As the school year has progressed, many organizations and programs have found ways to overcome COVID-19 challenges and regulations, including the color guard. While the winter season has looked a little different this year, the color guard has continued to compete through virtual competitions. 

Although students are still given the option to do school virtual or in-person, most of the color guard, including senior Bolt Gonzalez, attend the morning class, with everyone attending rehearsals in the afternoon. 

“We are all [in] guard to learn new things and be challenged so we are happy with the progress we have made this year,” Gonzalez said. “It sucks a little not having in-person competitions and performing in a mask is difficult at times but we can still be together and, to me, that’s what counts.” 

The color guard submitted their recorded performance for the semifinals to Winter Guard International Sports of the Arts (WGI) on March 29. WGI then scores each performance and decides which teams advance. However, there are no places for competition this year, teams are only aware if they advance or not. 

On April 11, the color guard received the result for the virtual competition. While JV made the finals, varsity did not. Although guard captain Zoe Courtade said that she believes the challenges brought on by COVID took away from the overall color guard experience, all five leaders still worked to make the most of the winter season. 

“Because our sport is very visual and hands-on learning, it was very hard to transfer to virtual and [try] to train to be competitive for the winter season,” Courtade said. “In a normal year, we all come together as a team to find motivation and grit but we had to get creative about how to involve virtual [students]. Thankfully, we have an amazing staff that has fought for us to have a season and come every day with new ideas and inspiring love for color guard.” 

Courtade said that her favorite part of the season was the color guard’s final performance, which took place on April 10 in the gym. 

“This year our very last performance was incredible,” Courtade said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better last fun to reflect all my four years in this program. Everything I tossed felt like it was in slow motion and I knew all of them were going to be great catch and I am so proud of my team for making this happen.

Despite the changes, Gonzalez said that she has still enjoyed Color Guard this year, especially spending time outside of practice with the other seniors on the team. 

“It feels really good to spend so much energy working hard to make a show perfect and then to go eat dinner with those same people,” Gonzalez said. “[It] really builds a bond like family.”