Whether it is a heavy wooden rifle or a colorful flag, the students of the Green Hope Winter Guard are turning heavy equipment into sophisticated art this season.
Winter Guard, often described as the “visual aspect” of marching band, moves the performance from the football field to the gymnasium floor. This year, the program is across its Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity levels.
For Nadia Andrews (‘29), a freshman on the JV team, the season is centered on a show titled “Warriors,” which is the story of fallen soldiers returning. The production requires mastery of complex equipment, which Andrews pointed out to be a steep learning curve.
“Personally, it’s the rifle because it’s brand new and very difficult to learn tosses on,” Andrews said. Despite the difficulty, she highlighted the pride she feels in her teammates’ development, noting that many started the season with no experience and are now performing “full shows and doing really well.”
The logistics of the sport also play a major role in the student experience. While performing at other schools requires traveling early and applying makeup and hair in the car, Andrews said performing at Green Hope is “a lot easier and faster” because the team has rooms and a familiar environment that helps accommodate them.
On the Varsity team, Amara Ndegwa is navigating her fourth season with a heavy heart on team chemistry.
“This year the Green Hope team is very together and we had the aspect of unity a lot in this season and we bonded a lot,” Ndegwa said. She explained that the team prioritizes high energy during travel to competitions, jumping between jokes and a “silly” atmosphere with a “locked-in” focus to ensure they are ready to perform.
Technical precision is a big aspect of the Varsity program, but Ndegwa highlighted that mental toughness is just as important as physical skill. When a toss goes wrong or a drop occurs, the team must remain in character to avoid affecting the overall group performance.
“Locking in and forgetting about that drop or that toss you messed up really helps,” Ndegwa said.
As the teams prepare for their upcoming showcase and competition at Green Level, both athletes agree that the bond between teammates is the most rewarding part of the season. Andrews noted that the “best team moments” happen during cheers and practice runs right before they take the floor.
For Ndegwa, the ultimate goal is for the audience to see the heart behind the choreography. “It’s sometimes not about the skill or just doing it just because it’s a sport, but more so that you enjoy doing that sport,” Ndegwa said.
