How do YOU spell success?

[John Murray]

Either:

B-L-U-E-D-E-V-I-L-S

or

C-A-D-E-T-S

(Depending on your preference)

[TerriTroop]

24 seconds.

The film may be about the Troopers, but the emotions, the dedication to each other, the love, the drive to achieve - those things are found in every corps out there. Success is bringing your A game to whatever tier you're in. And that goes for the administration, volunteers and the many support systems as well.

Edited November 18, 2011 by TerriTroop

[hope_perc09]

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable." John Wooden

I think this one can apply outside of basketball to here.

[GUARDLING]

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable." John Wooden

I think this one can apply outside of basketball to here.

it's different things to different people, none of which are wrong

[DrillmanSop06]

D-C-I.

[Splooie99]

Every drum corps fan, parent and alumni voting for the Oregon Crusaders and other drum corps in the Chase Race!

That would be a successful outcome!

[BRASSO]

I define Success in Drum Corps as the completion of a parade with any hills, heat, cold, or behind the ponies.

[flammaster]

A standing Ovation!

[Cainan]

SO in your mind, success is wrapped up in being a Finalist? (Not criticizing, just asking.)

I do.

Last time I checked, this is a competitive activity. Success breeds success.

Success on the field is a direct corellation of success away from the field. What do the groups who are consistent finalist ALL have in common?

Strong leadership and solid and dynamic management.

A solidly managed corps attracts the cream of the crop staff wise. More and more often, kids today see drum corps as resume material. They want to play in a line taught by Meehan, Gaines, ScoJo etc etc... With a great staff, you have a much greater recruiting pool to choose from.

Are the same "kids" trying out for Pioneer also having a crack at Crown or Cadets? I think not. I hear story after story of kid A trying out for Blue Devils... not making the line... and then not marching at say Pacific Crest because their staff isn't of an All Star caliber. Don't get me wrong, I hate that but it's simply fact. It happens every single year.

Heck, lets be totally honest here... Madison was going nowhere until Mason came into the fold. Crossmen have now faded into relative obscurity now that hardly anyone can name more than one or two of their staff members. Under the YEA! fold, they were most definitely on the up.

So yes, IMHO, success on the field is a definition of a successful organisation.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Cainan

[perc2100]

Last time I checked, this is a competitive activity. Success breeds success.

So yes, IMHO, success on the field is a definition of a successful organisation.

In that case, any corps that doesn't win DCI is not successful? Because if so, then we're talking about RELATIVE success, which kinda throws your above argument out the window. If we're saying that Blue Devils 2011 were successful for beating almost everyone (but Cadets), then Glassmen were successful for beating almost everyone but the Finalists, Spartans were successful for beating everyone but the Semifinalists, and Pioneer, Spirit of NJ, etc were indeed successful for fielding a corps that was financially viable enough to make it to Championships.

I get what you're saying, but to say that success if solely defined by placement is being REALLY myopic

Edited November 24, 2011 by perc2100