Jim Marsoobian & Rebekah Choi
Staff Writers
Last weekend on October 2nd, Mission Viejo High School’s color guard and marching band won the high auxiliary award, which means best color guard, at a home competition against other high schools. The marching band also won best percussion. The team practices from five to nine PM most nights, so this award shows how rewarding their dedication is. This was the first home competition of the season, since COVID started.
In an interview, Madelynn Foulkrod, a member of color guard, describes it as being hard but very worth it. She explains how the team is almost “like a family” because of how much time they spend together. She says, “It’s hard to not get close to people you spend four hours a day with.” “Even if you and your teammates are very different people, you kind of find the certain thing that makes you click which makes the whole team click,” she explains. One of her favorite things about being in the color guard is spending time practicing with her friends. It was seeing the color guard perform at her middle school, with their “pretty” and “intricate” moves, that compelled Madelynn to join. Her favorite skill to practice is sabre, which is a sword-like prop.
Right now, the color guard is working on their fall shows with the marching band. In the winter, the color guard does shows on their own. They are looking forward to upcoming championships, although they are disappointed about not being able to go to Fresno for competition this year.
When asked about balancing school and color guard, Madelynn said it was “really, really hard,” because of their five-to-nine PM practices and lots of time spent cleaning up their props. This takes away from homework time, and has an on and off idea when it comes to joining next year, but Madelynn manages. Color guard has made Madelynn a more confident person, saying she is a “completely different person than I was last year.” Outside of color guard, Madelynn participates in the MVHS Agriculture program, journalism, and yoga (which she says actually helps with color guard.) She talked about how she was planning to go into color guard next year, as well, and even though it is a lot of hard work it “pays off in the end,” and makes you “feel good about yourself.” It gives her confidence, and she is very passionate about it.
Unlike other sports and activities, the main goal of color guard is not just to win and be strong, rather each member has their own personal goals. Also, color guard uniquely involves dance incorporated with flags. As Madelynn states that color guard isn’t like other sports. She says “Color guard is a lot different from other sports because usually other sports have the goal to just win, or do good, or be strong, but color guard is a lot different because it involves dance, your flag skills, your rifle skills, and sabere skills.”
Overall Madelynn enjoys color guard and MVHS is lucky to have such a great color guard team.
