The Woodlands High School Winter Guard a force to be reckoned with

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The Woodlands High School Winter Guard has proven themselves a force to be reckoned with. These girls are a part of the nationally-ranked band program and contribute to that Texas Friday-night football fever. Oh yeah, and they just so happen to be recognized all over the world.

The Winter Guard, considered the Color Guard during football season, is best known for their dancing and twirling efforts at the half time shows of high school football games. You can catch them on Friday nights, gracefully leaping across the football field and twirling rifles and flags in sync with the music coming from their partners: the band. However, once football season comes to an end, these girls break away from the touchdowns and tackles, and begin to get in their own groove. They travel all over for winter guard-specific competitions, and this year that included the WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

About 400 winter guard teams from countries all over the world including Japan, Thailand, England, the Netherlands, and the United States all met up in Dayton with the hopes of becoming recognized on a worldly scale for their unique style of execution. The Highlanders finished in 11th place in their division, a great feat especially considering their outcome two years ago at this same competition in which they failed to qualify for the finals.

Prestigious titles are not too unfamiliar to The Woodlands Winter Guard director, Cynthia Robbins. She has directed at Clear Brook High School in Houston, as well as an independent group of college students who won a World Championship title eight years ago.

Robbins attributes much of the Guard’s success to their dedication, and is convinced it is what sets the Highlanders apart from other teams. She says the girls, especially the upperclassmen, will spend extra time out of the requirements practicing, and believes this is what has helped the team achieve their successes this year.

“They were very good coming into it. They were already very talented, but I think what we started doing more is focusing on dancing and movement…it is not the color guard of the time of our moms and dads when they spun and looked like they were in the military. It has branched off a bit and has become more about being expressive and artistic, so from the moment I started working with them last July I started working with them on more movement technique and ballet and modern and jazz, incorporating that into the choreography,” said Robbins of the girls. “They’re very smart and they’re very talented, so that just makes my job ten times easier.”

Hopeful expectations continue to build up for the Winter Guard, as not only is varsity recognized on a worldly scale, but junior varsity on a state scale as well. The team is stacked with talent, and although the seniors this year will definitely be a loss to next year’s team, their legacy of dedication is expected to continue.

Next year, the Guard will travel with the Highlander band to Indianapolis for the Bands of America National Championship. Last year, the band and the guard came home with the title of National Champions, and of course the goal is to achieve the same in the upcoming championships. Both the band and the color guard will start summer practices in July to help prepare for this competition, working tirelessly for multiple hours each day in the summer to achieve a desired perfection.

The Color Guard will spend the entire first half of the year working with the band on a 10 minute half-time show. The half time show is a joint effort between the band and Color Guard, and the choreography of the Color Guard is done in a way that flows with the band’s music. The Color Guard does not become the Winter Guard until around November, when the entire Guard breaks away from the band and the Friday night lights, and begins to start their independent routine. This routine is the one used in competitions such as the one in Ohio, and execution is perfected as the season continues. To get to the World Championships, the Guard must go to a regional and state competition and must advance to each round with a score that reflects excellency.

“Something many people don’t necessarily understand is that color guard is a sport, it is a sport of the arts. You see kids out there spinning flags and rifles, but people don’t understand how much it takes to do that. We work out every day. We have to do things to build up endurance and make sure that we all have the skills and ability to get through that show. It’s not just kids marching around holding a flag, it’s artistic and it’s also very athletic, and it’s really hard. It takes a lot, physically and mentally,” Robbins said.

The Guard’s goal for next year is to exceed their limits; the group has perfected the basics, so they now feel it is time to create an identifiable style that is unique to The Woodlands. Of course, all teams wish to show improvement from year to year. However, the Highlanders want not only improvement, but notoriety, and believe it is in their capabilities to do so.