CONSISTENCY IN PLACEMENTS

[GUARDLING]

and Cadets to a very young trumpet

I was gonna say that. Im sure to make it there he also has to have alot more maturity than alot of adults with so called experience

[Eleran]

I was gonna say that. Im sure to make it there he also has to have alot more maturity than alot of adults with so called experience

Well, I don't know about that.

And MikeRapp is correct that abilities of high school students is certainly ONE factor, but I think even more important for top corps is the fact that few high school students can make most of Spring Training.

Edited July 29, 2016 by Eleran

[GUARDLING]

Well, I don't know about that.

And MikeRapp is correct that abilities of high school students is certainly ONE factor, but I think even more important for top corps is the fact that few high school students can make most of Spring Training.

Ive done dozens of auditions with lots of HS students, some can work that out some can't , some corps will make an allowance some wont

I also have done independent winter programs that wont take anyone under 18 and not because of talent but they only want adults for numerous reasons. Some dont care either way.

As far as your son, without knowing him I can assure you if he got in there it wasn't on cuteness , it was talent and maturity.

Edited July 29, 2016 by GUARDLING

[Tim K]

Cadets can possibly finish lower than 5th this year which they haven't done since the 70's I believe.

Since 1982 I believe.

[c mor]

So, compile your ideas for increasing parity:

Inter-season transfer restriction

Intra-season transfer restriction

Salary caps

Spring training start date rule

Member age allocation x number 21, y number 20, z number 19

Staff term limitations

Top Six staffs must do Pro Bono work with bottom six staffs

Geographic recruiting restrictions

Residency requirement

[StarOrg]

Top 5

quicker capacity to return: Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment (been there, done that)

outsider with a future chance: Blue Knights (trending up in talent)

wish they would make their way back: Madison Scouts

[ouooga]

To the point of Transfer Policies, you don't need to put a policy in place, but corps could easily combat this with multiyear contracts. If tour fees are $2,000 (just picking a number), a corps could easily offer a member with 3 years left before aging out a 30% discount and a locked in rate if they decide to age out with that corps. In this system, a member gets to march a $2k/year corps for $1,400, and that rate is locked at $1,400 even if the next year the fees go up, and the corps stops them from jumping ship (unless the member pays the $1,700 to the corps in addition to whatever they owe the new corps). You can't force a member to march again, obviously, so the member could just as easily skip out by not marching a year. I believe DCI already has a policy that says you can't march with one corps with you owe another corps money., so this works.

To the point of Design Teams and Staff, which no one seems to be talking about, this really is the biggest thing. Just picking two corps here, one from the bottom and one from the top, if you were to to somehow switch all the members from Jersey Surf (currently ranked 20th) and Carolina Crown (currently ranked 3rd) and switch them, but leave the show design and staffs exactly the same, you'd still see very similar placements. Talent's important, but the talent gap isn't nearly as wide as some think it is. There's a reason corps often drop as far as they do when key staff members leave or they get stuck with a rough show.

[Tobias]

Because people consider previous placements when deciding where to audition. Usually the higher the talent, the higher the corps they audition for. Not everyone will March "just for fun" since a lot of members wants to make finals/medal/win a ring.

Also, look at any staff below the top 4. Check out their staff lists and even caption head lists for the past 5 years. For most corps it will look like a revolving door. That doesn't build consistency.

This. Even a less than stellar staff improves with time together.

[Northern Thunder]

Cadets can possibly finish lower than 5th this year which they haven't done since the 70's I believe.

There was that pesky '91 season (6th).

[BRASSO]

BDA Corps.... older

BDB Corps.... younger

BDC Corps......youngest

BDA is better than BDB. BDB is better than BDC.

Wow, who knew it generally works this way ? ( older marchers generally have more stamina, can handle better the physical, mental focus demands, etc yada, yada).

Are their outliers ? Of course. Brandon, the snare for BD was better at age 12, than many of the snare drummers in DCI were at age 20-22. But we are not talking about the outlier here. We are talking " in general ". As such, since so much of DCI these days is physical with the visual demands, its not surprising then that the college age marcher... generally... is better, on balance, than the junior high, or senior high applicant ( can't believe we have to " splain " this to some people.... haha!)

Edited July 29, 2016 by BRASSO