is drum corps a sport?

[rut-roh]

why not?

Because we are creating music. And those who are not directly creating the music are interpreting it visually. That makes it far more akin to art than sport. Does it require athleticism? Sometimes. With some groups. But the musical aspect of the activity separates it and changes the entire conversation to the point where you can't simply get a dictionary out and decide just like that. Besides, for those who are so fond of quoting the dictionary, go look up the terms "marching band" and "drum corps." If you find the word "sport" in any of those two definitions, I'd be amazed.

[EdMedina]

I don't think it's as cut and dried either way as people might want to say. Sometimes a yes-or-no question isn't the right one to ask. Perhaps a better question is, "Is drum corps closer to sport or art?"

There are convincing counter arguments to every reason why drum corps can or cannot be called a sport or not. Some have been posted here. 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.

That said, here's why I think it is closer to sport than art... please bare with me if I run a little long.

A performer in a drum corps, like a competitive athlete or a ballerina for that matter, spends many hours being coached in basics, the fundamental skills necessary to play the game (perform the show) the right way. But, as in any other team sport, the team with the most solid fundamentals, which improves exponentially when there are more experienced or "mature" players on the team, usually has the best chance at winning. Talent is good, but guided talent is better. 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?

The drum corps player also takes part in a conditioning program, preparing the body to handle the rigors of drum corps the sport (think running blocks, some corps even do pilates and other types of conditioning).

I can hear you saying, "so do ballerinas." Hold on a second.

Here's where I get controversial (yeah right). Most of your time spent in drum corps isn't so you learn to be a better player or a better person. Those are byproducts (gasp). Most of your time is spent perfecting your show (whether through basics or whatnot)--the competitive vehicle. That's the emphasis. You might go home better than when you left, but that was because your corps planned on doing better in competition and worked you like heck to get there. It was a process of your instructional staff, coaches if you will, evaluating tapes, from judges and their sheets, and coming up with a plan of attack in terms of fixing your performance to make the corps perform better. Was this to express fine art worth a $75 ticket? Art was expressed, for sure. A crowd was entertained, heck yeah. But there were a bunch of people--probably you as the drum corps player included--who cared about the numbers at the end of the night. That's why this web site exists, yes? I wonder if there's a ballerina planet.com... and I wonder what they talk about there?

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. I like the marathon runner comparison, but really it's more like a miler in track. He or she knows what's about to happen and knows how to pace oneself, mark other runners, etc., staying in the race. Bottom line, runner A has to do their best regardless of the others if they want to win. Sounds similar to me.

Oh yeah, then there's the crowd. They're cheering, hyping you up even more as you hit the field. You're in a frenzy but you can't let it bother you because you have to execute, just like that quarterback who has to complete that halfback screen to hopefully convert that third-and-long. If he hits the play, his team lives. If you nail your show, your team does better (in theory).

Oh yeah, sure, "we don't care how we do as long as we have a good show." Spare me. It sucks to lose, don't it. But there's always tomorrow. Why else do you wake up and beat yourself up day in and day out? Because there's hope. Blue Devils won't be there tomorrow night. We can win and play a victory concert! Oh, but wait, "we're not here to win, we're here to create art for art's sake." Again, please, I beg of you, spare me! Doing well doesn't have to mean getting first place, but we all still want it. It is okay to want it. Winning could mean making finals. Winning could mean beating corps B (or not placing last running the mile). I'm sure Crossmen had a fun summer and had a good show at semis. Having been in a corps that dropped out of finals twice in four years, I can also guarantee Crossmen were diappointed in their placement despite performing their best show of the year at semis.

In closing, we're all still here watching for whatever reason. I love the performances and I am entertained, yes, as many people are. The kids are good at what they do and there are great design ideas everywhere you look. I sometimes even leave before the scores are announced--knowing I can get them off the I-net the next day--I don't have a burning desire to know them at the end of the night. Everyone enjoys drum corps for different reasons, and mine is because I like to see the kids "bring it." 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.

Call it a nonsport all you want, drum corps is a great game for all of the above. I love this game.

[madscout96]

You can collectively max out your show better than the other guys did. Just like Tiger can take fewer strokes than Vijay.

Wrong. Tiger can't take fewer strokes than Vijay. Tiger can take as few strokes as he can, and HOPE that Vijay takes more. Tiger cannot DIRECTLY have any determination of Vijay's score, and vice a versa. You could argue that Vijay will play more agressively and shoot for the pin if he is down a stroke to Tiger going into the final hole, but it's Vijay swinging his own club at his own ball. Tiger can't touch Vijay's balls.

But golf is still a sport because there's physical skill involved, and the competition is ruled objectively, rather than subjectively.

[ballet] It's also not scored, tabulated, ranked, etc.

For good reason!

[Green2Bloooo]

I say yes to this. Why?

1. Read the definition of "sport" (its been posted plenty of times within this thread) - drum corps fits under this definition.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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

Edited October 6, 2005 by Green2Bloooo

[EdMedina]

*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

[/color]

All sports, to some extent it can be argued, have artistic qualities.

[rut-roh]

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.

The dictionary works both ways, you know. Look up the terms "marching band" and "drum corps" in the dictionary. See if the word sport appears in either of those definitions. That is, of course, if you can actually FIND the term "drum corps" listed in one of the main dictionaries. The fact that drum corps isn't even listed in some should tell you why we should take ANY dictionary definition with a huge grain of salt.

[starmello]

Why is it important to be considered a sport?

Does it validate drum corps to be called a sport?

I personally do not think it is a sport and I don't think we ought to compare oursleves to athletics.

Do I think that drum corps is an athletic activity? Certainly. But it is not a sport.

Just my opinion.

Tony

[EdMedina]

The dictionary works both ways, you know. Look up the terms "marching band" and "drum corps" in the dictionary. See if the word sport appears in either of those definitions. That is, of course, if you can actually FIND the term "drum corps" listed in one of the main dictionaries. The fact that drum corps isn't even listed in some should tell you why we should take ANY dictionary definition with a huge grain of salt.

Dictionaries give popular definitions of popularly used words and their contexts. Just because "drum corps" isn't listed or because its definition might not contain the word "sport," does not mean it isn't one.

For instance, my Webster's desk dictionary defines football as "any of various team games played with a football."

Therefore, football is not a sport, sayith the Dictionary!

Edited October 6, 2005 by EdMedina

[rut-roh]

Exactly. So let's leave the dictionary definitions OUT of this discussion.

[EdMedina]

Exactly. So let's leave the dictionary definitions OUT of this discussion.

Oh, that was your point... sorry. Agreed. :)