Color guard for many students becomes a second home, a team of individuals who move as one, supporting each other both on and off the field.
For freshman Addy Mae, color guard is where the connection began. “The people I’ve met, I first moved to Tupelo in sixth grade, and I didn’t know anybody. I joined the color guard team in seventh grade, and from there, I’ve [made] a lot of friends and people that I see as family,” Mae said.
Beyond just being a performer, Mae sees herself as a source of light and encouragement.
“I would say I try to encourage my teammates the most. I’m seen as a person who really encourages people and keeps people happy. I always try to have a positive mindset.” Mae said.
Discipline and dedication are also core values in color guard, something Michaela Scarcella embodies. When asked about her personal practice habits,
“I try to practice almost every day outside of team rehearsals, because there’s always something that I can improve on to help my team,” Scarcella said.
That mindset of constant growth not only betters her performance but strengthens the entire unit. Scarcella also stressed the importance of preparation.
“Physically prepared is stretching almost every day and making sure that I have what I need, whether it’s Tylenol or if it’s to stretch something out before rehearsal. Taking that time, and then mentally just making sure that I’m okay with my mental state… checking up on myself and making sure that I have that time with myself so that I don’t take it out on my team.” Said Scarcella.
For Nadia Kendrick, color guard provides a powerful emotional outlet.
“Personally, it’s basically like an escape from life,” Kendrick said. “Everything that’s going on in your personal life, you don’t really think about it as much. And especially after you perform and hear first place, you just feel so proud of yourself and proud of what you did over practice.”
Color Guard is a space where outside stresses fade and the focus shifts to the love of the sport, shared with teammates who have become more like family.
