Marching Band IS a Sport!

402 words

I really don't care what you throw at me I will always have something to come back with.
I’ve argued with many people on this subject and I usually leave them not knowing what to say next because what I am going to say next is completely, 100% true…

 

MARCHING BAND IS A SPORT.

 

I've heard all the arguments against it and each one has a valid counterargument. First and foremost just for some background information, we are out there for three hours in the afternoon plus an hour during school. We start with camps the first week of August and go and go and go all the way until the middle of October. We endure the heat, the cold, the rain, and sometimes even snow. So you football players, you don't have that over us.

 

The second argument I get is: Well a sport needs to have an offense and a defense. Have you ever heard of swimming? Of golf? Or of diving? I'm pretty sure those don't have an offense or defense. (And if you're arguing that diving isn't a sport, then why is it in the Olympics, huh?)

 

Volleyball players use their shoulders a lot. They swing at hits and set. That's a lot of work on those muscles. Well have you ever tried conducting for a few hours? I've been a setter since seventh grade and my shoulders have never hurt as bad as they did when I started conducting.

 

Football players have to be strong and tackle people over. Well we don't really tackle people (except judges who decide to stand in our way during competitions) but the sousaphones aren't exactly the lightest thing in the world. Neither are tenor saxes, baritones, or any of the drums in the drum line. If I can't even carry them in the cases I doubt I can have those things attached to myself and still march a straight line.  

 

And finally, in sports you have to memorize names of plays and then how to go through with them. In marching band, you have to memorize music and drill. (Drill is your specific spot on the field). Sometimes I think that people overlook the fact that our movements have to be memorized too. We weren't all born with four years worth of shows ingrained into our brains. It is a very difficult process but just like in sports, everything becomes muscle memory.

 

 

~Skooogster(: