World of Pageantry

I'm very confused on which path I should take as far as furthering my performance in a winterguard next year. My dream has ALWAYS been to spin with Raiders once I graduated High School. (reppin' FHS open guard dancin fools!) Situations have come up in my life and I feel a more local guard would be more feasible for me. I have been training with In Motion, who took 4th place in Independant A class at WGI 2004. I love it! The instructor and I have talked about a lot of thigns also concerning if I wanted to still try out for Raiders. I'm all up for the experience of things. I would LOVE to go to Raider auditions just to show my face and to soak in the scheme of things but.. in the event that I did make it... I wouldn't want to be on the sideline the whole time... or laying on the floor. I've spun sabre for 6 years and I KNOW I wouldn't make sabre line and it would kill me. So I'm thinking In Motion would be a better enviroment for this year for me but I'm lost... any advice? Keep in mind one of the instructors @ raiders, linsey jackson, was my hs instructor and REALLY wants me to try out and MIGHT just be dissapointed if I'm not there on the BIG day!!!

Oh lord, how many times must I tell you this. GO FOR IT FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD! The worst that could happen would be that you didnt make Raiders (which would be highly unlikely) and then you would be back at In Motion, which is where you would have been if you didn't try out. You say youre all up for experiences, then go experience it! Again, the worst thing that could happen would be that you were back where you started, plus you'd have the experience of going through that. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound too bad to me.

I was talking to this one girl from Fantasia...

And she said that the problem with auditions for such high placing and awesome Guards is that people are so afraid to go to the auditions, because they don't know what's going to happen.

And if you make it, there's going to be at least one other person who is in the same position as you; a first year who has spun for many years, and is afraid of failing.

You'll only fail if you let yourself!!

ok, i've just gotta step in here and say something. you definately definately should go and try out. if you didn't make sabre line, who cares? i know you'd be upset and all, but as far as i know, very few of the raiders world guard people come in their first year and spin on the weapon line. you know yadi? the captain two years ago? the one who was frida? yeah? you know how diva she was on sabre line? well, she actually started on the flag line, and worked her way up. you could do the same you know? i say go for it. you'll only be saying "what if..." for the rest of the season if you don't go, and that's not a great thing to be playing over in your head.

okay, that was really long, but i hope you take it to heart. and don't think i'm just someone who thinks they know all the shiz that goes on in thie world guard, but really doesn't know anyone, cause i do. i march raiders open, so i do kinda know what i'm talking about, and there is not one reason why you shouldn't go and try-out. so again i say go for it! and good luck to you!

And there's always Raiders' Open guard....

You have A LOT of choices. Buchannan and the In Motion people are awesome, but always aim high. I auditioned for the world guard and didn't make it, but just auditioning was an amazing experience in itself. So I say go for it. Yay color guard!!!

Well I just want to say that I understand what you said about sabre line. It would be hard not to spin it after spinning six years. I’ve felt the rejection of not making weapon line so I know what you are talking about, but even when I wasn't on weapon, I still had an awesome time on the guard even if I was spinning flag. So I’m going to agree with everyone else and say, go for it! See what it's like. And if you make it and decided that you hate it, (yeah right) you can always leave after the season is over. Since no one on this board has given you any reason not to try out, I really hope you go for it. Good luck!

DONT STAY AT A LOWER GUARD JUST SO YOU CAN SPIN SABRE WOULDNT YOU FEEL BETTER KNOWING YOUR GOOD ENOUGH JUST TO MAKE THE RAIDERS. AND YOU ALREADY KNOW THE INSTRUCTOR SO YOU NEVER KNOW YOU COULD MAKE SABRE DONT DOWNGRADE YOURSELF BY STAYING AT A LOWER LEVEL GUARD

wow.....i dont think there was any need to revive this....i think she probably already made the decision.