“Five, six, seven, eight…jump kick, jump kick, jump jump split”. These were the words that rang out across the practice field as the GlenOak Color Guard team prepared for another season of soaring flags.
The team is coached by Jacquenqette Blaydes. The captains of the team are seniors Mackenzie Fondriest, Greta Burchfield, Kennedy McClellan and Peyton Teter. This team is the most seen dance performance group at GlenOak High School and has a lot of hidden secrets that goes into creating their stellar performances.
“The only thing they see is the finished product, not everything we do starting in the exhausting heat, including the two-a-day practices,” freshman Isabella LaFrombiose said.
The girls on this team do not get an opportunity to take an off season like many other sports. They are required to be in the dance program and to be working constantly on improving their skills. Each member attends their regular dance classes throughout the summer and have to make sure they are prepared for color guard multiple times a week on top of that.
Each color guard practice in the summer begins with a mile run sharply at 10:30 a.m. This helps the girls build endurance and stamina for the intense routines they perform back to back on a Friday night, in addition to the Hall of Fame parade and other shows.
“Having to come to practice and run a mile after usually very tiring pointe class is very strenuous, especially since none of us really are runners,” junior Grace McKenna said.
Another aspect of preparation each year is tryouts. Once you make the team, you are not guaranteed a spot for the remaining years of eligibility. Even seniors are required to try out every year to prove that they have maintained the required skills to be on the team and have the proper showmanship to fit in with the skill set of that year’s team.
“Going into auditions this year was less nerve racking than past years because I was more confident in the skills I needed in order to make the team, but at the same time I need to prove myself worthy of being a captain on the team,” McClellan said.
The girls on this team are able to create unique memories during their high school years that they would not have been able to experience otherwise. They have team sleepovers, pool parties and often win awards for their hard work. They will also be making their way down to Florida to perform in front of the castle in Magic Kingdom this coming April.
“My favorite moment on the team was my first football game when I got to experience it with all the girls learning the chants and dances for the very first time,” sophomore Madyson Byrd said.
Even though the girls put in tons of hard work and dedication, this is just one example of an experience Byrd would not have traded anything for.
For more details follow @glenoakcolorguard on instagram.
