I Marched Before Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I read nothing above, but I'm giving my 2 cents from marching a top 3 div 1 corps 3 summers and being a Kinesiology major. First of all, let's look at what "sport" by definition is. www.dictionary.com says : 1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. So from that, lets pull the main points. Sport is: -Physical -Institutionalized -Competitive So, in order for something to be a sport, there has to be a certain level of physical exertion, it must be institutionalized, and it has to be competitive. Simple enough, right? Judging by dictionary.com's standards, I would say drum corps is a sport. BUT it gets better.. Coming from my background, I think there is one thing that is missing from the defition provided above: motivation. Whether it be enjoyment of participation, rewards (trophies, losing weight, gaining muscle, etc), or the challenges that are part of it, I think in order for something to be a sport, there must be motivation behind the participants to play. But that's off topic... Here's where the gray area is for a lot of folks, and will be for quite some time. One of the key components of sport is the physicality of it. How physical do you have to be in order to be "playing" a sport? Where do we as a society draw a line of what is or isn't physical enough to be constituted as a sport? Who knows. You know why? Because we made sport up. It isn't possible to have a set definition of what sport is, because sports are social practices. What we consider "sport" changes over time and across different cultures. So, do I think drum corps is a sport? Based off of the drill I marched, the weight I lost, the medals I won, the way each contest was judged - #### yes I think drum corps is a sport. Or at least according to "today's" definition of the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekleve Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 The way I see it, this discussion is just like arguing whether or not football is a sport. Football, baseball, soccer, basketball, drum corps, etc., are all GAMES that are athletic in nature, where the winner is determined by whoever has the highest score. I don't really see why much more needs to be said about it. That right there defines it as a sport. Is drum corps also other things? Of course! It is also musical and choreographical performance. Is a BOA competition a sporting event? I wouldn't argue with somebody if they said it was. I just know that MY high school marching band sure wasn't a sport! We never competed and we weren't the least bit athletic. We were there to provide entertainment at football games and do the occasional parade. That's it. But if your marching band is highly competitive, it might be a different story. More importantly, I know drum corps is a sport because I did drum corps. I felt the physical demand and the competitive aspect first hand. Somebody here said something to effect that drum corps isn't a sport because the participants don't get paid. Well, don't you define little league as a sport? How much do kids in little league and pee-wee football get paid? How much do high school athletes get paid? NOTHING! So are they not participating in sports? And under these same lines, do you need to get a fat paycheck in order to consider yourself a musician? Multi-million dollar salaries are for sell outs!!! ^0^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Ballet troupes aren't competing against each other. There are most definitely competitions for ballet. And they ain't sports either. USA International Ballet Competition www.usaibc.com New York International Ballet Competition www.nyibc.org International Ballet Competition Varna 2004 bulgarianspace.inteya.com/music/varna_ibc DEA: Dance Educators of America - Ballet Seminar & Qualifying Competition www.deadance.com/balletseminar.html American Ballet Competition www.americanballetcompetition.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 (edited) In regards to silent drill teams... They aren't competing against anyone. There are most definitely drill team competitions in this country. High school, collegiate, and military. And they ain't sports either. Edited October 6, 2005 by rut-roh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millertime778 Posted October 6, 2005 Author Share Posted October 6, 2005 I say yes to this. Why? Read the definition of "sport" (its been posted plenty of times within this thread) - drum corps fits under this definition. Take a look at the studies which have been done on kids who march corps, more specifically lets say Div. 1 corps. The studies show that the physical demand put on us matches that of olympic athletes. Think outside the box. Why has culture conformed us to believe that only football, soccer, basketball, etc can be considered "sports"? So ok, someone will now reply saying "well if marching band is a sport, why not cheerleading?" And my response will be "WHOA, STOP!!" Is marching band a sport? is not what this thread is asking, the question is Is drum corps a sport? - two completely different things in my opinion, and that of many other people whom I know. *quick side note... yes I consider it a sport, but just because of that I do not consider it any less of an art - I consider drum corps to be both an art and a sport could not agree witrh you anymore....thats what i have been trying to say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charleschuchuta Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madscout96 Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Let me also say that I don't think there's a desire by anyone here to validate drum corps by calling it a sport, or to make those of us who grew up band nerds instead of jocks feel better by calling it a sport. I think there is that desire from some people. Maybe they don't say so directly but I think there is. Remove the competition and what do you have? What's the reason to be good? Just because? Then why rehearse 12 hours a day, six days a week? So you can have an awesome show and rip peoples face off and make them throw babies!!!! That's what makes all the hard work really worth it!! But this point is part of the "play for the judges or the crowd" debate. Now think about the psyche of the performer. What's the look on your face heading onto the field? Are you grinning at the thought of creating art in about two minutes? Nope. Your adrenaline is pumping as you are getting ready to go run around a field, do it well, do it right, so the judges and crowd like you. As I'll say below in response to another person's post, marching drum corps sure does feel athletic because of the hard physicality and the competitive aspect. Combine that with the determination of the performer to get the job done and really communicate with the audience, and that's where the "game face" comes from. If you nail your show, your team does better (in theory). In theory. But not always in practice, because your score isn't directly in your hands. In sports, you play better your team does better in practice as well as in theory. Oh yeah, sure, "we don't care how we do as long as we have a good show." Spare me. What's wrong with that? This again is part of the "play for judges or crowd" debate, or the "should members worry about scores" debate, but yes, who cares how you score or place as long as you have a good show! Because you can't directly control what the judges think, but you can directly control YOUR performance. I like the idea of digging down deep, fighting off your inner or team struggles for a good performance on the field. That, in my mind, is the true essence of sport. Marching drum corps sure did feel athletic to me when I marched, but even if it feels like sport, I don't think it is, because of the subjective nature of the scoring system. Call it a nonsport all you want, drum corps is a great game for all of the above. I love this game. Me too... I love this ga... ERR.. spo.. ERRR... thing! All sports, to some extent it can be argued, have artistic qualities. Give some examples of what you mean. Do you mean that the Green Bay Packers are losing this year because their yellow helmets are out of style and the refs don't like them? What makes it different from the athletic forms of art that are indeed sports such as gymnastics, diving, figure skating, etc.? All of these require physical fitness and exertion. All are competed one at a time as opposed battling at the same time and all are judged with the highest score the winner. You're right in that drum corps is as much sport as diving, figure skating, etc. But are THOSE even sports? Lots of people familiar with those activities (from TV and the Olympics) might argue that they're not because the scoring is based on subjective quantification of art. No not a sport. More of an art form more than anything. Just like POKER - sure it takes skill to be a marching member or a poker player, but neither are sports. Poker and drum corps are both non-sports, but for different reasons. Poker lacks the element of physical skill (unless you consider keeping a poker face to be physical skill), and drum corps lacks the element of objective scoring. Now if you asked the question whether or not drum corps kids are Athletes that would stir a different debate. I would say corps kids ARE Athletes.... Now that's an argument I would listen to. It IS very athletic, as nobody as yet denied here. And perhaps those who argue that drum corps is a sport say so because they FEEL like they're participating in a sport, with all the rehearsals, how much work it is physically, how much shape you need to be in physically, and how it is competitive. I get that. I felt that way when I marched. But the scoring system based on subjective quantification of art makes it a non-sport. And to outsiders looking in, if they're told it's musical, artistic, even theatrical, entertaining, and yes even competitive, they could probably buy into it and enjoy it. But to say that it's a sport, well now we have made outisders into skeptics (sp). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 she always wins....and she is always right!....... :P I understand........................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 There are most definitely competitions for ballet. And they ain't sports either.USA International Ballet Competition www.usaibc.com New York International Ballet Competition www.nyibc.org International Ballet Competition Varna 2004 bulgarianspace.inteya.com/music/varna_ibc DEA: Dance Educators of America - Ballet Seminar & Qualifying Competition www.deadance.com/balletseminar.html American Ballet Competition www.americanballetcompetition.com I stand corrected. I did not knnow these competetions existed. I wonder what they call it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 In regards to silent drill teams...There are most definitely drill team competitions in this country. High school, collegiate, and military. And they ain't sports either. Misread this one, you are absolutely right, drill teams do compete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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