You may have seen the band perform during halftime at a football game, but have you ever seen the colorful flags twirling around in the air next to them? That was the color guard.

What Is Color Guard?

Color guard has performed at a variety of shows, parades, and even tailgates for school football games and has been practicing as a group since July.

Maya Oakley (Jr.) has done color guard all throughout her high-school career. She said, essentially, that the color guard spins flags and (fake) rifles alongside the musicians in the marching band.

One may think it is an easy task, but according to Oakley, color guard is a difficult thing to learn: “Yes, it’s really hard to learn, once you get the hang of it, it’s easier, but it’s still definitely not easy.”

How long did it take her to learn this difficult activity? She said, “I spent the whole summer before freshman year learning how to do it, but it’s always a process. I’m always getting better, always learning new things, new skills.”

On top of the tactile skills required for color guard, it’s also a big commitment. Oakley said, “I would tell people who want to join color guard that it is a big time commitment. But, at least in my opinion—and everyone else that does it—it’s worth it. It’s so fun. If you’re looking for a group of friends or just some cool activity that not a lot of people do, it’s perfect.”

She also discussed the specific circumstances of the color guard at Broomfield High School: “We don’t have a very big guard at this school—other schools have bigger guards—but right now, ours has five people. I’ve seen guards have twenty people, though.”

Oakley’s Color Guard Experience

Oakley enjoys being a member of the color guard. She’s had new experiences, made new friends, and developed a strong work ethic. Color guard is important to her because “it’s a group of friends for [her], and it’s always been a safe place.”

Oakley said that when you’re in color guard, “you can forget about all the stress from school and your other friends, and you get to throw things. It’s very fun.”

When reflecting on her favorite aspect of being a member of the group, she said, “I love doing competitions, that’s the best part. They’re so fun, you could just spend an entire day with your friends, doing what you love, and that makes all of the hard work worth it.”

What Impact Has Color Guard Had On Oakley?

Throughout all of her years in color guard, she said, “I feel like I’ve gotten very strong and it’s physically affected me. I’m in a lot better shape than I would be if I didn’t do it, but it also has pushed my work ethic; you have to be able to work really hard at it and also be able to do your homework and get stuff done for school because it is a big time commitment.”

Along with this commitment comes many valuable memories and experiences, her favorite of which are “the friends that [she has] met through color guard” who are “lifelong friends.”

“I’ve just gotten so close with this group of people, and I value them so much.”