competitions. I don't believe those start until October, though, so maybe we'll have a reprieve from the heat by then.
DeleteBeing a band kid is tough, isn't it Susanna? What instrument did you play?
I was trumpet! no bass clef for me LOL!
DeleteI think the move to t-shirts was probably more to save the band uniforms from all the sweat! those suckers sure were hot - I was sooo relieved though when they let us off the hook for wearing those stupid plumes in the hats..sigh..those were awful! we were a small band so that pretty much made us military style instead of the cool corps style that did all the cool drum stuff
Susanna
Hey, I have a trumpet player. But I already mentioned that, didn't I? Our older son was on drumline. Gotta hand it to those drummers. They do have some really cool shows.
DeleteLOL -- not me. I'm not a football fan. Blasphemy, I know, but even worse is that I'm Canadian and don't like hockey! I'm such a different drummer kind of gal. Mind you I'd rather hockey in Texas because at least I'd be in a cold rink instead of 100 degree heat!!!! You Texans are tough!
ReplyDeleteSo are you a rugby girl, Kav? Our Irish neighbor is big into rugby.
DeleteYes, an ice rink would feel pretty good about now. Though I'm not much of a hockey fan either. Don't understand all the fights.
Rugby is definitely more interesting to watch -- but bloodthirsty. No, I'm a figure skating fan. (Stop laughing) And I love watching horse jumping. Gymnastics. Even tennis, though I can never tell who is winning. LOL And funny thing is that when the Olympics is on I watch everything (well, except hockey...and wrestling...and weight lifting...and boxing...okay not everything). :-)
DeleteNow why would I laugh about figure skating? I love figure skating. Well, so long as I'm not the one doing it. Weak ankles, you know.
DeleteI went through a tennis phase, but have since given it up. The Olympics are always fun because there are so many different sports to choose from, many we don't see that often.
The two months of football and baseball together are THE BEST!!!!!! Huzzah!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGo, Team, Go!!!!!
You know we've had a cool August here, but usually we're facing the same kind of thing, only temps in the 90's.... and humidity to beat the band! (Sorry, had to say that!) And the football team, cross country teams and the bands all work double sessions. Oh my stars, I'm such a wuss by comparison!
I'm all over that lunch, though! And we're big PB&J fans here, as long as it's GOOD BREAD. Cheap bread is unworthy of a great homemade jam!
Amen to good bread. And it's gotta be soft. Of course, lately, it's just peanut butter, the natural variety, on my Joseph's pitas.
DeleteWhoops! There went the craving again. If I don't have at least one peanut butter fix a day, it's not pretty. Least it's got some protein.
BTW, I would kill for those cool temps you've been having, Ruthy. Okay, maybe not kill. That would get me sent to jail and I don't look good in horizontal stripes or orange, so that would just be a bad gig all the way around. :P
Oh, what memories!! I was in band. Played the oboe, so didn't march. I was a baton twirler in football season, so I got to skip the hot uniforms. :)
DeleteI LOVED being in band! So worth the hard work.
Mindy, I wish you'd been here last night. I wanted barbecue! I begged to go eat barbecue. But I got outvoted because they had let me pick getting wings last weekend. (sigh) I guess I can't win every time.
:)
Missy, I can see you as a baton twirler. When I was a little girl I used to think that was the coolest thing.
DeleteWhat? They overruled you? But you're the mama. That is so not cool. They must have been taking lessons from my crew. :P
Baton Twirler Missy. LAUGHING.
DeleteBut laughing as much at CHEERLEADER Ruthy.... Oh dear heavens, I'da smacked my girls if they wanted to be cheerleaders. I'm my own conundrum!!
I really like high school football and basketball. My total favorite ways to enjoy the sports.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Tina. And the games move so much faster than the ones on TV. No pausing the action for commercials. :)
DeleteBTW, football season started for us when the NFL preseason started. Now hubby owns the remote for the next 6 months. We'll be cheering for our Atlanta Falcons!
ReplyDeleteAs is the case for many a household across America, Missy. Except at our house, it's me who likes it more than hubby. He can take it or leave it. Of course, if the Cowboys don't get their act together, we'll both be leaving it.
DeleteAtlanta has a football team???????? Since when?
DeleteMs. Logan Herne YOU ARE SO BAD!!!!
DeleteOh, this is fun! I know nothing about football. Or nothing except what I learned to write a character who loved football. I might have retained a few key facts from that book.
ReplyDeleteBut I DO remember my first roommate at the Warsaw School of Economics. She was from New Orleans and was only in Warsaw a semester for some international law study for some reason I don't quite remember. ANYWAY, she got into Duke, Yale and Harvard Law (where she was going when we met) from an essay about being the marching bad leader who was also a girl who played the tuba who also was an award-winning robotics designer/inventor. She was an interesting girl, that was for sure.
Apparently being the marching band leader who played the tuba was different. Maybe they usually play something else?
Virginia, it was probably all those things PLUS the fact that she was a girl. Most girls don't gave the physical capability to carry a tuba, let alone march with one. So brains, brawn...please tell me she was beautiful, too. I mean, come on, talk about a great heroine. ;)
DeleteLOL. She WAS really pretty. Blond, big blue eyes. I can't remember her whole name (I'm terrible with names) but her first name was Mia. I know where a few of those first roommates went (Australia, Hong Kong) but I don't know where Mia ended up. She was a hoot.
DeleteI think I'm going to have heroine named Mia one of these days. ;)
DeleteI was in Marching Band and loved it. It was never the heat for us but the cold when my lips froze to my flute! Blessings.
ReplyDeleteOUCH! That does not sound like fun, Julie. I don't think Michael has ever had that problem, not even at the Christmas parade.
Delete