Marching Band Should Be Considered a Sport | Teen Ink

Marching Band Should Be Considered a Sport

April 15, 2008
By Anonymous

When the average person thinks of sports they think of football, soccer, baseball, hockey, or basketball. Yeah those are all great sports, but what about those sports that aren't sports, but should be? Marching band should be considered a sport for many reasons. Marching band fits all the definitions for a sport (and it follows them to perfection). There are many statistics to reveal marching band is a sport and how hard the members work. As a member of the FMHS Wildcat Marching Band, I know we put forth an asonishing amount of time and practice to become he great athletes we are today.

One of the most commonly accepted definitions of a sport activity is: "a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or over coming the resistance of a mass." In marching band, the color guard (the girls with the flags, etc.) toss flags, rifles, sabers, etc. into the air. And those instruments! Some can weigh fifty pounds or more! The one I had was at least twenty pounds. That's definitely more than football gear!

Another definition is, "a contest or competition against or with an opponent." There are many competitive marching bands out there that compete against countless opponents at each show. One of the best competitive marching band shows is the World Championship Finals, publicized each year on ESPN (a sports channel), just like other sports. There are more than 400,000 fans at each live event.

There are many studies evaluating how much marching band members perform. One study shows one marching band member, during a parade, works harder than a football player does during a game. When conmpared to a parade, a marching band member works about twice as hard in a field show.

Another study shows that marching band members actually NEED skills! One member needs to work every part and muscle of their body. A member needs to know how to properly march, have their music completely memorized, count, move, play, and remember what to do before and after the show, all at the same time. How many football players can count and catch a ball at the same time? Sure they have to remember the play, but that's just one thing. Football players need skills too, but they don't need as many. Marching band members have to remember at least six things all at once. One member can multi-task better than any other athlete in another sport.

As a member of a marching band, I know how hard we all work. In one season, I drank four times a much water then when we weren't practicing. I also lost ten pounds in one season. We practiced daily for hours upon end. I can lift heavier things now then I could before,

In summary, is marching band a physical activity? Yes. Is marching band undertaken competitivley? Yes. It fits all the definitions of a sport, right? Yes! There are more definitions and statistics but I don't want to bore you. So, the next time you are walking down the hallway and you see someone with a lettermans jacket that says "Band" don't think "What a band geek," think, "What a great athlete!"


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 171 comments.


DrummerGirl said...
on May. 11 2010 at 1:21 pm
Thank you all whou have commented.  Sorry it has taken me so long.  I didnt realized that people we commenting on my work.  Unfortunately, I can not figure out how to log back into my account.  It is truely an honor that my work has helped so many people.  Hopefully you can show this to all your peers and they will understand.  Keep marching and playing wonderful music.  It really inspires the people around you.

DrummerGirl said...
on May. 11 2010 at 1:18 pm
Thank you!  I was very surprised to be published actually.  I knew it was a good peice of work but I never expected it to be published.

DrummerGirl said...
on May. 11 2010 at 1:16 pm
Exactly!  I havent had people tell me that yet.  I think I intimidate them, so they just dont.  Being a band geek is one thing.  Being a marching band geek makes you just as good an athelete as any other.

DrummerGirl said...
on May. 11 2010 at 1:14 pm
Thanks!  Marching band was definately the best part of my high school carrer too.  I love it and when I go off to college next year I am going to miss it very much.

DrummerGirl said...
on May. 11 2010 at 1:12 pm
Thank you!  People do need to think more outside the box.  Every time our director says "This is the hardest sport" people are always like "This is a sport?"

DrummerGirl said...
on May. 11 2010 at 1:11 pm
Thank you.  I got my definitions from a dictionary but everything else was stuff I already knew or stuff my band director told us.

Ananab said...
on Apr. 27 2010 at 10:02 pm
This is a great article and very true! I am actually writting a paper on the same thing for my English class. Where did you get your stats and info?

VarsityRider said...
on Apr. 2 2010 at 11:00 am
VarsityRider, Milledgeville, Georgia
0 articles 2 photos 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice." - W. Shakespeare.
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do." - Confucius

Lol, i feel your pain when people dont think thats a sport. Many people need to think outside the box when they think sports, not just b ball, hockey and soccar. More like, b ball, hockey, soccar, horse back riding, marching band and more. Good job! : )

SaraB. GOLD said...
on Mar. 22 2010 at 8:23 pm
SaraB. GOLD, Phoenix, Arizona
12 articles 6 photos 215 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Whatever you are, be a good one" Abraham Lincoln

Amen to that! Band kids put in just as many hours and much heart as the football team, if not more, and nobody gives them an ounce of the credit they deserve. Marching band is the best thing that could have happened to me in high school. This was very well written and you hit the nail right on the head!

-color guard girl :) />

shsflute567 said...
on May. 5 2009 at 12:19 am
This is so true! Right now in my speech class we have to do a persuasive speech and I chose that marching band is a sport. While we were in the computer lab people heard what I was doing and they started to attack me and telling me why it isn't. They agreed that it was hard work but that is it. Then my best friend decided to put in his opinion and he agreed with them so I got up and slapped him. So I decided to get my marching band uniform and mellophone for this speech. I am done with all of these stupid jocks. I am not just a "band geek," I am a athlete!!!

piccolo4ever said...
on Dec. 18 2008 at 7:39 pm
Oh... my... gosh!!! THAT IS SO TRUE! No one realizes how demanding marching band is! I totally agree that you have to work every single muscle in your body... just to move at exactly the right time! I myself wrote a piece for Teen Ink about how demanding Marching Band is. Unfortunately, it wasn't accepted. So congrats on becoming a published author! We're not all that lucky! Count your blessings and keep marching! =D