Winds News

By Emily Peraza

Featured Performer from Freedom High School (Orlando)

This amazing sport of the arts has completely changed my life and allowed me to grow alongside amazing individuals that have spurred me on to do great things. The relationships I have established in my 3 years of being in the Freedom guard program are the strongest bonds ever and I will take these performers with me wherever I go. I keep in contact with the alumni from years ago, and we catch up regularly and they always lend a helping hand when I need advice or a different point of view!

These performers will be my bridesmaids and they are like family to me, and they have been with me through thick and thin. I was in a very toxic friend group my freshman year, and they helped me find myself and appreciate me for all my faults and pitfalls. I love them all to the moon and back, and I would drop everything to help them. And these bridges extend out of my high school too; the alumni in Pegasus and UF’s program still check in with us, and I cannot count how many acquaintances I have made at competitions just through gushing over costumes, a show, or comparing work and our love for colorguard.

It is so liberating to find so many like-minded people all gathered together joking around, lip syncing to the music in the gym, and eating food outside. These teammates are my study buddies, shoulders to lean on in hard times, listening ears, and my personal comedians! All of my friends are through colorguard and FFCC events, and they light up my world and truly give meaning to my life. Along with the members at my own school, Timber Creek and Cypress Creek are Freedom Orlando’s “sister schools”, due to the fact that we have some of the same coaches! These teams are also rather close to us and we love to cheer for and motivate each other.

My coaches have also been amazing mentors and Ms. Philor is a role model to me, as I can always come to her classroom if I feel upset about something or to joke around after school. Seeing such talented and strong individuals around me allows me to adopt a growth mindset and the urge to be just like them when I am all grown up. Especially now, I never tire of seeing their wonderful faces and hearing their boisterous laughs.

I am eternally grateful for the amazing culture the guard nurtures and how FFCC has allowed my teammates to meet others and bring amazing groups together to create a loving community of spinners and performers.

Learn more about Emily’s season here:

By Olivia Bolin

Featured Performer from West Orange HS

Outside of colorguard, I have been deeply involved with West Orange’s golf team. So when I

came over to guard a few years ago, I was not expecting the amazing sense of community that

the guards of FFCC have created. Camaraderie, sportsmanship, and respect are essential parts

of any team sport, but colorguard has taken those qualities and run farther with them than I ever

believed was possible. The support from all of these other guard members, from the highest

class to the lowest, is encouraging and uplifting.

I remember my very first premiere at Lyman High school. My previous experiences with

competitions had only been with the golf team. Golf, although technically considered a team

sport, is generally geared towards the individual and the individual’s performance. Like guard,

each team practices before their “performance,” or their time to tee off.

The way I imagined guard at this point was like golf; each team practices by themselves, talks

amongst themselves, and gathers together after their round. I remember the first big surprise

being the “good lucks” that came our way. The second was all the compliments on our dresses.

These other girls were taking the time to show kindness to us as we were walking past them,

without them really knowing who we were. Their selflessness touched me, and even as a

rookie, I felt proud of being a guard member.

Coming back to present time, as a senior I feel so happy that I am able to give that same

feeling of joy to others. This season is different, but we’re all still able to bond with each other

over our shared interests in guard. I see the same excitement in the rookies on my own team

that I had myself that very first year. Getting to see this attitude throughout the years has made

an impression on me in more ways than just that. I can take this approach towards anything I

choose to do. I can make anyone feel welcome anywhere I go. Whether or not you take on

leadership during your years in guard, I feel that you can apply this to any form of leadership

opportunities.

I asked some of the members of other guards if they felt the same way that I did. I also

asked them if they played other sports, and if their experiences were similar to what I had when

I first started out. Emily Ward from Sunlake High School has experience in cheerleading, and

said, “Colorguard and cheerleading are so different! In cheerleading, I felt like I was only a name

on a list, but in colorguard I’ve always been made to feel like I am a valued person as well as an

athlete.” She also spoke about the positive feelings being on her team has given her. “It makes

me feel like I belong somewhere and gives me a strong sense of family.”

Another guard member, Ariana Casillas-Rodriguez from Lake Gibson High School, puts it

simply: “The difference between guard and other sports is that yes, we have pressures to score

better and perform more, but it’s never a win or lose situation. To me, it’s always been a “do

better for yourself” sport, which has helped me gain confidence.”

Some other members I spoke with did not play other sports, but still appreciated the

aspects that give guard its distinct community. Emily Sadlier from Windermere High School

loves the accomplished feeling of learning a new guard skill. “I love how guard and FFCC feel

like such a positive environment. Being a part of a colorguard team is the equivalent of having a

second family. They help you when you need it and encourage you to work hard.”

It was good to hear that I wasn’t the only one that felt this way. Colorguard is special. It’s

community. It’s family. And I wouldn’t trade my years in this sport for anything.

Be there even if you can’t be there!

Show support for your favorite performers, teams, and circuit this championships weekend by purchasing a stadium fan cut out to hang out in the arena’s blocked off seats! Thanks to our sponsors at Digital Performance Gear, all proceeds benefit the FFCC Martha Stark Memorial Scholarship Fund & the FFCC Access Program Scholarship Fund!

Learn more here!