MikeD Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 The biggest long-term impact for me (that I know of so far….) is my hearing. Being in a school classroom with varying numbers of drummers over the years has left me with a constant high-pitched whistling sound in my right ear. Maybe your head has a pinhole leak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kac Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I marched 87-90 and taught 94-98. Even in my first season I knew to wear sun block, but many people prided themselves on not wearing any. Even today many members say " I don't need it". Each corps needs to educate members on proper sun protection. Heck, my corps didn't make us wear sunscreen but every member had to wear a hat when the sun was out....no exceptions. I never understood that. It's not ok to get heat stroke, but it's ok to get burned to a crisp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartyount Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Does anybody remember seeing a quad drummer hooked up to something that measured the use of oxygen? I have a foggy memory of a piece that Bobby Knight did with the Star of Indiana that compared his activity to an athlete. It was on a DCI broadcast a few years back. I think the quad drummer from Star was on the 93 broadcast. The thing with Bobby Knight was a separate piece that aired on the 89 broadcast I believe. You can see these on the legacy collection DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartyount Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 BTW, I marched four years (90-93) and I never had any physical problems due to stress. Of course I was high brass so I wasn't carrying heavy equipment and the drill back then wasn't as demanding so that probably helped. All in all, I think it probably helped my physically by getting me in shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Wow, a topic from three years ago brought back from the dead. Could be a new record... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriTroop Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 After reading several posts in this thread, I decided to play my hand..........There have always been and always will be injuries in Drum Corps. There is a great amount of "ask" that the activity puts on one's body and mind. You push your body to be at it's peak levels for two or so months all summer. It is natural to experience overuse injuries. These include knee pain, which in most cases is caused by not strecthing and overusing your IT band, that runs from your hip to your knee. I have done a lot of research on this topic, as I have experienced IT band issues while training for marathons. To further this point, the members are offered much advice and time for proper stretching everyday. I have been to countless rehersals where many of the members use this as throw away time. Simply half ###ing the strecthing or not doing it. That to me appears as a choice on the members behalf, to not take care of one's body. Another thought....... yep marching contra (tuba) is not natural or for everyone. I marched many years with a contra on my shoulder. However, I always made sure that my back and core where in shape to handle it. DCI calls itself "Marching Music's Major League.". Well guess what folks, part of being a professional is doing what it takes in the off season to be at your best when the season starts. It is not hoping your body will catch up with you as the season progresses. It seems to me that the argument of "we are hurting the members by putting more demanding shows out there" is a another way to say "we should include everyone in the activity for the sake of fairness".I don't buy that at all. If you are going to be "Marching Music's Major League", not everyone is going to make it, or has the body to make it. Take a look at any other professional league........ for every 1 major leaguer, there are 25 that didnt make it past college, the minor leagues, semi-pro teams, or even got cut from their high school team. For those 25 that didn't make it, I am sure they have taken away some of the best life lessons any human could ask for. Desire, failure, effort, humility, etc.... all make for a great adult. I won't apologize for the rant, but come on...... some kids are just not cut out for DCI. Some kids dont want to put in the effort it takes to be at their best in DCI. And finally some kids are probably paying the price for some parents thinking that every little "Stevie or Susie" should have the right to participate regardless of thier mental make up or physique. IT band issues: I've had them too, but it's more than just stretching. In some cases (like mine) you have to have a good regimen of specific strengthening exercises to balance out muscle dominance. I had IT band issues, but stretching alone did not fix the problem. If I slack off on my strengthening exercises, I get the IT band problems again big time no matter how much I stretch or get those muscles rolled out on foam bolsters. (GREAT alternative to stretching, by the way!) Fault for being out of shape: if a corps has no winter training program with real teeth (i.e. evaluating progress and demonstrating that they will cut people who can't hack the program), and they don't educate the kids well as to what each exercise is for and why it's crucial to their competitive success and their long-term health, is it really the kids' fault? As adults we tend to ascribe a lot of our current judgment ability to those "kids" out there. Granted, if they're getting ready for a top tier corps they're probably a lot older and more mature about such things. But since lower tier corps designs are generally imitating top tier corps in an effort to compete, I think those corps have a lot more responsibility on their plate in this regard. Either they need to be more cautious with their visual product design, or they need to be far more proactive in the off season with recruits and vets. Summer training: if a corps isn't going to get in the face of a kid who is half-###ing it and expect immediate and consistent effort to train for the job, then they are asking for a hole to develop. Either get real trainer to work with weaker kids or expect to lose people mid-season. "Trainer" in some circles means someone who knows how to help athletes handle (and perform with) injuries. Instead, I'm talking about someone who knows how to train athletes for performance - core being essential to continued training, large muscle groups, small muscle groups, specialty training by type of instrument or guard section, etc. Fitness: 66% of Americans are overweight. Physical fitness of children used to be higher because kids weren't sitting in front of screens all day after school and on weekends. Childhood obesity is rising at alarming rates, the food industry in America continues to pedal crap as "food," and when a kids goes to corps and is suddenly faced with balanced, healthy diet they either eat it or they get their parents to give them money for crap at the junk food dealership on ever corner near most suburban schools. (hopefully the corps makes it clear they expect the kids to suck it up and learn to eat like a human being instead of a junk food addict.) So, I figure (maybe wrongly?) that the lower tier corps have to deal with unhealthy diet habits more than top tier, in tandem with under-trained participants. Vicious cycle to be in, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Yeah, I'm a runner, and IT band problems are often caused more by unbalanced muscle development in the legs than by lack of stretching. To stay healthy for an activity like drum corps, stretching is important, but so is focused strengthening. If I were running a corps, I'd try to incorporate pilates and some weights in the schedule every week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g0at Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I am all about properly stretching and feeding members of any corps. But, to say that we should lower the difficulty level of the drill because people might get hurt is a bit " absurd." Look at any football team, tell me a season where someone at least doesn't break there arm? Or get carted off in an EMS truck. This is a risk, to march on a field with instruments , flags, rifles, at a high pace all summer. It is a voluntary activity that we all took. You can leave at any time. Why would you SUE an organization for your voluntary action? Sounds really silly guys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Wow, a topic from three years ago brought back from the dead. Could be a new record... Necro-post....."Whhoooooo disssstttuuuuuurrbbbsss myyyyyyyyyyyyy sllluuuuuummbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr????" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Nurse Mary was also vital to my tour life. I had a problem in the testicle region of my body ............. *Must.....resist.....stupid......comment......* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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