For instance, the bass drum weighs 30 to 40 pounds including the hareness and I heard from actual players that it’s so uncomfortable to wear including wearing it for hours. That’s just for the beginners. Marching bands, however, meticulously rehearse and prepare a display of art that is judged by the accuracy and artistic merit of its performance. Marching band and show choir are two popular groups at Wash. It is most distressing, if I’m being compleatly honest, that we are forced to support the football teams. November 30th, 2017 4:51 pm, TimmyTrumpet on March 24th, 2019 12:32 pm, ThatTubaGuy on DECA? Someone else who agrees that they are separate! still not enough. No. October 18th, 2017 10:43 am, Band Nerd, Trumet Number A on It should be judged on the actual definition of the word “sport”. oh yeah that is because MARCHING BAND IS A SPORT!!!! For example people usually run miles every day before rehearsal to be able to not get as tired when performing their show. During the summer, highly competitive teams have camps that last more than eight hours straight. November 9th, 2017 2:53 pm, Clarinet Nerd on October 8th, 2019 10:11 pm, max on Sure it takes some talent to aim a ball and hit it with the right amount of force to land in a hole. Yes it looks like we just march around and play instruments and there is more than that. Theatre and Marching Band are the two main reasons why I enjoy school, and to see someone diss them makes me furious! Especially those sousas. that are often incorporated into a school's eligibility policies are also applied toward band members, prohibiting them from performing if their grades fall below a threshold or if they get in trouble with the law. read the article and all the comments saying it is a sport. September 30th, 2019 9:44 am, `joel sellers on And… I Jazz run. I’m not saying that it isn’t intense or anything, and I know that it fits the definition of a sport, but I would still call it an activity. you think that were not good enough to play “real sports”? Marching band clearly fits the definition of a sport. May 25th, 2017 2:19 pm, Trumpet player on October 18th, 2018 6:24 pm, sam gamez on If anyone says that marching band is a sport then they are wrong. So, technically, where that skill comes in, your brain is working a whole lot harder. What I’m going to say is this. So go hate on that one for not being a sport. Yes, I’ve gotten into fights for this. You have to memorize it, and be able to play it when marching to a dot, or certain place tht you must reach in a certain amount of steps. I also know the football coach (He also teaches), and he YELLS at the football players about showing us respect. Marching band in every way is a sport. That’s just not true, I was a marching band member for two years, and until recently didn’t consider it a sport on the grounds that it wasn’t a head to head kind of competition where both competitors simultaneously played and tried to outdo each other, like chess, or football, or soccer. And in the spring of 2020, the Fairhope highschool band will be marching in the D.C. cherry blossom festival parade. January 12th, 2017 10:58 am, Not in marching band on If you think it’s easy, I challenge you to a day in any band camp. A trumpet is about 2 pounds, a flute is about 1.5 pounds, a sousaphone is anywhere from 35-40 pounds, a tenor sax weighs about 6-9 pounds, a bari-sax weighs about 11-15, a tenor drum normally weighs 32 pounds but can exceed 55 (with a full kit); however most of the bass drum weights are accurate. I think that I can safely say that MARCHING BAND is more physically and mentally taxing than volleyball and basketball. With most schools, marching band gets more trophies than the football team. Thank you. All of it fits the criteria. Part 4: While band, specifically marching band, may require a small amount of physical fitness and coordination, there is no way that it can be considered a sport.” I personally think that marching band SHOULD be considered a sport. Marching band does both…. Just because you do something physically exhausting and stand out in the sun for thirteen hours with your big instruments doesn’t make it a sport. You can’t spell, call band kids fat and frail, and don’t understand the concept of a period. March 23rd, 2017 6:19 am, BrassCapt.Mello on It is 45 pounds and uncomfortable as all H, E, double hockey sticks. Sport: a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other, If band is not a sport, then neither is cheer. Okay I play clarinet and let me tell you we have 9-9 practices in the summer. Marching Band isn’t just about physical ability, although it is a huge part. lol. bro,,, imagine not marching and then saying “its so easy” y’all trifling. I’m not sure if you’ve ever played in instrument before, but you should try doing so while marching with the required technique, playing the music, and making it to your spot in a certain amount of steps. I want to see you practice for 10 hours a day for a week!!!! Joe obviously is some kid who doesn’t know anything and you don’t know if something is hard or not until you try it and obviously if you think it’s easy you haven’t tried it, Joe obviously is some kid who doesn’t know anything and you don’t know if something is hard or not until you try it and obviously if you think it’s easy you haven’t tried it so joe think about the things your saying before you say them. We spend the whole summer practicing music, marching, exercising, and making sure every move we make is perfect for the show we do. The first one will clarify this whole argument and bring it to the suspected conclusion: Marching band is a sport. We have to have a steady air flow and it has to be consistent. There are many statistics to reveal marching band is a sport and how hard the … We don’t get 4 quarters. When you are ready, haul a tuba and march for 8-10 hours and see how you feel. We have practices everyday and it 100% takes physical exertion to march on a field. Marching band is a sport because it requires physical exertion and skill, involves competition, and is entertainment for the audience and the band itself. I feel, as a flute player, that I need to clarify a few things. no, but it is a contest with scores, rules and regulations, Marching band is not a sport ok…. The actual depiction of a high school marching band is around 150-200 musicians (or 500 if you’re Allen High School) using instruments varying from a clarinet to a mellophone while maintaining a straight-leg technique. I play tuba in a World Class DCI Drum and Bugle Corps and all I have to say is that your comment is invalid unless you try making it through a season. March 28th, 2017 12:34 pm, Cool guy who knows what sports are on January 31st, 2017 7:35 pm, Marching Clarinet on The effort required to play an instrument, march in time, maintain perfect posture, and think through everything is a very different one than required of a runner, football linebacker, or competitive swimmer. You see, if you REALLY think band doesn’t involve physical activity, you’d be wrong, my friend. Charlene is saying that she knows it is a sport because she has done a season of it before. The technique when it is being used has to meet a certain criteria to be considered good technique. especially during band camp in the 100 degree weather and we cant just take a break during a run to drink water. We do compete with other bands and we also do halftime shows. September 9th, 2018 11:42 pm, Myra on By fusing performing arts, sports and uniform group elements, Marching Bands are truly the Sport of the Arts. There are also at least five judges evaluating every move you make and more than three judges watching you from other positions. jesus christ. we work harder than the football team at my school, well were still practicing there leaving after an 1:30 and we have been there for about 2 hours, yes werent not outside all the time but sometime the weather has a different plan. Of course it’s a sport. Hell in my school we leave after baseball, football, and soccer we stay until 7 lol if you think doing a full run through of a show id like to see you try to play music march with proper technique and and remember sets cause I bet you’d look like a lost child out on that field. They don’t bat or kick a ball, they wear gloves and throw punches. September 26th, 2017 10:36 pm, Awesome Percussion Gal on Primary among these is the simple desire among many musicians to not allow themselves to be lumped in with athletes. Aside the definition of a sport, everyone I know in marching band are the hardest working people I’ve ever met. FOR COMPETITIONS AND FOR ENTERTAINMENT. So calm down Eugene. So DON’T tell me that Marching Band is not a sport. Note: The articles on this site may contain referral links to sites such as Amazon and other online retailers. November 30th, 2017 4:32 pm, Floyd on They’d put whatever physical “prowess” you claim to have to shame. speaking of clothing, most band uniforms seem to be insulated, while normally ending up being a benefit in the winter, kills in the summer. Listen. Skill (try playing a trumpet or clarinet without knowing what you’re doing. So maybe your just the f’er who needs to go read that definito. It fits all the criteria. September 3rd, 2018 1:11 am, Angel (Shik marching brave) on Okay… Let’s think about this for just a minute… What do you do in Marching Band? All the requirements are met in my comments. on As a member, you must have skills just like with any other sport. YESSSS! Not only do people in marching band have to use and exercise all the same muscles used in pretty much every sport, they also have to exercise muscles that aren’t used in a majority of sports. OKAY, so here’s the deal on high school marching band kids. You can believe what you will about it being or not being a sport, but it would be better for yourself and others to keep your opinions to yourself, unless you can argue in an acceptable manner. Try that and see if it’s sport. MARCHING BAND IS A REAL SPORT. No. October 4th, 2016 9:31 am, ????? Try wearing that for HOURS at a time without putting it down or losing good playing posture. Marching band lies in the sweet spot where love of music and physical activity overlap. December 6th, 2017 9:54 am, Carson on And a lot of the time we’re almost jogging. November 16th, 2016 6:17 pm, false on May 1st, 2019 1:13 pm, Brooklyn on Totally a sport if you say its not you’ve never tried it. February 13th, 2020 9:50 am, Gorn on If a fat person goes for a 15 minute walk their heart rate will also be way over someone who is running a marathon. Trumpet is around 10 pounds, but after a 8 1/2 minute show of non stop playing, you wish you were dead. There is a scoring point system, and there are competitions. I’m in marching band and I wouldn’t consider it a sport. Just like athletes, we have to memorize our playbook, except in band, it's our music and drill. This would have been better with periods. Marching music is a sport. So try speed walking while simultaneously exhaling for as long as you can, take a one second breath and repeat. OUR TENORS WEIGH 90 POUNDS. January 6th, 2017 5:34 pm, David Taylor on So until you’ve tried it I suggest you keep your mouth shut. Marching band seems to fit the definition of a sport, yet people still chose to debate over the topic. Also your opinion is that these other activities are sports. If I had to be totally honest baseball is pretty cool. And just like football, we have highschool teams, college teams, and DCI teams. Have you ever seen a World-Class Drum Corps International show? Part 3: October 7th, 2016 5:02 am, crabtree on Try it sometime it is a bit hard, yet so worth it! I am not saying that you have no talent and don’t have to work hard but it’s two different world between contact/combat sports. June 17th, 2017 11:38 pm, Trumpet player on If bowling is a sport, then marching band cannot possible be not considered a sport difficultly wise. Ok. First of all, flutes are 3 pounds. ONLY TWO MONTHS!! I mean, we practice every day for like 7 hours. Fostoria high school marching band. The time I have put in over the summer and during the school year equals, or even surpasses, those of many competitive sports. For these people being called an athlete leaves a sour taste and goes against the self image that they have built for themselves as a professional. September 30th, 2016 11:54 am, Joe on You may think “well, tubas have oompahs all the time. We have people watching and a lot of people do come to watch the band instead of the football. November 20th, 2017 11:34 am, David on This is directly comparable to the weekly games that an organized football, baseball, or any other team might perform in. August 24th, 2016 7:06 pm, anon on You are to stretch before marching band, practice, and also have competitive exhibitions. You have to move in perfect harmony, roll step in time, memorize the songs, learn the inside jokes (trumpets for the win), get along with the teammates, plus wear a super-hot uniform in 90 degree weather! Those of you who go off what the dictionary says, look up the word ‘sport’. Our football team isn’t great and could never do that. You guys just meet after school like soccer. In uniforms that do you no favors in keeping you cool. Football players don’t have judges watching their every move, a football player makes a small mistake and no notices, and band kid does then your mistake is recorded and shared with the band. And we have to memorize were we are on the field which is called drill for you nonband kids. February 27th, 2018 12:10 pm, Trumpetboyo on flutes XD or a picc.) November 17th, 2016 7:43 pm, Nahjae on February 16th, 2020 9:27 pm, MArchinG_Geek on You try holding your 15lb marching tenor without a neck strap and with only your thumb. You can say that band is a sport, because it matches the definition in some dictionaries, but that isn’t going to change peoples’ minds at all. Two of my past bands didn’t stretch. Now add the music (which for college level, it’s challenging). I heard him telling his team, “If you guys worked HALF as hard as the (marching) band, we would win this whole thing,” and we have a great football team. December 22nd, 2016 3:05 am, Cougar on January 26th, 2017 9:09 pm, That one Trumpet nerd on As like football and several other sports, there is a high school league, a college league and a national major league association. There are no balls in swimming, yet it is an Olympic sport, no balls is competitive cheer, no balls in cross country, etc. A sport is something that has to do with skill and something physical. The only way they could ever be valid in an arguement is if they did research and saw how much work and physical conditioning we do.So please do your research before you make the assumption that band isnt a sport, And people who beleive it is please respect thier opinions,i mean, they must REALLY care abt us if they put this much time into “proving”that band isnt a sport:). And for the record, theatre does take skill. Marching Band is not a sport. After a very short audition period, there is a read through, which is like sight-reading for music, and then rehearsal after school for two hours every day, for four weeks. The fifth and sixth week is three hours a day, and the seventh and eighth week, is four and five hours, respectively. I can’t imagine any football players keeping up in a drum corps, lol. November 24th, 2016 12:51 am, Christian Martinez on I am a college marcher in my 7th season of band and my 3rd different marching band, and I do NOT agree that it is a sport. It bugs me so much that the other school drumlines hire people to help them, and the most outside help we get is MAYBE a parent of a drumline member that did percussion/drumline in school will help us clean up the little bits we need help with. February 11th, 2020 11:00 am, conga on Flutes are not normally heard in performances but this isn’t because they aren’t trying. Okay. Just like a sport does. Difficulty? There is no skill to it. And remember, I have a more stress ful job than you. I think you can say this about any sport: When you’re a spectator, it looks a lot easier than if you were actually out there DOING it. a now exceedingly pissed off marching student, OK, this is gettin a little silly.TOO SILLY.I mean this debate on this sight has been going on for 4+ years,GEEZ! Marching band takes a lot of skill, patience, and teamwork. September 4th, 2017 8:01 pm, Awesome Percussion Gal on -There are competitive marching bands out there that compete against other bands at each show. Its an activity that people love doing because it makes them feel proud and happy. And then four performances. It may just look like walking around but you hear more about marching bands in the news that other sports. For example, in my band I play the bass drum. Okay, so in Marching Band you take trips to many places just so you can compete. November 20th, 2019 12:33 pm, Uh oh Stinky on March 28th, 2017 1:19 pm, Anonymous flute, trumpet, clarinet, and trombone player - AND GUARD MEMBER on All sports don’t even has to have a ball or eve be shown on sports center. We practice anywhere from 20-60 hours a week, memorizing 3-5 songs and 100+ chronological movements while moving with 20-100+ other people until we can perform to perfection, and then practice some more! November 30th, 2017 4:55 pm, Marching Clarinet on I invite this guy and anyone else who says marching band isn’t a sport to go through ONE rehearsal. Do yourself a favor, pick up a 3lb dumbell and walk up and down the football field for 3 hrs. If your band is good enough people do got to games just for the band. The drumline marches with bases attached to harnesses they must wear for the whole show. So anyone who would like to argue with me, email me. November 9th, 2017 2:50 pm, Eleni Demoleas on Then you can sorrow in your own blind stupidity for not acknowledging something more difficult and complex than you’ve ever done in your life. I have been in marching band, more specifically color guard for the past 5 years. That’s on the physical side of band. October 1st, 2017 9:30 pm, that one kid on Marching band is most definitely a sport. So your saying that we are “out of shape”. I'm a teacher by trade so the first thing I have to turn to in this debate is the dictionary. Band is harder than cheer so…. And wow 10lb flute yes there may be small instruments but my saxophone is 25lbs and guess what marching band is NOT easy we wear hot uniforms practice up to 8 or more hours a day while trying to play our memorized music we must get in our formation perfectly be in step be on beat I would LOVE to watch you try marching, 4\4, jazz running, marching 2\4, while remembering ge,while being watched every single second of our performance, SO YES IT IS A SPORT AND YOU NEED TO GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD. if a flute is ten pounds then then they can complain im on sousa and im 5’2 and my body is really right for the instrument, my shoulder crunches and my back when i bend over after practice hurts, and people dont see me going to the trainer for my weird shoulder problem or my back hurting but, a flute at max is two pounds. According to height and weight charts from doctors linebackers would also be considered “out of shape”. DCI is probably harder. I would love to argue about this with anyone who disagrees. Does track have a ball? We have Jazz Band if you are interested and Drumline if you want to join. Marching band is a sport, we work just as hard as those kids who play badminton soccer football and hockey. Going on to one of these websites is just creating a bigger joke on the entire topic itself. So if you want to tell me marching band is not a sport, then email me because I would love to have this argument with you. Umm excuse me, your wrong! September 2nd, 2018 1:19 pm, Actual sport player on That’s just called working out. Go put it on a scale, it weighs 7lbs. If that were the case then competitive speed painting would be a sport. I watch the shows every year and when you look at those players after performing, their lips and arms and legs are sore.