Performer safety

[Adamant]

I am in constant awe of the increasing levels of physical demand placed on current MM's. Clearly it creates compelling drum corps. However isn't it time that some attention be paid to performer safety along with demand. Simple things like fast backward marching over a field tarp by BK made me wince as the tarp wasn't secure to the field. (It's amazing no one broke an ankle.) Or BAC forming a high level pyramid with drummers still wearing carriers (image what could happen if one of them slipped and fell directly on a carrier tube). I know the activity has evolved alongside WGI like theater and it's awesome to watch. But (without being a buzz kill) I'm not sure the theater won't some day result in tragedy. Just this year a BD guard member narrowly avoided permanent paralysis. Please can someone figure out some safety measures and rules before one of these incredibly talent young kids suffers a horrific tragedy?

[Cleveland1]

This is why there are practices.

While the potential for "awkward" injuries becomes apparent when doing high risk moves. (Awkward as in the cases you mentioned as being atypical situations) injuries still tend to happen for normal things. Crown 2010 with the leg break. Boston this year with the acl injury. It seems that these things are minor injuries early in the season that just compound with more practice more shows and more intensity.

I think this should be the focus of our efforts to increase safety. Dci take better control over situations involving potentially long term injuries.

Fluke injuries like the phantomette concussion on finals with her head smacking the ground when she was dropped (as part of the show) is a different level. One where a performer is knowingly putting themselves in more than average risk for harm. This is the best example that i can draw where a person was actually harmed in a way that was atypical.

[RContra]

However isn't it time that some attention be paid to performer safety along with demand.

That's already a huge concern with drum corps staffs, and precautions are always taken to ensure performer safety. Implying that attention to safety isn't a giant priority to instructors and designers is ignorant at best and absolutely insulting to the teaching community at worst.

Boston's windmill wasn't made by just saying "hey, why don't y'all just go on and jump on top of each other real high, mmkay?" Corps with tarps on the field make sure to minimize any possible safety issues, from making sure tarps are held down to calculating performer step sizes in order to know when/where the foot will be passing over the tarp edge.

Do your research before posting a topic like this. Did you talk to any Boston staffers? BK? Blue Stars? What about the Bluecoats ramps--do you really think that the designers and instructors didn't imagine EVERY possible thing that could potentially go wrong and address each scenario with the students appropriately?

[Adamant]

I'm appreciative of the defense of the activity and staffs. While I am absolutely sure of the utter intent of safety among designers and techs that isn't why I posted. I posted because as an organization, DCI has never created a set of rules for best practices that could PREVENT the unforeseen regardless of intent toward safety. Did I do research? My eyes are my research. Watch BK Allentown and you will see the triangle tarp come up from wet grass as one member passes and another nearly trips backward. I'm not questioning staffs, I'm raising relevant dialogue, and THAT along with thought is far from ignorant.

[Kamarag]

I'm appreciative of the defense of the activity and staffs. While I am absolutely sure of the utter intent of safety among designers and techs that isn't why I posted. I posted because as an organization, DCI has never created a set of rules for best practices that could PREVENT the unforeseen regardless of intent toward safety. Did I do research? My eyes are my research. Watch BK Allentown and you will see the triangle tarp come up from wet grass as one member passes and another nearly trips backward. I'm not questioning staffs, I'm raising relevant dialogue, and THAT along with thought is far from ignorant.

Allentown was on dry turf, but whatever.

[Adamant]

It rained prior to performances and the turf along the sidelines was still wet. Watch the performance, as well as several low angle shots throughout the year and you will see what I am saying. This post wasn't about getting into a pissing contest with angry ex staffers or pot bellied DCA members, rather it was meant to raise a legit question and dialogue. You'all are so anxious to find something to discredit you aren't willing to examine the question which is this: What peer review and thought has been paid by DCI to establish safety best practices/rules? Wanna use a tarp? Great then at least define something such as minimum thickness and edge weighting that's been tested for safety on both grass and artificial surfaces if that tarp is programmatic (eg BK) and not decorative (eg Cadets). Honestly this issue isn't about tarps, windmills, etc. it's about taking time to contemplate potential dangers. Maybe nothing can be solved, but a standard, some standard is better taken in advance than just being dismissive.

[Adamant]

http://youtu.be/lx9bZNHvXmg. Take a look at the 1 minute mark in this BK performance and you will see a kid wipe out on BK's tarp. This is one tiny example. I'm sure all the staff measures were taken but the kid fell (thankfully without harm).

[Kamarag]

Drum corps are *very* safety conscious. Take Crown's trampolines as an example. Crown had trampoline experts coach them through the stunts during the learning process, using spotters. They determined, with advice, what was safe and what wasn't. They even established rules for what the kids could and couldn't do with the trampolines during or after rehearsal. The whole thing was managed in a safe, effective way. With regard to tarps, there is always a chance you can fall. Many indoor groups and drum corps actually teach their members how to fall properly. You can also rehearse through bad tarp set-ups and other similar issues. Will it ever be perfectly safe? No. it won't. Neither will marching in, over, or around props. But the corps that use them spend endless hours working on moving safely.

The number one cause of injury in drum corps is related to marching technique. Poor technique, either by accident or design, is why so many corps members have blown out knees and injured ankles. Almost all of the top corps have moved away from the very dangerous super straight-leg technique, even the corps that invented it (The Cadets). These corps have moved to a more relaxed form of straight leg technique (like Blue Devils use) or a completely relaxed, bendy technique (Cavaliers, Vanguard). There are still a few corps that use super straight-leg, but they are thankfully becoming fewer in number.

The number two cause of injury, accidental collision, is something you can't do a whole lot about outside of making sure all members are paying attention to their surroundings and what they are assigned to do. More mature members are far less likely to be the cause of such accidents, but they can and do happen.

Oh, and a note on the field at Allentown. The new field dries really, really fast. Not only that, when it is wet, it's not slippery. If anything, it's a bit sticky. That comes from my direct experience there judging and teaching with my bands.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Geoff
Unnecessary comment removed.

[RickCogley]

I agree with this idea, but wonder if there are not already standards in place? If there are no formal standards, DCI could really do something good by implementing some.

This is not to say that staffs are not thinking and very concerned about it because there is evidence that (of course) they are. But there's room for inconsistency if it is not formalized, and at the very least, anecdotal evidence of areas that can be improved.

I'd hate to be the parent of an injured member, thinking "could this have been avoided"?

[RickCogley]

Safety is one area where all corps should benefit from a shared knowledge base.