guardjul123

Oh how I hate this time of year when the message boards go quiet. I long for the months ahead when we start to talk about who is doing what show, and who will take the medels at WGI.

CONGRATS!!!!!! To all the Florida teams. Taravella, Cooper City, Seminole and my personal fav. Fahrenheit. You make me proud to call Fl. home. Good Luck in your new classes

That sounds like an invitation to go out there and prove how wrong she is. And what kid doesn't want to prover his parent wrong. Good Luck and have fun. Thats what it is really all about. Hope to see you at WGI in 2008

You should create a myspace page like so many other guards have. You could post all the info you need right there

Unfortunalty there are still guard people out there who still do not want guys in the guard. While I'm all for fighting the right fight and this is the right fight. If you do not have the support of your family it would be almost an impossiable task. So my sugestion is this go try out for an indenpendent guard, go where you will have a possitive experince. As long as you are not able to march for your school there are no rules to stop you from marching ind. Being a parent and watching very talented young man loose interest in guard because of an unsupportive guard director is very diffucalt thing to watch. Take your talent and love of the sport where it will be appericated. It will be your schools loss and your gain. Have your mom read the story posted on WGI website today about how parents of members feel about there childs experinces in guard. While they may not be happy about your choice of guard if they see how much it means to you they should be able to accept it. After all as parents all we really want is the best for our kids and for them to be happy. Although it may not always seem that way to the kids. Try to get them involved it's addictive.

Those Kids at In Motion can spin and preform as good as any world guard however that was not a world finales show. I loved it but it was a lot of tossing and not much else. They blew our socks off at the Tampa Regional they certianly can put it on the floor. My only wish is that they had been given a show that could take them all the way. IMO

Very few can beat Nei's weapon line. Quite frankly I don't think Pride was it. I loved Corona and think they got short changed. I was sitting off to one side and may have missed all of what the judges loved about Pride, I just didn't see them as the top guard of the night. I would have to say most of the top teams fell flat for me on Sat. night which is disapointing. I did have a great time watching everyone though. I just don't like seeing the same 3 guards getting medals every year when they really are not the top 3 on that night and it is susposed to be about who was the best at that moment not the day befor or last week.

I would say everyone who medaled in A & Open beyond that I can't say because I didn't see any A class shows.

Nei, Nei, Nei.

I say both of you sholud give it a shot. Regret is the worst thing to live with. By not trying out you will both always question if you could have done it. So go for it the worst that can happen is you don't make it and if that happens what have you lost. Nothing

While I will miss them as I'm sure most will. I would give up my trip to Dayton for 1 to China any day of the week. If they are preforming at the Olympics WHAT AN HONOR. I guess we'll just have to wait and see who has what it takes next season and if the winner can top Logan in 09

wouldn't that be like taking 10 giant steps backwards to the days when you had required elements and got points deducted for errors. I think it would stifell creativity. So I vote NO

I can't imagine not going to WGI for 20 years must have been a like differant world where you get to see old friends.

Actually The Florida Special Olympics Color Guard fromally know as the Tammarc Bulldogs have been to WGI several times. They always make me cry. My heart goes out to these kids and adults. For me always a highlight of the weekend. I can only imagne how the crowd reaction makes them feel. A standing O makes everyone feel good but when your used to people looking at you with an "oh how sad face" a standing O must be 1 increditable moment. Thanks for entertaining us at WGI. A Huge thanks to the young ladies from south Florida who started this guard.

For me this was the best WGI ever because I got to watch them put a medel around my baby's neck. That being the highlight of my week. I loved world class finales. Although I think Nei should have been ahead of Blessed Sac. how they ended up 10th in movement is beyond me. This year as in 06 their movement has been amazing and a real departure from what they have done in the past in fact a departure from what all the other IW guards are doing. I think that deserves reward it is easy to follow the pack much harder to step out and be who you are. One thing is for sure you can't question their equipment skills and I'm glad to see they were 2nd in that caption. As for SW I did not get Avons show while I thought it was preformed very well I did not get it. Logan on the other hand was breathtaking. Every year I say I just want the best guard on that night to win and they manage to be the best at finales every year. CONGRATs to them. Every year they have new kids but you can never tell who is a 1st member and who has been their a few years and that is a very diffacult thing to do. Like a lot of people Pride was a little flat for me and I find that hard to say since I root for them each year. But I was not sitting in a judges seat so maybe I could not see what they saw. The 1 show I thought really should have scored higher was Corona that show was wonderful and the concept amazing I loved this show the most. Any way there was nothing boaring about WGI this year. as always I was off my butt and on my feet clapping many times. A wonderful weekend of guard and I just enjoying being around people who share my love of the sport. It is nice not to have to explain guard to someone for a least 1 week out of the year.

I'll throw my picks out there. IW Pride , Nei, Fantasia SW Avon, Logan, Flanagan IO Fahrenheit, Code Black, Onyx or Zydeco So Seminole, Carmel, Warren Central IA not so sure I've always liked the Cast so I hope they medel SA Taravella for sure, maybe Pope I haven't seen the rest of the top 10

sorry I must have been looking at a differsnt regional , I thought I clicked on Nashville. My mistake

I HEARD FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO CONTRACTED FOR BATEMAN THAT IT IS TO COSTLY FOR BATEMAN TO DO WGI. AND THAT THEY CHOSE NOT TO RESIGN WITH WGI NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THATS JUST WHAT I HEARD THOUGH.

Last year in 3 regionals, prelims and finales Happel took 1 picture of my daughter and it was really bad. They were the worst of all the photography companies of all the years we have been involved in guard. That is bad because I have had the same problem in the past but not to the extent of Happel. While they did have some fun options they are useless if they don't take your picture. This Year Jolesch has been great they have taken at least 20 shots of my daughter and most have been really good pictures. The pics. from Nashville were already up when this post was started. Since working with a photographer at local champiomships. I learned a few things about this business. Most of them are freelance and contract with the main company. While everything is done digital they can't post untill the photographer sends them the pics. So maybe it took so long because of this photographer. I will agree the photographer in Tampa had some problems with the light. some of the photos are "glowing" and some are dark. I heard the preformers complaining about the lights so maybe that was the issue their.

For those of you who weren't there you missed a great weekend of guard. 10 World Guards and all of them brought their A game. Nei was just wonderful and to the girl with the broken foot you are 1 brave girl to let them keep tossing you like that. She took flight today. I can not sat enough about this show. In Motion thank you for making the trip great preformances both days the crowd just loved you. Sonor also a crowd favorit don't know how you managed to get here through all the snow but very glad you did. Black Watch this might be 1 of their best I haven't seen them all so I can't say it is the best but I loved it. Phantom has the most beautiful floor and flags I have seen this season. If you haven't seen this show you must. They were just beautiful today. I have to say all the world guards IW & SW were amazing. I love Stoneman Douglas most of all the SW's. Open class is always my favorit they just always impress me with their show ideas and work so hard to make that next step. We were lucky enough to have some of the best in this class in Tampa. SO Seminole love the changes to the show I am so happy to see you bring it to the floor each week "amazing". Fahrenheit That was as hot as it gets. Once again you won this Regional and and preformed the crowd right out of their seats. "BRAVO". First Fligt was geart you brought Hitchcock to life. Santaluces was beautiful as they always are. Really enjoyed Dobyns- Bennett this show makes me feel like spring is already here. Loved W. Johnston but that ringing phone has got to stop somebody answer it already. Those were my favs but they were all wonderful. SA well what can you say Taravella was there and of course stole the show. I have stated befor this is 1 of my all time favorit shows. It is a must see. I also love Cooper City great show. Colonial a local fav. brought their A game and was a pleasure to watch. Bartram Trail will be 1 to watch at WGI very well trained. All the FFCC guards came ready to compete and made me proud to be a member. Well I haven't sleept in 2 days so I can't even remember who else was there. I do know this was 1 weekend I'm glad I didn't miss even if it takes a week to recover.

I have always enjoyed Arcadia's shows and since I have not seen this years yet I will not comment on those views of the previous poster. However the IW scores do tend to make one question the judging. How 1 team can improve by 5 points in 1 day is unlikely but a whole class????????? I was never so suprised by scores before.

If you liked NEi last year you will be blown away this year! This show is beatiful and amazing and fast and slow and the whole package. I see a medal in their furture. Braddok was so different from past years. it took me by surprise. Very pretty not so in your face and the scores show the judges seem to like them this way. Loved Flanagan , Stoneman Douglas is also great Favoriet SW show so far. SO Seminole is wonderful. love this show and for once I'm thrilled the judges love them to. IO watch out for Fahrenheit that 12 place won't last long saw the show this weekend again and it was hot hot hot 80.7. Braddok IO has a really interesting opening to their show preforming under a gauz like fabric very cool. SA watch out for Taravella and please don't miss this show. It is better than Lake Mary was when they took home gold in this class. This is 1 of my all time favoriet shows and I only saw it the 1st regional weekend. It brought tears to my eyes and all the people around me were wiping their eyes as well. All I can say is we will be talking about them in the future

Why not start a middle school guard. Your more experinced members can teach the middle school kids. You'll be surprised how much improved you will all get just by teaching the baics and when the 9th graders arrive they will already have some experince. It doesn't have to be a big costly thing take them to a couple of shows you are giong to already they can share the bus, use some of your used flags and equipment. It will however require a commitment of your time, but well worth it.

Wow with 9 IO guards out later today there should be plenty to talk about on Sunday. Sounds as if IO might be the class to watch this season. I know I'll be interested to see how it all ends up. I'm wondering 1 thing though with the changes WGI made to the scoring. It always seemed in the past that teams took some time to get with the changes. This year 3 teams are at or above block before the 1st week of regionals. Yes I know circuit scores are not always as accurate but these teams were judged by WGI judges. Have the score sheets gotten eaiser? Or are the sheets finaly in line with what teams have been doing all along? Or are these teams all stacked with kids who have marched world before? Just questions I'm pondering. What are you all pondering in the wee hours before WGI offically starts? I'm so excited I can't sleep. Julie