High school color guard and drill team members from across the Dallas Independent School District will be honing their skills at the Summer Breeze marching band auxiliary camp.
The intensive program focuses on teamwork, leadership, and technical mastery of flags, batons, and sabers. For many participants, the camp offers more than choreography lessons. Students describe finding confidence, community, and a sense of belonging that extends beyond the practice field.
Sarahy E., a rising junior at Sunset High School, first noticed the color guard during Friday night football games.
“It looked like a sisterhood,” she said of watching the performers’ synchronized movements and obvious camaraderie.
Now in her second year, Sarahy navigates the differences between the drill team’s precision and the color guard’s fluidity. “The thing about the drill team is that there is more pressure, and the environment is different, especially the techniques we use. I’m so used to being stiff, but in color guard, I’m flowy. I have to get loose and bring more attitude.”
The transition has pushed her beyond technical challenges.
“I used to be in my own little shell, so I’ve grown a lot and I’ve learned to keep pushing through no matter what,” she explained.
That determination pays off during practice.
“When I wouldn’t see improvement in myself, I would just keep pushing through. I realized that there was no way I would grow if I didn’t try.”
Maytte R. arrived at her first Summer Breeze camp as a lieutenant for Thomas Jefferson High School’s color guard. The rising sophomore joined the color guard as a nervous freshman with dance experience, but now leads teammates through complex routines.
“I’m learning how to be more confident and more open,” Maytte said. “It’s helped me not just on the field, but at school and at home, too.”
Still, adapting from dance to color guard required adjustments.
“You can still express yourself with a flag. It’s like dance, but with more movement and teamwork. You have to learn how the field works, how to be in sync with others, and how to be loud when you count.”
Both students plan to share their camp experiences with their home teams. They emphasize that technical skills matter less than the supportive environment they’ve discovered.
“You can be yourself in color guard,” Maytte said. “It’s a space where no one judges you, and your team becomes your family.”