On Saturday, January 26, Monroe Township High School’s Winter Guard competed in their first competition at Springford, Pennsylvania. Winter Guard is a Winter sport that is very similar to Color Guard. Winter Guard involves a group of students who work together to create and perform the season’s show. Members of the group dance, twirl flags, or spin rifles and sabres. These elements, along with props, are what make up a show. This show is performed at competitions and judged. Although the season began in late November, and ends in April, the competitions have just begun.
This past Saturday, everyone in the Guard was excited and a little nervous. When interviewing Ananya Bhanushali, she said she was excited to finally perform in front of an audience. This is Ananya’s first season of Winter Guard, saying she joined after joining Color Guard this Fall. “I liked the sport [Color Guard] a lot, it was very fun, engaging, and a good athletic activity.” Ananya also admitted that, along with other members, she was nervous for the performance. “I was nervous I would drop my flag during a big toss,” she stated. After the competition, Ananya described her performance as “fun, expressive, and fulfilling. I felt accomplished because I’ve been working so hard!” Winter Guard is harder than it looks. It takes months of practice to learn and master a show.
The MTHS Winter Guard placed second in their division, but the majority of the members felt proud after the competition. In the end, this was a great start to the competition season!