- Belton School District
- Color Guard
Belton High School Color Guard

2021-2022 Guard Teams
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2021 Color Guard
Reese Dolson
Aimee Spader
Bayley Cary
Caydance Montalbano
Claire Macintyre
Gabby Boley
Carlos Rios Garcia
McKenna Bechtel2022 Winter Guard
Practices started on Monday 11/8. It's going to be a great season!
Ayla
Bayley Cary
Brookelyn Cary
Bryson Stroud*
Caitlin*
Carlos Rios Garcia
Caydance Montalbano
Elise Fricke*
Emma Spalding*
Gabby Boley
Hailey*
Oziel
Payton Edmonds
Reese Dolson*
Sydney
*Senior
2021-2022 Guard Calendar
Winter Guard 2022
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Practices started on Monday 11/8. It's going to be a great season!
Ayla
Bayley
Brooklyn
Bryson*
Caitlin*
Carlos
Caydance
Elise*
Emma*
Gabby
Hailey*
Oziel
Payton
Reese*
Sydney
*Senior
Remind Texts
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Guard Vocabulary
Foot Positions: How to set your feet (see illustration)
- 1st position: Heels together, toes facing out
- 2nd position: Heels shoulder length apart, toes facing out
Flag Positions: How to set up your flag at certain checkpoints during work
- Right shoulder: flag straight up and down, flag in the middle of your body, right hand at tab, left hand at stopper and in front of belly button.
- Left shoulder: flag straight up and down, left hand at tab, flag in the middle of your body, right hand at stopper and in front of belly button.
- Right slam: flag crosses body at 45 degree angle, right hand at tab near hip, left hand at bottom stopper. cheater near shoulder
- Left slam: flag crosses body at 45 degree angle, left hand at tab near hip, right hand at bottom stopper. cheater near shoulder
Flagwork: Choreography done with your flag
Choreography: Staging, flag work, and dancing put all together.
- Checkpoints: certain positions that the flag or body has to be at a certain count, the way that a color guard stays together during work, says that the flag should be in X position at the Yth count
- Drop Spin: A basic exercise where the flag moves up and down in a circular motion
- Carve/Cone: A basic exercise where the flag makes a sort of figure 8 in the air
- Flourish: A basic exercise where the flag first spins in front of you, then behind you
- Pull Hit: A semi-basic exercise where the flag starts out facing down, then you quickly spin it around a full revolution and catch it in the same position
- Thumb Flip: A simple rotation of the flag at the tab around the thumb
- J-Toss: Grab with a money hand and pull up and out, letting the flag spin around in the air
- Single: Starts at right shoulder, spins in the air once, then catch at right shoulder
- One and a Half: A toss, same as a single except spins in the air one and a half times and is caught upward.
- Double: A toss, same as a single except spins in the air twice
- Horizontal Toss: A toss where you throw the flag up so that it spins above your head in a horizontal circle
- 45 toss: Similar to a horizontal toss, but it spins in a 45 degree plane instead of a horizontal one
- Sail: When the silk of the flag gets caught on the tip, usually caused by sudden direction changes
- Money Hand: A way to grab the flag, hand straight out, palm upwards, pole between thumb and pointer finger
- Free Hand: The hand not used during that particular work
Bolt: The weight that goes into the top stopper of the flag in order to spin more easily.
Lobster Claw: When a flag or rifle is manipulated using the top part of the hand usually with the first two fingers and thumb.
Rifle: A piece of wooden equipment that looks like a rifle. (see illustration)
Sabre: A piece of metal equipment that looks like a sword.
Air Blade: A fairly new prop introduced that combines rifle and sabre -
Judging Criteria @ Tryouts
(out of 3)
Attitude/Motivation/Teamwork
Appearance/Clothing
Execution/Technique
Movement/Dance
Recovery/Correction
Memory/Anticipation and Performance
Criticism
Overall/Previous Experiences
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Guard Materials
This is not a “required” list. Coach and the District try to provide as much as possible for students at no charge.
This is a resource for students who would like to spin rifles/sabres, need a replacement of something, or would prefer personal equipment to practice with. If you have questions, please reach out to Coach.
Item
Description/Notes
Est Cost
Details
36 inch Synthetic Blade
$105
Please be sure to double check what you are ordering!
You want the 36in Synthetic Blade
They DO NOT come with tips. You MUST have a tip to spin in the gym.
You MUST have one of these to spin the sabres in the gym.
$1
(Coach usually has some of these extra, please speak to him if you need one in a crunch, preferably before you need one and he can bring one from home.)
Highly Recommended. This protects your sabre, the gym floor and you.
$11
“King Sabres’ do not make an official hilt guard, but this works fine. Please ask Coach how to put this on appropriately.
Rifle
37.5 inches
Black Bolt
Black Leather Strap
$50
Please be sure to double check what you are ordering!
This rifle comes pre-taped and should be ready to spin when you get it.
If you need a replacement bolt, please use this link.
(aka O-Rings or Strap Clips)
$3
$1
Gloves
Order TAN
If we use black, it will be a part of a show design and the whole team will be the same.
$15
Ever-Dri Gloves from Band Shoppe Sizing Guide
Ever-Dri Performance Gloves by DSI ( sold on amazon)
Coach does not spin with gloves and only recommends them if you plan on advancing rifle.or regularly spinning sabre.
(Designs by King)
$35
(Band Shoppe)
$25
Recommended by Coach.
Marching Season
$38
Dance Shoes
Mostly used in Winter Guard.
Black or Tan color. Dependent on the show design.
$27
Please be sure to check the sizing information.
Similar shoes can be purchased elsewhere also as long as they look similar.
$35
This is the band shoppe version of the shoes. You can get very similar shoes for cheaper and quicker, if you would like. Please be sure to check the sizing information. Similar Shoes can be purchased elsewhere also as long as they look similar.
It is highly recommended that guard members bring their own tape to rehearsals, games, festivals, etc.
$4
Home Depot, Lowes, etc
Coach tapes flags usually once per season.
Rifles tape is usually the responsibility of the one using it.
This is used on the break zones of the rifle. If you order a new Kong Rifle, it comes taped.
$9
Girls' Fall Uniforms
In most instances, the school will provide the fall uniform. If you would like to own your own or for some reason we need to get additional items, here is the info.
$60 Tunic Top
$30 Crop Top
$30 Pants
Top: (We use the purple one)
Crop Top: (Required; and you will want in October)
Pants: Check the sizing guide on the website.
Boys' Fall Uniforms
In most instances, the school will provide the fall uniform. If you would like to own your own or for some reason we need to get additional items, here is the info.
$60 Top
$30 Pants
Top: (We use the purple one)
Pants: Check the sizing guide on the website.
Flag Pole Info
Ask Coach how to tape on flags or cheat tapes if you need help.
Your flag will need to be weighted at the top stopper. Ask how to get weights for the flags (Home Depot, Lowes,etc)
We spin 6 foot poles. This is important. Ask Coach how to tape on flags or cheat tapes.
$12
It doesn't matter what color pole you practice with.
The typical flag size we spin is 36” x 54”.
$12
This is the practice flag Coach recommends. The color doesn't particularly matter, however, it is suggested to get a darker, solid color as they are easier to see and ‘cleaner’ in a group setting.
Colors typically don't matter because they are taped over.
$10
Stoppers also known as Crutch Tips or Pole Caps. These are sold as a Dozen which means one ‘order’ of stoppers could be for 3 flag poles. It's nice to have extras and they are not super expensive, but you might want to ask around if anyone would like to share with you.
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What is Guard?
"One of the most interesting parts of watching a marching band is the color guard. While the patterns of musicians rhythmically marching across the field may hypnotize, some of us may find our gaze broken by the frenetic spinning of brightly colored flags. The color guard has the unique responsibility to interpret the music through visual effects. These effects can range from flags, wooden rifles, sabers, or other props. Using a variety of colors, members of the color guard can set the mood of any marching band song. Due to the relationship between color guard and military drills, you have to practice to become a member of a color guard team. How many people do you know that can throw a flag ten feet in the air and catch it? There is a lot of work that goes into color guard routines. So, while there are many artistic elements to this sport, there is also a great deal of competition. Due to its increasing popularity, some have even suggested that it should become an Olympic sport." (ehow.com)
Science:
It is exact, specific and it demands precise execution. A designer's drill is a chart; a graph which indicates x and y coordinates for constantly changing geometric shapes and forms in both time and space. Our equipment and props are always pushing the laws of physics with force and speed, action and reaction. All of this with an incredible control of time.
Mathematical:
It is rhythmically and metrically based on the subdivision of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously. We have angles and degrees, both acute and obtuse, sequences, ranges, and hypotenuse.
Language:
It is a visual picture alive with message and meaning. We use interpretive phases, sentences, and words many times with music which creates a most complete and universal language, to be recorded for others to see, feel, and understand. It is a language which is recited and shared many times both near and far.
History:
Winter Guard can be influenced by the environment and times of it's creation, or it can reflect the past as well as the future. It can send us to a far away country or bring us closer to home. We are rich in our heritage and have forefathers as well.
Physical:
It requires fantastic coordination
of fingers, hands, arms, feet and legs; in addition to extraordinary control of the back, stomach and torso; all of which are called to respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the sight the eye sees. Winter Guard calls upon endurance, ability, strength, and balance.
Sport:
A game we play with others in which
we share and we shine. We are competing with ourselves to perform better with every practice and every show. It allows us to reflect and learn on what’s inside - on confidence and fear, self-esteem and self-image; as we get better on the outside with performances, people, expressing our feelings, and sharing our dreams. It is a chance to realize our attitude is what makes us or breaks us, not anyone or anything else. It is a mind set with an increased awareness challenging us to realize the potential in our selves.
Performing Arts:
It is a show which can be entertaining and enlightening! It requires directing, acting, producing, managing, and touring, as well being full of colors, fashion, flair, excitement, pizzazz, sophistication, and subtlety. We are to realize the triad of performance: audience, performer, designer.
Educational:
It allows a human being to learn how to take all of these things; some dry and technically boring, some
difficult and challenging; and use them to create emotion! One of the most important things our world needs.