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By Raina Gupta
At football games, you see many familiar faces filling expected roles–the football players, the cheerleaders, the marching band–but who is that behind the marching band with the flags? That would be WA’s very own Color Guard Team!
The color guard team posing together outside of Woodruff on Sunday, August 8, 2023. Photo courtesy WA Color Guard’s official instagram account: wacolorguard
The Color Guard doesn’t only carry around flags. They participate in the football games by showing off their choreographed dances using not only their flags but also rifles and other props. Tobi Odemuyiwa ‘27 is one of the newest members to the team and the only freshman.
“We are the music of the marching band but as a visual,” Tobi said.
The Color Guard works hard for the crowd and practices almost every day of the week. In fact, they started practicing during the last two weeks of July. Since then, during the school year, the Color Guard has been practicing after school from 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
The Color Guard team practiced during band camp in the Summer on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Photo courtesy Wa Color Guard’s official instagram account: wacolorguard
Zuri Clarke ‘26 has been on the team since her freshman year of high school. She has earned the title of a veteran and enjoys Color Guard.
“It’s definitely a commitment,” Zuri said. “It’s not for the faint-hearted.”
Color Guard coordinates with the marching band during the football games as well. As the marching band performs their music, Color Guard performs their dance moves. Social Studies teacher Lori Fenzl is the faculty advisor for Color Guard and helps train the team.
“As the band is moving and performing, we are incorporated in that movement…,” Coach Fenzl said. “We are enhancing what it looks like on the field.”