Color guard is a team of performers that works with flags and mock rifles to bring a choreographed routine to life. It is a co-curricular performing art for anyone with a love for music, dance and theater, and who has a strong work ethic and determination.

Oakdale High School’s (OHS) color guard is run by Ms.Strasser, a teacher at Oakdale Middle School. To sign up, students can talk to the band director or counselors here at OHS, or students can reach out to Ms.Strasser directly through her email: [email protected]. 

Color guard is open to any student in grades nine through twelve. There is no prior experience required to join. To participate in guard’s outdoor season, team members must be prepared to learn routines and perform at halftime during football games, as well as com

peting in competitions. 

Performances typically have a runtime of six to eight minutes. Joely Georgiana, junior at Oakdale high school, had this to say about their performances: “It is very tiring to move all along a football field, we have to make sure our performance is engaging and exciting for the crowd.”

Color guard runs during the same time as the football season and is similar to other fall sports. 

“Marching band students, including the guard, start their season over the summer with 2 weeks of band camp and various mini camps. Since we often start the season with so many new students, these summer sessions are used to teach basic flag and dance technique to prepare them for learning choreography for the marching band performance.” Ms.Strasser explained. 

Color guard also has an indoor season where they perform in competition settings, and focuses on the guard team individually without the accompaniment of the marching band.

Trinity Swire, a sophomore at Oakdale,  shared this about a typical halftime performance: “A performance is played out with going onto the field and waiting for the drum major to cue us in. It’s a series of 3 drills — drills are the songs we perform to and where we’re placed on the field.”

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Joely Georgiana

Oakdale High School's color guard is preparing tirelessly for the 2022 outdoor season, and they are ready to show Oakdale High School their new moves during the OHS football halftime show!

For some this will be their first time performing in the outdoor color guard season such as a sophomore at OHS, Clove Bruce. They signed up for last year’s indoor season competing in the competitions representing Oakdale’s color guard team.

On the other hand, Georgiana has been performing for the OHS color guard team for 3 years, signing up during her freshman year and had this to say about her time in guard, “I love the creativity that comes with guard…you eventually learn the basics and then can work up to make your own choreography.”

Make sure you make it in time for halftime to come and support our color guard team at every OHS home football game!

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