I Believe in Color Guard by Lauren Walz

It starts with dance moves and fundamentals. Throughout the season the routines get more and more intense. It's like school, because it gets more difficult as you get more into the year and as you move from grade to grade, but in the end, you wouldn't be anywhere without it. That is why I love to toss 6-foot poles into the air, it's just my thing. It doesn't matter if it hits my face; all that matters is that I get it up in the air. It takes grace and skill. It takes effort and determination. It's fun and it gave me a new family. It made me more coordinated than I've ever been before. I believe in Color Guard.

When you join, every move looks hard and sometimes impossible for you to execute. After a while, you become best friends with your flag and you start to spin and toss it at every opportunity. I love going outside, turning on some music and improvising flag moves throughout the song. You become so determined that you do your best in other things like school work, because if you can toss a flag and catch it without hitting yourself, then you can probably do your math homework with no problems.

Color Guard is all about teamwork. We count on each other to do our very best and to do our job. It's not just about being a team though; it's about creating a new family. You and the other members become very close throughout the season. Everyone in Color Guard is like a second family to me, because I know that I can trust them with almost anything, and they trust me. I don't think I've ever felt closer to a group of people before in my life. We always have bonding times and we get closer each and every day.

I used to be the clumsiest person in the world. When I joined Color Guard I realized I still had some gracefulness from when I took dance classes when I was younger. I can do so many things with a flag that I didn't think I could ever do before. I also didn't think I'd be able to toss a flag and catch it, but after I started to trust in myself, I was able to catch anything. When we perform, we have to be "in character" which means we have to show emotion. Having the right facial expression plays a big part in showing emotion, so it has to be correct. We can't be "in character" if we aren't emotional.

I love Color Guard. It has become my life. I can't imagine who I'd be right now if I wasn't in Color Guard. Everyone should give it a chance because it's an experience you wouldn't want to miss. I love everything about Color Guard and I'm hoping it'll play a big part in my future, because I don't ever want to let it go. I believe in Color Guard.