Emerson’s winter guard teams have made a name for themselves as a force to be reckoned with this winter guard season. From a humble start to Emerson’s guard program two years ago, the guard has grown exponentially. This year Varsity placed seventh out of 35 teams in the Winter Guard International (WGI) Southwest Power Regional where they competed against teams from Oklahoma, Colorado and Arkansas. Junior Varsity won Bronze at the North Texas Color Guard Associations (NTCA) championships.
Their huge success can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of guard members over the past few months to build their show from the ground up. Varsity guard’s show, “Greatest of All Time,” is centered around the achievements of Simone Biles, who is referred to as the greatest of all time in women’s gymnastics.
“As an all female team, this Olympics-inspired show is very empowering and also shows our strength,” Varsity Captain Sophia Mosca said. “The song choice is ‘Don’t Stop’ by Jon Batiste, which serves as a metaphor for us to never give up and keep going, just like how Simone Biles never gave up.”
Perseverance truly was the key to guard’s achievements this season.
“A lot of people don’t realize just how much time and effort we spend putting our show together,” Mosca said. “The way most shows are made is first through staging, figuring out our ‘drill,’ and then we add choreography. Prepping for competitions is usually just a combination of long rehearsals, practice and consistency to just be prepared for anything.”
This hard work has not gone unrecognized. All the attention Emerson Guard has been getting for the excellence of their shows, especially as a young team, has been incredibly motivating for Guard members, JV and Varsity alike.
“A lot of people misunderstand what color guard actually does,” JV captain Arianna Trotter said. “The fact that we were able to accomplish so many things this year, I think was great on our end because we got to show people what we do. JV and Varsity this year have always placed in every single competition and I think that’s a big deal for us and our coach.“
JV’s show “Roses are Red” had their last competition a couple weeks ago. For the two captains who are graduating this May, Trotter and Andrea Madero Lujan, the competition was incredibly emotional.
“We were just crying and kind of laughing at the same time because we realized we’re done with guard and it’s really bittersweet because we know we’ll never get to do another winter guard show again,” Trotter said.
With the Varsity season coming to an end soon as well, senior members are cherishing their last memories with the guard and reflecting on their time on the team.
“Color guard is something that has changed my life forever,” Mosca said. “It’s something that has brought me out of my shell and taught me how to be confident in what I do. It’s also brought so many amazing people into my life and it just means so much to me that I can share this experience with them.”
