In years past, color guard was reserved as a sport for female athletes only at many high schools. But things change. Today, dozens of teams in the Florida Federation of Color Guard Circuit have boys on their squads. In the history of Winter Guard International (WGI), the Midwestern team of the Cavaliers impressed crowds in the late 1970s with an all-male squad. In the years that followed, many teams began including men in their squads. South Shore, for instance, was an all-male team until almost 1990, when it merged with its sister team, the Ladies of South Shore. From there on out, the company has alternated between all-male, all-female, and co-ed squads for various performances. By the time 1997 rolled around, the Pride of Cincinnati put together an all-male team and was able to secure big wins in the early 2000s. Another notable team was Northern Lights, who secured wins for a couple of years with an all-male team. WGI didn’t see another world-class all-male company perform until 2016 when Diamante hit the stage. In lower levels, high school students are almost all co-ed now. Allowing male students to participate in the sport is a big win for athletes, parents, and the schools themselves. Color guard is a fantastic outlet for creativity and learning to work together as a team. Today, it doesn’t matter what a student’s gender is. If an athlete wants to be a part of the color guard family, then they are welcomed in. For all things color guard and the latest batons, rifles, and squad accessories, visit Starline Baton online.

Posted: 9/18/2019