CHAMPIONS: Poly Color Guard is one of the best teams in Riverside!
By Abbigeal Griggs, Staff Writer
Riverside Poly Color Guard has taken the lead, winning almost all of their competitions. They have worked hard this past season by bonding as a team, practicing their tricks and amazing catches and performing at football games.
Color guard has won 4 out of 5 competitions this past year. The team has competed at Valencia High School, King, North, Ramona and Warren High School. In addition to performing competitively, color guard has also performed at some of Poly’s home football games. When Lily Winterton (9) was asked what she thought of the costumes and make-up, she said “I liked the costume because it wasn’t to bulky but the make-up was a little excessive and I don’t think we needed to wear that much just to perform.” Color guard entails more than just costumes and make-up. It involves considerable team bonding and practice. “I believe that since we practiced a ton, it helped make our team closer and if there was drama we could sort it out. We did a lot of team bonding in the beginning but as the season got closer towards the end, we had no drama and everyone liked each other,” Winterton expresses.
Color guard practiced for about 15 hours a week during their season. “The practices were a little excessive but it made a difference in competitions,” Winterton noted. With all this commitment, many wonder if color guard is worth trying out for. “I liked color guard a lot and I hope the rest of my high school color guard seasons are like this. I believe that color guard is really fun and easy to get in to because no one really knows what they are doing when they start but as you work harder, it starts to get easier. I also think it’s good because you get to build friendships that will last,” stated Winterton. Winterton does a great job of explaining why color guard could be a great opportunity for everyone and how it is a great learning experience.
Winterton’s experience in color guard is a great example of what being on the team is like. Color guard can be a great learning and team bonding experience for all who wishes to join the program.