A great marching season starts with a great experience at band camp, so let’s get ready to make it the best possible! (Camp begins July 24 for all students!)
What to wear:
Students must wear athletic shoes (preferably cross-trainers as running shoes do not provide enough lateral support). No other shoe is acceptable for marching band. Any other shoe (basketball shoes, sandals, flip-flops, boots, high-heels, Crocs – even in sport mode) constitutes a health hazard. CLICK HERE for the latest DCI Recommended Shoe List for Marching Musicians.
Hats must be worn as well. In band, you need to be able to see, and the brim of a hat can shield your eyes from the glare of the sun, plus it keeps the harmful UV Rays off of your head! Sunglasses are a necessity when outside but are to be taken off when inside the building.
I would encourage you to wear loose-fitting light-colored shirts to summer band due to the heat factor. (A light-colored shirt that won’t absorb too much heat.)
Shorts are also required; we have had a few boys in the past that thought incorrectly that they could brave the heat in baggy black jeans. All guys must wear a shirt and no one may wear any article that is in violation of the school dress code. Keep in mind that non-cotton or cotton blend shorts won’t hold as much moisture as all-cotton ones.
Students should bring water bottles, have them filled before every rehearsal and have applied sunscreen on their own (even if overcast).
• Suggestion: keep long hair out of your face and off your neck.
What to bring:
• Your flip folder and music.
• Lots of water.
• Completed, signed sports physical form, if you haven’t turned on in already.
• Your instrument and any items you might need for it (like extra reeds or valve oil).
• Sunscreen so you can reapply as necessary.
What to do:
• Get used to the hot weather. There are UIL guidelines designed to keep students safe by limiting practice times, the weather students can practice during, and how often water breaks should be given. Band directors follow these guidelines exactly, and only a fraction of practice time is actually spent outside! You can do your part by increasing your heat tolerance gradually. Students, if you are not moving your body regularly, now is a good time to start. The CDC says that the best way to acclimatize yourself to the heat is “to increase the workload performed in a hot setting gradually over a period of one to two weeks.” The word “gradually” is key here.
• Begin practicing healthy hydration habits. Yep, we are saying “make sure you are drinking enough water.” Remember, if you are doing any activity that makes you sweat, drink more water. If you are in hot or humid weather, drink more water. It’s important to drink water before, during, and after a workout, and that includes marching band practice. The band directors will indicate times for water breaks during practice to make sure you can stay hydrated. You can make sure you are getting enough water by developing a routine (like always drinking a glass of water when you wake up, or setting an alarm on your phone that reminds you to drink water at a certain time) and keeping your favorite water bottle close by.
• Arrange to have a sports physical with a health professional and have the physical form completed and turned in.
• Be on time by being early. If practice starts at 7:00, that means be ready to start, with your instrument, at 7:00; not arrive at 7:00.
• Be open to feedback. (This can be a tough one.) Just remember that if anyone corrects you, they are doing it because they want you to be successful. What you’ll be doing is hard, so be open to instruction and help.
• Remember to have a positive attitude. You’re going to learn a lot and make some great friends!