Guard Talk
SMB thanks Larry Chang, SHS "Guard Father", for this article.
Freshman Guard parents often ask: “What are all these acronyms? CCGC? SRA? SAA? IO? SW?” Here is a short dictionary for “Guard Talk”:
CCGC: California Color Guard Circuit. It is the regional circuit that Team Saratoga chooses to compete in. Various regional schools host these competitions. This year’s regional final is hosted by Independence High School on March 28, 2009.
WGI: Winter Guard International. It is the national organization that hosts many of the power regional competitions. Team Saratoga will participate in the WGI Power Regional on March 21-22, 2009 in Union City. The top regional teams can choose to participate in the national competition to be held at University of Dayton in Ohio on April 2-4, 2009.
Team class ratings are designated by two or three letters. The first letter “S” denotes Scholastic, a team sponsored by a high school or a middle school. The first letter “I” denotes Independent, a team sponsored by an independent organization. The second and third letters denote the class in which the team is competing in. It is assigned during the evaluation period by a panel of five judges. Team size does not matter. Technique and artistic skills do. From low to high, they are RA = Regional A, A, AA, O = Open, W = World.
For a Scholastic team, class ratings from low to high are: SRA, SA, SAA, SO, SW. For an Independent team, class ratings from low to high are: IO and IW. Team Saratoga, based on the Evaluation two weeks ago, performs in the SA class. That is Scholastic A.
All Guard parents ask: “How do the judges score team performances?” “What causes penalty points?” “What do these scores 44.8 or 72.1 mean?” This is my fourth year watching and enjoying Guard performances. I still do not know. Let me offer these clues:
High score is better than low score. Like ice skating, both technique and artistry are important. Penalty points are assessed for set up and during exit. The team is timed. Look for the tough looking judge on the floor with a clip board and two stop watches.
I know what I enjoy. The music. The dance. The whirling flags, rifles and sables. The creativity. The motion. The emotion. The hard working students.
First CCGC Winter Guard Competition at Homestead High School
After the performance last night, Team Saratoga gathered in a tight circle outside the gymnasium door. They reflected on their individual technique and artistry. They reflected on team emotion and team energy. They look for reasons to enjoy the practice sessions while polishing their routines.
In the end, score does not matter. You know what you enjoy!
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