Color Guard Primer for New CG Parents

It's always a learning curve being a parent of a child in a new extracurricular activity. Color Guard has been no different. While I'm still fairly new at it, I would love to share some things I've learned so far.

I know your first question is "Kathy, is it Color Guard or Colorguard?" The Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC) has it as two words, but the North Texas Colorguard Association (NTCA) has it as one. Maybe NTCA simply didn't want to add that extra letter to their acronym. I just don't know. I'm telling you, I have consulted many experts, and there is no consensus. Since people usually call it Guard, I go with the two-word theory.

Next question: Isn't the Color Guard the military group who carry the flags? Yeah, maybe that was just my question... Moving on...

For all you uninitiated moms and dads, there exist two guards: Fall Guard and Winter Guard. Many times during camp, I called Winter Guard "Spring Guard." After all, it IS fall semester and spring semester, right? Finally Lauren gently explained to me, before I embarrassed the bajeebers out of her in public, that there is no such thing as Spring Guard.

Incidentally, Summer Guard is not a thing either, although the Fall Guard spends most of the summer practicing the fall show with the band.

Also, the girls tell me that Winterguard is most definitely one word. Fall Guard, not so much. Makes my head spin. Heh. Spin. That's what it's called when the guard toss around their various implements. Guard humor. Learn it. Love it.

Speaking of implements- I was calling them muskets and swords, but they are "rifles" and "sabers." Rifles. And SABERS. Girls in beautiful costumes with flowy sleeves and sparkly accessories... spinning big nasty guns and knives. It's like Zorro in a ball gown. But relax, newbie parents! Newbie guard members start with a flag first.

Then one day your child comes home about to pee her pants because the director let her have a rifle to practice with. My daughter broke her finger on a flag the first day of Spring Winter Guard camp. Now she's spinning a rifle in the backyard. Did I mention she also spins a big hook in the show? Yay! Hooks!

Yes, there are male Guard members. Some dang good ones, too. Not on my daughter's guard, but on several others. Those dudes may be wearing powder blue, shimmery pajama pants, but just wait to see how high they can toss their swords... errrr... sabers.

Quick Factoids:
1) Each guard provides their own floor. I was thinking a parquet dance floor. It's a tarp. Much easier to roll out and put away in five minutes.
2) The answer to the competition question, "Is the guard ready?" is "They're always ready." But don't say it out loud. (See "guard humor" above.)
3) Those guys speaking into digital recording devices at regular conversation level through your child's performance are the judges. Don't shush them.
4) Foot Undies look just like tiny underwear. So cute!