The DGS winter guard team has moved swiftly from a fall season alongside marching band to the current competition season. Beginning in late January, the team has already achieved new personal milestones and group successes through their competitions, earning second place at the Steperettes Contest held at Naperville North High School and fifth at the Naperville Central Contest.
Winter guard takes color guard performances and transforms them into independent performances that incorporate rifles, flags, sabers and elements of dance and gymnastics. Often regarded as a “sport of the arts,” the team works rigorous hours to put together elaborate performances. This year’s performance is titled Reverie, a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts.
Junior Em Dow is a co-captain for the team and highlights what her team has focused on thus far in the season.
“Performance is a big thing. I feel like it really does affect our scores, and we’ve been doing pretty great so far, but I know that was definitely a problem during merging season, where we didn’t have much performance. So I would want everyone smiling, looking up, while still being able to do their work,” Dow said.
The team has had immense growth in comparison to previous years, allowing new members to immerse themselves in a new sport, while giving leadership more opportunities to serve as a role model for their team.
Dow, currently in her third year on the team, shares how her leadership coincides with her own performance.
“I use my leadership position as a way to stay accountable because when you’re a leader, you have to set the standard. I can be that example to other people, and my positive energy feeds off of others, so they can feel like they are doing their best,” Dow said.
Alongside the growth of the team itself, members also feel as though they have been supported in the growth of their own abilities.
Sophomore Sophia Tisoc is another part of the leadership for winter guard, and explains what success has looked like for her.
“I got a triple and rifle, which is big, especially considering it’s my first year on rifle and just having another dance solo, which I really enjoy doing. I’m really happy for that, and that’s a huge accomplishment for myself,” Tisoc said.
While the season has just begun, the team already holds hopes for the rest of its season and looks ahead to future possibilities.
“I really hope that by the end of the season we could make it into the next class, and just maybe land in the high 60’s score-wise. I feel like it’s going to be like a pretty good season, so I think we could totally do that and it’s achievable,” Tisoc said.
As for Dow, she values her team’s mindset remaining positive in order to reach their goals.
“A goal I have for this team is to keep working hard and not get down on themselves. I feel like in the middle of big seasons, you can get very down on yourself, and feel like it isn’t working or it isn’t right. I want to get over that part of the season and be like, we can like push this through all the way to the end, and we’re going to keep pushing all the way through,” Dow said.