The Color Guard has decided to hang up their brooms this spring. After their successful fall season with the band, in which they rode “wicked” brooms, they will begin their new season, Winter Guard.

“Winter Guard is a much more difficult aspect of Color Guard than the fall season,” senior captain Sofia Restrepo said. “It captivates emotion. Not just because the season is indoors, but also the emotions and connections on the team. We all grow closer through the challenges of an advanced season.”

Restrepo has been on the team all four years of her high school career. She captains the team alongside senior Emma Lafferty under the direction of Andrew Seebaran. This will be Restrepo’s third year on varsity and her first year in an official leadership position.

“Being the captain of a community like the one of Klein Oak Color Guard has been eye-opening,” Restrepo said. “Learning how it feels like to lead and be proud of the people around me; example, seeing the freshmen at their first football game, and the feeling I get when I see my teammates succeed. All of these memories and experiences, I would not trade for anything in the entire world.”

The team spends countless hours with one another, so all the members have formed a tight bond.

“The bond I’ve made with others in guard has probably been my favorite thing about being color guard,” junior Angelyka Ramirez said. “Performing with my friends and doing the thing we love the most has to be the best feeling in the world.”

The team has grown rapidly in size over the years. This year’s team has 50 members participating this season. Due to this large number of members, there are now three different teams for Winter Guard, a first in Klein Oak history.

“There are 20 people on varsity, 20 on junior varsity and 10 on novice,” sophomore Amani Battle said. “I love that there is such a big team this year. Three teams mean that we have chances to do even cooler tosses and shows, along with the chance to meet more people and make more friends. While sometimes it can be a little chaotic with all of the people, I love seeing other people grow to love Color Guard as much as I do.”

Having three teams also gives the director the chance to try out new themes for future shows. Every year the team has to pick out a new song and concept for their show. It’s the Guard’s job to tell a story through dance and expressions.

“This year’s show is a lot calmer and more collected than last year’s show,” Battle said. “Last year’s varsity show was focused on not caring what people say about you, while this year’s show is focused on personal growth and rejuvenation. It’s definitely a big change, but I love the opportunity to learn new skills that last year’s show wouldn’t have allowed.”

The team attends several competitions from January to March. They also host the WGI Houston Regional Competition every year. Last year they had the opportunity to attend the world championships. 

“Having the chance to attend Worlds as a freshman was incredible,” sophomore Addison Matthews said. “ I got to see some of the best teams in the country and missed a few days of school with my closest friends. I am super eager to start competing because I have grown so much this year. Our show is so much fun to dance to and I am hoping for a good outcome in our competition season.”

Winter Guard requires hours of practice and sacrifice, so after all the hard work is done the team is rewarded. Once a member has completed two full years of Color Guard, they will receive a letterman jacket after the winter season.

“Getting a letterman is a lot of high school students’ dream, but it is not easy,” sophomore Riley Dodge said. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to earn one. I am about to receive mine at the end of the semester and the amount of sweat and tears that I have shed this year is insane. I’m so excited to get mine and represent Oak.”