After three years, senior Victoria Boyer’s high school color guard career is coming to an end, but if she chooses to, Boyer can look to several more years of performing. Boyer is a member of both the school team and a community team. Her school guard instructors are involved in the First Flight color guard team in Cary, and they told her that she should further her experience and continue in the organization. Boyer joined First Flight in September 2013 and now competes with the team.
Color guard performs alongside the band and in competitions around the state. It takes several months for a group to prepare and be ready to compete.
“At school we practice for about seven hours a week and for club we spend a lot of extra time. We usually go for most of the weekend and spend around 20 hours practicing during the week,” Boyer said.
During school guard, Boyer must find time to balance her school work with the practice schedule.
She said balancing club guard is much easier because this group only practices on the weekends.
“Both groups have their pros and cons. School guard is fun because of all of the friends I go to school with, and I get to see them all of the time, but in club we are a lot more competitive, and everyone is really talented,” Boyer said.
Each of the groups Boyer performs with has competed in competitions across the state. Performing in front of huge crowds, such as the one at J.S. Dorton Arena, is what gives Boyer a rush of adrenaline.
Boyer performed there with First Flight for a state competition.
“Performing in stadiums has taught me to have confidence in everything I do,” Boyer said. “Being in front of crowds taught me how to believe in myself.”
More recently, Boyer is preparing to perform at the International Winterguard World Championship with First Flight.
Worlds will be in Dayton, Ohio April 2-5, and Boyer is excited to see how competitive they can be with other guards from across the country.
Some of what Boyer has encountered at First Flight has been totally new.
Instructors taught Boyer how to spin a rifle which she said was a crucial but tricky skill to learn.
“Rifles are really difficult because they are heavy, and it takes a lot of effort to master spinning,” Boyer said. “It sounds easy, but it’s actually really hard to spin a block of wood.”
Color guard is enjoyable for Boyer because of the intensity.
“It is a really good confidence booster,” Boyer said. “It is a lot of discipline, training and helps me gain mental and physical strength.”
Boyer’s school guard teammates described her as strong-willed and a very influential captain.
Her teammate, junior Peyton Perry, said that Boyer uses the skills learned with First Flight to help everyone on school guard improve.
“She puts more effort into it than anyone else on guard, she helps out the coach and she pushes us to work hard and get us to competitions,” Perry said about her teammate.
Boyer has left a lasting legacy behind as she departs for college. Perry considered + to be an important member of the team and worries about how the team will be able to fill in her space after she graduates.
“I want to help include the freshmen the same way she did,” Perry said. “She always made everyone feel welcome, and I want to carry that on into next year.”