Putting my cards on the table

[euponitone]

Even " bottom -feeder " Kansas City Royals you listed here have won a Major League World Series Title since 1979.

Pity the stating pitcher that would be required to pitch every Major League game for his team. He'd be in arm surgery by game 3 of the season, if not sooner.

A bettter comparison still might be to give The Cavaliers or Blue Devils the entire staff to Pioneer for a year, and give The Cavaliers or Blue Devils the entire Pioneer staff, and see if The Cavaliers and Blue Devils could both hold off Carolina Crown from overtaking them. And conversely, see if Pioneer, with the same kids, rise up a bit in the standings as a result of staff changes they receive from Cavaliers and Blue Devils.

How long has Cavaliers and Blue Devils kept their show design staff together now ? Certainly longer than we see winning sports teams keep their Championship winning Coaching staffs together.

Players come and go in sports. Coaches come and go in sports. Marchers come and go in DCI.

But the Top 3 Elite Corps..... their chief architects remain. Year after Year after Year.

And THAT'S the key difference for their continued success (and lack of parity ) in my view.

Funny that you use cavies and crown as examples, considering that not only did crown beat them this past year, but cavies design staff has been ...um....changing a bit over the past 3-4 years. Then again, that may speak to your point anyway, unintentional as it was

[rut-roh]

In keeping with the MLB analogy, a poster above mentioned that DCI was "becoming more and more like MLB " where only those with money and status can win.

While I understand and agree with his central point, we could only DREAM of DCI having as MUCH parity as Major League Baseball. For example, since 1979, Major League Baseball has had 17 different teams win a World Series Title.

DCI ? .... DCI has had 7 different Corps win Titles since 1979 ( with 3 dominating the other 4 in number too .)

True. In this past decade alone, the Yankees, Mets, Diamondbacks, Angels, Giants, Marlins, Red Sox, Cardinals, White Sox, Astros, Tigers, Rockies, Phillies, and Tampa Rays have played in the World Series with eight different champions in ten years.

[luis]

I'm not denying that maybe what you say is true. But I doubt that this is the case for a majority of rook-outs. People have different reasons for doing drum corps for one year (their last year) and for not doing drum corps for any number of years. But we can't judge them based on the personal choices they made or the circumstances they were under.

(Maybe a rook-out learned trumpet for 4 years straight to be good enough to play with the corps of their choice? or could only afford one year to march?)

I'm wondering if the "reason" behind someone marching is really relevant at all aslong as they put out 100% of their effort for the final product. No one reason is more "legitimate" for doing drum corps then another.

But if there was any 15 year old, or 16 year old, or rook-out who actually felt discriminated against during the audition process then it would be worth talking about. But if no such cases exist then this argument doesn't even matter.

That happened to me twice, all the staff was saying that I had one of the best hands and the best feet even better than college kids, how did I got good I practice like 5 hours straight and I'm not kidding about that, and I took lessons from a bluecoats alumni he prepared me well, and I was 14 in that time got cut, the last year I was 15 even better still got cut why? because I was 15!!!! even with great reviews, the guy who was a rook-out got the spot and he wasn't as good as far as I heard from staff. I know this would not make sense to anyone but is the true no kid who is 14-16 gets a fair shot to march Drum Corps

[Jeff Ream]

Wait....20 year olds get special favors? Are you saying that rook-outs DONT, and beat, younger members for spots in corps?....because that would be ludicrous. If there is a clear cut difference it talent, work ethic, and skill, then age doesnt matter. If the younger auditionee is mature enough to handle the stress of tour AND, is better than the older guy, he gets the spot every time. Perhaps the only exception to this is if a 21 year old and a 15 year old get the exact same ratings in all aspects of their audtion, corps will probably go with the 21 year old.....why?, because they know this is their last, and only shot. That sort of thing tends to motivate people, although obviously not everyone ticks the same way. As for why the average age being 19.4....i find that a little hard to believe. Average age of the cadets.....maybe, but the average age of DCI WC....probably 17-18. Why is it even that high.....probably because those kids that get in are better than the ones that didnt....maybe

the age issue is where I wish we had more OC corps and they had a marketing clue.,..they'd be a great place to get younger members involved and get them training so they could go to WC corps.

[Jeff Ream]

That happened to me twice, all the staff was saying that I had one of the best hands and the best feet even better than college kids, how did I got good I practice like 5 hours straight and I'm not kidding about that, and I took lessons from a bluecoats alumni he prepared me well, and I was 14 in that time got cut, the last year I was 15 even better still got cut why? because I was 15!!!! even with great reviews, the guy who was a rook-out got the spot and he wasn't as good as far as I heard from staff. I know this would not make sense to anyone but is the true no kid who is 14-16 gets a fair shot to march Drum Corps

did you ever look into an Open Class corps to continue your training?

[soccerguy315]

That happened to me twice, all the staff was saying that I had one of the best hands and the best feet even better than college kids, how did I got good I practice like 5 hours straight and I'm not kidding about that, and I took lessons from a bluecoats alumni he prepared me well, and I was 14 in that time got cut, the last year I was 15 even better still got cut why? because I was 15!!!! even with great reviews, the guy who was a rook-out got the spot and he wasn't as good as far as I heard from staff. I know this would not make sense to anyone but is the true no kid who is 14-16 gets a fair shot to march Drum Corps

march a different corps.

preferably one where the staff doesn't go around telling you how good you are and how bad other people are, but that they are still going to take the bad people instead of you.

[luis]

march a different corps.

preferably one where the staff doesn't go around telling you how good you are and how bad other people are, but that they are still going to take the bad people instead of you.

Oh yea sorry I forgot to add, after the second time last year I went to pioneer and they gave the chance to march sorry not to add that

[Jeff Ream]

Oh yea sorry I forgot to add, after the second time last year I went to pioneer and they gave the chance to march sorry not to add that

good. I wish more kids would look elsewhere and not just give up

[Rimba47]

march a different corps.

preferably one where the staff doesn't go around telling you how good you are and how bad other people are, but that they are still going to take the bad people instead of you.

Lol why does this seem funny? Maybe because I just find it so hard to believe?

[Grumpy]

I'm thinking the age thing might have two other possible explanations. First, if you have a few (or one) 16 yr old marching with 140+ members anywhere from two to five years older, the younger member(s) are going to have a very hard time trying to live with the older, on tour for the entire summer...especially with teenagers, that age difference is light years apart and if everyone involved were even 10 years older, it wouldn't even be an issue. They are also likely to feel more alienated socially as well; how many 19-20 year olds are going to want to hang out with a 16 yr. old? Again, outside of drum corps they are living in different worlds. Second, the 16 yr old is still in high school and is going to have a much greater school commitment until almost (maybe even beyond) the start of tour. Here in the northeast, schools generally run into the third week in June-and if it has been a harsh winter with a lot of cancellations, those days get added on and it's not unheard to see schools around here with their last day being in the June 20's. That barely gives the 16 yr old enough time to get their bags packed and get to the corps before the bus leaves. College age kids generally are done with their classes by mid-May, have a week or two for their summer break, and then it's off to camps which then become tours. The 16 yr old is going to be WAY behind the rest of the corps at this point. On the other hand, I may be WAY off base here and these may be far more logical than the reality.