Five "F's" for February

February.
Beloved 2nd month of the New Year.

It's the month of Cupid's True Love, Singles Awareness, Groundhog's Day, and of Winter Guard Weirdness.

Yes. I said it . Weirdness. That lovely month of weirdness that is the speed bump of the guard season.

From August to December, every guard and staff is striving to create their masterpiece through training, design, trial and error.

January is the month of reveal and excitement! Premieres are everywhere and everything is new and exciting! It's full of so many firsts: first time wearing the new uniform, first performance, first judges comments, first nerves for the audience. January is my second favorite part of the season.

Then there is February. UGH!

March is even more preferable to February. March Madness is anticipated by the Techs and (usually) hated by the performers because it's the month of totally cleaning before AWESOME APRIL!!  If you like March or not, it is at least much anticipated as common, expected, and the necessary aspect of the season.

So we are back to February.

February is the place of options and questions that could make or break the season.

So - How do you make February count? You deal with the "F's"

The 5 "F's" for February:

1.) How much time did you spend looking at their "FEET"?

Yes. Feet. I am sure by now the tech staff has addressed at some level every check point of the show's hand and equipment placements. Everything may not be clean but it should, at some level, already have been addressed. But have you checked their feet?

Lower body contributions are a strong aspect of every show that are often overlooked until March and can cause major issues for performers at the early stage of the game. Established habits are hard to break once they have had MONTHS to make it so. But, have you every had a feature that, while standing still, was wonderful and in drill is a mess? And you just couldn't figure out why its not clean? More often than not, it is all about the hip placement and the "Fred Flintstone" shuffle under the feature.

There is A LOT to look at from the "feet" stand point so I'll just name a few. Are their weight shifted on the same foot properly? Are their feet turned out the same? Does the space of their 2nd position match across the floor? Are they in step or in  tempo with their music or are some member's feet moving faster or slower than the beat? Are they in first or third position? How are their feet - pointed or flexed - in their show style? Where is their hip placement that will effect their leap or jump? Passé or kupe' ?

All of these issues with body will effect the equipment book. By spending more time cleaning the lower body, the equipment book has a higher chance of achievement.

A great mantra to have is: clean the feet and the feature will follow!

2.) Too many "FACTORS"

Factors. Everyone has things going on in their lives: school, work, family, friends, grand events,  relationships, significant other's schedules, emergencies that cost more than expected, etc. Many of us are doing a juggling act to make it all fit into our busy lives and no one wants to drop the ball. February is the time of year that can make or break the season for Guards that have too many "factors"- Those last minute things that come up and get in the way of the process can cause a lot of anger, frustration, and bickering.

*That "multi-activities high school student" that has too much on their agenda and at one point had it all figured out and now some activity somewhere has changed its schedule and things are beginning to overlap....on rehearsal and show days.

*That high school Senior that is trying your staff's patience by either being lazy or pompous because of "Senior-itis". It's also that Senior that has all the solos in the show. So, now everyone is frustrated and the staff spends most of the rehearsals either encouraging that Senior to achieve or  threatening to take it all away instead of focusing on the show as a whole.

*That college professor that demands that you be at some class for some assignment on a Saturday or Sunday that wasn't on the syllabus before you signed up and can cause you to fail if you miss. Oh, and that just happens to fall on a major Regional competition.

*That teacher that gives you a hard time about missing those days in April even though you told them in January and you remind them in February because you see a test that's going on while you are away. While you are being proactive to plan ahead, they don't want to accommodate your situation. So you are stuck trying to figure out what to do about this test, this class, and your teammates.

*Your car breaks down and the money you planned on using to finish your dues is now pulling a new set of tires and a bunch of new parts under the hood. And the director is putting their foot down about bills that needs to be paid.

Factors stress out the staff as much as the performer. Individual members know that you need to keep outside factors outside, but stress is stress. Staff knows that if all the performers aren't there that the information given has to be repeated. The team knows that when everyone isn't there on the floor in rehearsals that it causes a huge rip in drill and timing. Guard is expensive! You must pay the bill!! But you also have to live life outside rehearsals. Factors effects everyone.

A helpful hint - Do your best to problem shoot, help suggest positive solutions, and support each other. We are a guard family - not enemies. Try not to add to the stress by being mad at "so-and-so" for something that could be purely out of their control. (I know, I know -  it's easier said than done. That's why its February.

3.) It's too "FUNCTIONAL"

Staff members do this-----The first judges' tapes are in and the staff listens anxiously to the judge hoping to avoid that one term. That term everyone hates to get on their tapes. Functional. Your drill is functional. The work is functional. All your hard work seems to go up in smoke when you hear functional. UGH!

So, if you heard it, now you have to fix it! Staff and/or directors listen to every judge's tape while taking detailed notes and are trying not to panic as you mentally try to figure out how to adjust everything they say to make sure the show is the best it can be and now by tape 4, the judge's comments contradict each other and you don't know what to do.

Take it one step at a time. Fix and adjust things as possible. Think it through and don't be irrational. Don't destroy your entire show in one rehearsal and freak yourself or your students out. Get advice from more experienced friends or staff members.  Don't be afraid to ask. The staff can learn as much as their students each year through consult and trial and error. Take it one step at a time and it will all work out.

4.) I'm starting to "FREAK OUT"

Members do this--- Staff members have their first judges' tapes and now changes are happening and possibly a lot of them. The season has show after show coming up and the pressure is on!

Depending on your class ranking and scores now, the competition is starting to heat up and as more local shows and Regionals are starting, anxiety rises. It is so important to achieve for yourself and your team and each staff sets the bar high because they believe in their students' abilities.

You as a member are at all the rehearsals doing your best and then the staff changes this and then that, and now this goes again, no go back to the old way. What am I doing again? How did this go? Why is she yelling at me? I don't know what I am doing!!!

Suddenly, you can't breath and you might want to cry.

Exhale. Relax. Focus. Take everything one step at a time. All you as members can do is trust in you and your staff listened to my #3 and do the things that you are trained to do. If you do your best every time and focus on doing that best job every time, things will fall into place properly. When you make a good game plan for yourself through rehearsal and  internal focus, nothing can get you down.

5.) Keep it "FUN"  

With everything stressful going on, it's easy to lose the joy of the sport and get lost in the mayhem. Guard is an outlet for creative flow and positive energy. Many people do this to escape "real life." Don't make your escape as stressful as what happens at work or at home.

Don't destroy the love for this amazing Sport of the Arts by getting overwhelmed by the "Feet", the "Factors, the "Functional", and the "Freak Out". Keep it "Fun".

This seems like a strange report card, huh? Well, at least these "F" words won't get you grounded!

Good luck in February! May you turn your "F's into "A's" and "B's"

"Achieve", "Amaze", "Aspire", "Believe" and "Breathe"