Is the marching band a sport

[herefortheband]

woah i hang around other boards and come back and this thread has 17 pages. good job you guys!

[bellgo]

How can you call them athletes. At DCI level they are all in great shape but there is nothing athletic about the marching band. They are in good shape an very talented. Your local High School band is no were near that kind of shape. Have a high school band an a high school football team running wind sprints an i will bet you 85-90% of the football team would finish before the bands best runner. Dont get me wrong i know how hard yall work but being in athletic shape is alot different then being in good shape

 

 

NO, it doesn't take any athletic ability to play an instrument in my opinion. I guess they have to practice, but that doesn't really mean anything.

 

 

I agree with these two quotes. I'm a big fan of drum corps and high school marching band but there is nothing athletic about it. DOES PERFORMING ARTS RING A BELL TO ANYONE?? In drum corps, these are musicians and performers who must be in top shape to practice and perform at a very high level and make huge sacrifices to do what they love. Playing an instrument and spinning an apparatus takes practice and discipline but it's not athletic. However, if you put the time, dedication, and heart to learn and develop your talents it does mean something.

[SCHSBisonPride]

I agree with these two quotes. I'm a big fan of drum corps and high school marching band but there is nothing athletic about it. DOES PERFORMING ARTS RING A BELL TO ANYONE?? In drum corps, these are musicians and performers who must be in top shape to practice and perform at a very high level and make huge sacrifices to do what they love. Playing an instrument and spinning an apparatus takes practice and discipline but it's not athletic. However, if you put the time, dedication, and heart to learn and develop your talents it does mean something.

 

 

 

While I am on your side of the argument that it is not a sport, I do disagree with your statement that marching band isn't at all athletic. Anyone who has ever been to a band contest knows that. The bands POUR sweat like crazy. Anyone who has ever seen a band right after they come off the field can tell it's athletic. Their heart rates do come up and it requires a lot of stamina to do it. It's one thing to just march, which does take a lot of not only muscle strength but muscle control. But doing it while playing is tough stuff. You just want to be able to breath but you can't because you have to keep playing. It's athletic for different reason than football and basketball and cross country are athletic. but it is athletic. Just not a sport.

[KEV-O]

While I am on your side of the argument that it is not a sport, I do disagree with your statement that marching band isn't at all athletic. Anyone who has ever been to a band contest knows that. The bands POUR sweat like crazy. Anyone who has ever seen a band right after they come off the field can tell it's athletic. Their heart rates do come up and it requires a lot of stamina to do it. It's one thing to just march, which does take a lot of not only muscle strength but muscle control. But doing it while playing is tough stuff. You just want to be able to breath but you can't because you have to keep playing. It's athletic for different reason than football and basketball and cross country are athletic. but it is athletic. Just not a sport.

 

athletes play sports. athletic an athlete are the same thing

[trumpeteer]

So searching stuff on the internet and this came up on google search and i just had to register to do this "debate" here on this topic. I am from the Sunshine State [Florida, if any of these people didnt now] and I am part of a 1A band in Largo, FL

 

My view on this, its a sport, down here our school officially called it a sport this year and many other schools are following our track right now.

 

For all FL band members their main goal is to make it to the FMBC State Finals that is located at Tropicana Field

 

You have to go into the FMBC State Semis that morning and compete against the top 28 bands in ur class from FL.. the top 5 bands from ur class make it to the place above here that night to compete for State Champion for ur class.

 

For my 2nd year in band, I worked from the beginning of June in 102 degree weather until November in 42 degree weather. The band kept track of the hours and in those months we put in 467 hours on the field in heat,rain, and cold. Like people said, we put in more hours then our football and vball team combined.

 

So theres my view on all of this.

 

God Bless

[Floor_General22]

So searching stuff on the internet and this came up on google search and i just had to register to do this "debate" here on this topic. I am from the Sunshine State [Florida, if any of these people didnt now] and I am part of a 1A band in Largo, FL

 

My view on this, its a sport, down here our school officially called it a sport this year and many other schools are following our track right now.

 

For all FL band members their main goal is to make it to the FMBC State Finals that is located at Tropicana Field

 

You have to go into the FMBC State Semis that morning and compete against the top 28 bands in ur class from FL.. the top 5 bands from ur class make it to the place above here that night to compete for State Champion for ur class.

 

For my 2nd year in band, I worked from the beginning of June in 102 degree weather until November in 42 degree weather. The band kept track of the hours and in those months we put in 467 hours on the field in heat,rain, and cold. Like people said, we put in more hours then our football and vball team combined.

 

So theres my view on all of this.

 

God Bless

 

ok, this caught my eye and I found this topic interesting. Nice try, but Band is not a sport. Its a part of sports, but not a sport by itself. That would be like saying officiating games is a sport. lol Its a part of sports, but not a sport. Let me ask you this. How do you keep score? Now I'm not the most educated person when it comes to bands, but doesn't a group of people judge bands at a competition? But there is no running score like in basketball, football, baseball, tennis, soccer, volleyball, golf, hockey, and even auto racing. How does a band score other than with another band member? Imagine playing 4 quarters of a football game, then a group of judges deciding who won the game. Your work ethic should be applauded, I give you that. But using your example would justify someone saying that working at Walmart is a sport. I do think that band is a very important part of sports. And without it some sports just wouldn't be the same. Nothing like hearing the band on a friday night while at a football game.

[KEV-O]

ok, this caught my eye and I found this topic interesting. Nice try, but Band is not a sport. Its a part of sports, but not a sport by itself. That would be like saying officiating games is a sport. lol Its a part of sports, but not a sport. Let me ask you this. How do you keep score? Now I'm not the most educated person when it comes to bands, but doesn't a group of people judge bands at a competition? But there is no running score like in basketball, football, baseball, tennis, soccer, volleyball, golf, hockey, and even auto racing. How does a band score other than with another band member? Imagine playing 4 quarters of a football game, then a group of judges deciding who won the game. Your work ethic should be applauded, I give you that. But using your example would justify someone saying that working at Walmart is a sport. I do think that band is a very important part of sports. And without it some sports just wouldn't be the same. Nothing like hearing the band on a friday night while at a football game.

 

hey hey watch it, over here in east Tn working in wal mart is a sport lol, just kidding. you are right tho. I agree 100% with your post, an could not have said it any better myself.

[herefortheband]

interesting to see that some fl schools are officially calling MB a sport. as i have said a thousand times... band is not a sport. good bands DO make athletes out of their studends but that doesnt make us sportsmen.

 

websters said this of an athlete

 

: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

 

we require physical strength ( horn angles and constant leg motion that may require more than 3 steps per second (tempo 180 for those who want to do the math)), we require agility (3 steps a second backwards on our toes while avoiding spinning rifles, flags, or sabres), and we most definately require stamina.

 

while i do stand on the side of band not being a sport as we generally view it as i found this definition from dictionary.com of the word 'sport' interesting

 

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

 

according to that definition i would have to call it a sport. it requires skill and physical prowess and is quite competitive.

 

although.... *this is not meant to be offensive to those who hunt. my father and mother both do and i have much respect for the REAL hunter*...how is a man sitting in a tree shooting a deer with a rifle a sport? that requires no physical 'prowess' possibly a skill but is it not the common sterotype that a hunter be half drunk with his beerbelly hanging out of his camo jacket in a tree? that is quite unsportsman-like if you ask me.

 

i suppose i still hold that band is not a sport according to the stage on which we generally view it.

 

unlike sports though, band requires more than brawn to suceed. it requires a keen mind, incredible focus, grace, listening, LUNGS, balance, pagentry, and all the other things that go with the PERFORMANCE aspect of it that are far removed from sports.

[KEV-O]

interesting to see that some fl schools are officially calling MB a sport. as i have said a thousand times... band is not a sport. good bands DO make athletes out of their studends but that doesnt make us sportsmen.

 

websters said this of an athlete

 

: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

 

we require physical strength ( horn angles and constant leg motion that may require more than 3 steps per second (tempo 180 for those who want to do the math)), we require agility (3 steps a second backwards on our toes while avoiding spinning rifles, flags, or sabres), and we most definately require stamina.

 

while i do stand on the side of band not being a sport as we generally view it as i found this definition from dictionary.com of the word 'sport' interesting

 

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

 

according to that definition i would have to call it a sport. it requires skill and physical prowess and is quite competitive.

 

although.... *this is not meant to be offensive to those who hunt. my father and mother both do and i have much respect for the REAL hunter*...how is a man sitting in a tree shooting a deer with a rifle a sport? that requires no physical 'prowess' possibly a skill but is it not the common sterotype that a hunter be half drunk with his beerbelly hanging out of his camo jacket in a tree? that is quite unsportsman-like if you ask me.

 

i suppose i still hold that band is not a sport according to the stage on which we generally view it.

 

unlike sports though, band requires more than brawn to suceed. it requires a keen mind, incredible focus, grace, listening, LUNGS, balance, pagentry, and all the other things that go with the PERFORMANCE aspect of it that are far removed from sports.

 

From Dictionary.com

 

Main Entry: marching band

Part of Speech: n

Definition: an ensemble of musicians that march in time to the music for entertainment at events and in parades, often with brass, wind, and percussion instruments, drum majors and/or majorettes, and color guard

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I didn't see sport in there

 

This is also from Dictionary.com, The word is Performing Arts

 

per?·form?·ing arts (p?™r-f??r'm?­ng)

pl.n. Arts, such as dance, drama, and music, that are performed before an audience.

[TriCitySportsDept]

My question to everyone who said no it's not a sport, is have you ever been in band? Let's look at it like this. What makes a sport a sport? Here is the defination

 

Sport??“noun

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

 

As you probably noticed Football or Basketball are not on the list. Does that mean they are not sports? As we look at this list. We racing, how is that a sport, does it require great skill, yes it does, but if your out of shape will it matter, no because the car does most of the racing. But nevertheless it is a sport. Hunting, i feel it would be more a sport if the deer could shoot back, but it's a sport. Fishing, give the fish a taser and see what happens, but it's a sport. it says an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess. Think about this and be honest, could you just pick up a drum and start playing paradiddle rolls or flams? Could you just pick up a Tuba and play a pedal B flat, or a super C on a trumpet? Then you have to do all that, breathe right while marching a 10 minute field show. You have to consider horn angle, wher your next set it, how close are your intervals, and im on the right foot? Am i rushing or dragging, where is the field commander? It's cold out here with this big huge hunk of metal on me, or during the summer, it's 104 degrees and i have on this uniform. Those are just some of the things you have to think about while your marching a field show. I am just taking up for all of those people who work very hard at what they do. It is a lot harder than it looks, i have marched in High school, College and in DCI. I only ask that you have a little more respect for the one who are there with the team every game and share in the excitement when you win and the sorrow when you lose. The band is there, but how many football player do yo think go to the band competitions to cheer on the band who is in competitoin against other bands, not very many. So yes band is a sport.

[KEV-O]

My question to everyone who said no it's not a sport, is have you ever been in band? Let's look at it like this. What makes a sport a sport? Here is the defination

 

Sport??“noun

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

 

As you probably noticed Football or Basketball are not on the list. Does that mean they are not sports? As we look at this list. We racing, how is that a sport, does it require great skill, yes it does, but if your out of shape will it matter, no because the car does most of the racing. But nevertheless it is a sport. Hunting, i feel it would be more a sport if the deer could shoot back, but it's a sport. Fishing, give the fish a taser and see what happens, but it's a sport. it says an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess. Think about this and be honest, could you just pick up a drum and start playing paradiddle rolls or flams? Could you just pick up a Tuba and play a pedal B flat, or a super C on a trumpet? Then you have to do all that, breathe right while marching a 10 minute field show. You have to consider horn angle, wher your next set it, how close are your intervals, and im on the right foot? Am i rushing or dragging, where is the field commander? It's cold out here with this big huge hunk of metal on me, or during the summer, it's 104 degrees and i have on this uniform. Those are just some of the things you have to think about while your marching a field show. I am just taking up for all of those people who work very hard at what they do. It is a lot harder than it looks, i have marched in High school, College and in DCI. I only ask that you have a little more respect for the one who are there with the team every game and share in the excitement when you win and the sorrow when you lose. The band is there, but how many football player do yo think go to the band competitions to cheer on the band who is in competitoin against other bands, not very many. So yes band is a sport.

 

there have been quite a few people on here that are in the band that dont think its a sport go back an look.

[TriCitySportsDept]

there have been quite a few people on here that are in the band that dont think its a sport go back an look.

 

 

I have no arguement with anyone, im just telling why i believe it is a sport. Which it is!! lol