DCI New Practice Rules

[xandandl]

Thank you.

The good news Friday was that the additional November experimental treatment for the cancers the derma-skan found on the underside of the eyelids has seemed to work. The Medical School faculty with whom I am working was quite pleased. (My mom had already lost her eyelid to the same problem; previously there had been no cure.)

Imagine yourself without eyelids...and I am not talking about some WGI guard show made-up show face.

I looked pretty ugly (leperous?) during the skin peals...without the eyelids would have been hard for folks to take. I am thankful and amazed for how the previous surgeries on the face finalized.

Wear your hats and your +50 sunscreen; apply every two hours even on cloudy days.

[garfield]

Yeah, honestly it's probably something long overdue. Especially with the advances in workout apparel, it just makes sense. (DCI should be working overtime to partner with Under Armour or some such to provide clothing to *all* corps.)

Mike

My understanding is that UA pulled their sponsorship because they wanted their products to represent the athletic world, not the band world.

DCI financing such a product would be met with stiff resistance because some corps don't need help to do if they feel it necessary or useful, and will likely resent having to pay for others.

I don't wear the crap, but I would imagine, what, $200 per season to protect every kid? Maybe it's $500, no clue.

Leave it up to the parents and try to negotiate a discount with a UA competitor. But, for the cost of "fancy underwear" a corps could buy a whole bunch of +50 sunscreen.

Edited April 1, 2015 by garfield

[xandandl]

Come on, dinosoars, get with the program.

With the new types of uniforms/costumes on the field, many corps already do give the kids the "show whities" for under the uni. Of course, the cost is paid out of the tour fee package.

Many corps do make the suncreens available, sometimes free, sometimes at a discounted cost. This is similar to the Eastern corps giving their kids Deep Woods, etc. when they tour in Minnesota and Wisconsin and meet the state "bird." And for the Swamp tour of the bayous, well I don't think anything is strong enough, (although some use the stuff one uses for the clothes driers.)

Even Cadets have relented and now allow the MMs to wear sunglasses on the practice field so as to protect the eyes.

[garfield]

Come on, dinosoars, get with the program.

With the new types of uniforms/costumes on the field, many corps already do give the kids the "show whities" for under the uni. Of course, the cost is paid out of the tour fee package.

Many corps do make the suncreens available, sometimes free, sometimes at a discounted cost. This is similar to the Eastern corps giving their kids Deep Woods, etc. when they tour in Minnesota and Wisconsin and meet the state "bird." And for the Swamp tour of the bayous, well I don't think anything is strong enough, (although some use the stuff one uses for the clothes driers.)

Even Cadets have relented and now allow the MMs to wear sunglasses on the practice field so as to protect the eyes.

There's a family amusement park in southern Indiana that has "stations" where they have mustard-sized pump jugs of sunscreen, free for the taking. They can't cost that much at least compared to the new technology of practice gear.

(BTW, this park's "stations" also include drink stations. Paper cups and all the water, juice, Pepsi products you want. Free. Ticket prices are, like, $30 for the entire day to the two parks, amusement rides and the water park. A stunningly amazingly clean place.)

The No Sunglasses rule was stupid to begin with, IMO.

[2muchcoffeeman]

My marching years are more than half a lifetime behind me, but much of their residue came to the surface when my doctor prescribed a treatment of fluoroplex. Wowza. The sun damage accumulates, unseen, and can cause real problems later in life.

[MikeN]

My understanding is that UA pulled their sponsorship because they wanted their products to represent the athletic world, not the band world.

DCI financing such a product would be met with stiff resistance because some corps don't need help to do if they feel it necessary or useful, and will likely resent having to pay for others.

I don't wear the crap, but I would imagine, what, $200 per season to protect every kid? Maybe it's $500, no clue.

Leave it up to the parents and try to negotiate a discount with a UA competitor. But, for the cost of "fancy underwear" a corps could buy a whole bunch of +50 sunscreen.

That's a shame. DCI athletes represent these sorts of products very well. Oh well, I can think of at least 5 other similar manufacturers off the top of my head.

I know in the current isolationist climate DCI's purchasing power is restricted, but their collective bargaining for bulk discounts is not, for sure. And honestly, I'd be surprised if the cost was anywhere even close to $200 per MM.

But, it seems to boil down to whether you think it's necessary or not. I do.

Mike

[MaestroBen]

With advances in clothing, I wonder if the right kind of shirt wouldn't be cooler than no shirt at all.

Although the physical demands weren't quite the same, my experience was that, yes, a good Under Armour-type shirt was significantly cooler (when I marched in the Madison Alumni Corps in '06) than no shirt was (both in my 'normal' marching career and for part of an alumni rehearsal when I experimented for a bit).

I also umpired baseball for a decade, and the difference a good 'bottom layer' made in comfort on a really hot day was noticeable. If I marched today, I'd really want to wear something like that under my uniform, especially during day shows outside (not that there are that many of those anymore...)

[xandandl]

My marching years are more than half a lifetime behind me, but much of their residue came to the surface when my doctor prescribed a treatment of fluoroplex. Wowza. The sun damage accumulates, unseen, and can cause real problems later in life.

Been there, done that...twice, every five years. Definitely lets one know how much pain one can take... We should form a DCP support group. :-)

Edited April 1, 2015 by xandandl

[xandandl]

There's a family amusement park in southern Indiana that has "stations" where they have mustard-sized pump jugs of sunscreen, free for the taking. They can't cost that much at least compared to the new technology of practice gear.

(BTW, this park's "stations" also include drink stations. Paper cups and all the water, juice, Pepsi products you want. Free. Ticket prices are, like, $30 for the entire day to the two parks, amusement rides and the water park. A stunningly amazingly clean place.)

The No Sunglasses rule was stupid to begin with, IMO.

I hope you realize there was a practical side of the no sunglasses rule. It goes back to the '70's and '80s.

Besides Garfield (the corps not the poster) rediscovering its historical legacy, its West Point Cadet image, and its competitive success, field instructors found it easier to see where the MM was looking for cues and concerns, even distractions, as the new Zingali style of drill entered the drum corps arena. Although suggestions might be made from the GE box megaphone, the field techs seeing who kept focus and who did not helped to correct the ticks, even as the sheets moved to a more evaluative adjudication.

Everyone seems to remember the meltdown in Whitewater mid summer which led to the fallen pile-up. Fewer remember the long sessions of practice to guarrentee it didn't happen again.

[Kamarag]

I hope you realize there was a practical side of the no sunglasses rule. It goes back to the '70's and '80s.

Besides Garfield (the corps not the poster) rediscovering its historical legacy, its West Point Cadet image, and its competitive success, field instructors found it easier to see where the MM was looking for cues and concerns, even distractions, as the new Zingali style of drill entered the drum corps arena. Although suggestions might be made from the GE box megaphone, the field techs seeing who kept focus and who did not helped to correct the ticks, even as the sheets moved to a more evaluative adjudication.

Everyone seems to remember the meltdown in Whitewater mid summer which led to the fallen pile-up. Fewer remember the long sessions of practice to guarrentee it didn't happen again.

As I recall, that melt-down was die to injury, not a mistake. But regardless, your description of why members weren't allowed to wear sunglasses is one of the more inane excuse I heard over the years for why they weren't allowed. And as Garfield stated above, those excuses were indeed stupid. No corps should ever have a no-sunglasses rule for practice (heck, for daytime parades either).