There has always been a nagging question that continually finds its way into my mind and in some respects the minds of those who’ve taken the time out to be on the fields in the sun, rain, snow and sleet.
Is marching band a sport?
kAm(96? A@D:?8 E9:D BF6DE:@? E@ q6?;2>:? #FDD6== >:55=6 D49@@= 5:C64E@C 2?5 >2C49:?8 32?5 :?DECF4E@C vC68 r@88:?[ 96 28C66D E92E >2C49:?8 32?5 :D 2 DA@CE] qFE @?=J :? D@>6 H2JD 4@>A2C65 E@ 2 EC25:E:@?2= DA@CE =:<6 7@@E32==[ 32D<6E32==[ 32D632== 2?5 @E96CD]k^Am
kAm~? E96 @?6 92?5[ :E 4@F=5 72== F?56C E96 42E68@CJ @7 ?@ 3FE 5F6 E@ D:>:=2C:E:6D :E D92C6D H:E9 8J>?2DE:4D[ :E 4@F=5 36 2 J6D]k^Am
kAm“|2C49:?8 32?5 42? 23D@=FE6=J 36 2 DA@CE :? E96 C:89E D46?2C:@[” r@88:? D2:5] “x? E96 >2C49:?8 32?5 H@C=5[ H6 92G6 D6G6C2= 5:776C6?E G2C:6E:6D @7 8C@FAD] (6 92G6 8C@FAD E92E 2C6 >@C6 7@4FD65 @? E96 6?E6CE2:?>6?E D:56] *@F’C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE J@FC wqr& 32?5D[ 5:G:D:@?\x 32?5D[ $tr 32?5D[ q:8\%6? 32?5D[ E96:C >2:? 8@2= :D E@ 6?E6CE2:? 2 4C@H5]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D AC6EEJ >F49 E96:C 6?E:C6 7F?4E:@? :D E@ 6?E6CE2:? 2 4C@H5 2?5 AC@G:56 2? 2E>@DA96C6 7@C 2 7@@E32== 82>6[” 96 4@?E:?F65] p?5 E96? J@F 92G6 2 E@E2==J 5:776C6?E <:?5 @7 32?5 – 2 >@C6 4@>A6E:E:G6 DEJ=6 @7 2 32?5 H9:49 :D 2 =@E >@C6 7@4FD65 @? E96 2CE:DECJ[ >FD:42=:EJ 2?5 E96 G:DF2= 2DA64ED 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 6=D6 E92E 8@6D :?E@ A6C7@C>:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A6E:E:G6 DEJ=6 @7 E96 32?5 4@F=5 72== F?56C E96 42E68@CJ @7 36:?8 2E qC@25H2J >FD:42=D :? 2 H2J E@ r@88:?] uC@> E96 49@C6@8C2A9J E@ E96 52?46 2DA64E 2?5 6G6? AC@AD E92E E6== 2 DE@CJ E96 D:>:=2C:E:6D E@ 6G6CJ52J DA@CED 5@?’E 6?5 E96C6 7@C E96 32?5]k^Am
kAmr@88:? D2JD E92E :E’D 2== @7 E9@D6 6=6>6?ED E92E 42? 4@>3:?6 E@ AC@5F46 2 5:776C6?E 6IA6C:6?46 @? E96 7:6=5]k^Am
kAm“pE q6?;2>:? #FDD6==[ H6 E6?5 E@ <:?52 >66E E9@D6 EH@ E9:?8D :? E96 >:55=6[” r@88:? D2:5] “(6 E9:?< :E’D G6CJ :>A@CE2?E E@ 36 23=6 E@ 6?E6CE2:? @FC 4C@H5 @? 2 uC:52J ?:89E] (6 E9:?< :E’D G6CJ :>A@CE2?E E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4C62E6 E92E 9@>6 7:6=5 25G2?E286 2?5 E92E 4C2KJ =@F5 2E>@DA96C6 :?D:56 @FC DE25:F> 2?5 H6 2=H2JD H2?E E@ AFD9 @FC DEF56?ED E@ 36 36EE6C 2CE:DED 2?5 36EE6C >FD:4:2?D 2?5 AFD9 E9@D6 D<:==D 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm“xD :E 4@>A6E:E:G6n p3D@=FE6=J] xD :E 6?E6CE2:?:?8n p3D@=FE6=J[” 96 4@?E:?F65] “xD :E 2 DA@CEn (6==[ J@F 42? E2=< 23@FE E96 EH@ @C E9C66 E9:?8D E92E >2<6 2 DA@CE[ 2 DA@CE]”k^Am
kAmx7 J@F E9:?< @7 2 DA@CE[ E96C6 2C6 2 76H E9:?8D @? E96 @FED:56 E92E >2<6D 2 DA@CE] ~? E96 7:6=5 @7 4@>A6E:E:@?[ :E’D 2=H2JD E62>H@C< E92E =625D E96 H2J] }@ CF??:?8 324< :D 2?JE9:?8 H:E9@FE 9:D @776?D:G6 =:?6 2?5 2 A:E496C 42?’E 42E49 6G6CJE9:?8 @? 9:D @H?]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 42? 36 D2:5 @7 2 32?5 6DA64:2==J @? E96 E62>H@C< D:56]k^Am
kAm“q2?5[ ;FDE =:<6 2?JE9:?8 6=D6 :D 6IEC6>6=J C6=:2?E @? E96 A6@A=6 2C@F?5 J@F[” r@88:? D2:5] “}@E @?=J 5@ J@F 92G6 E@ =:DE6? E@ >2E49 J@FC D@F?5[ >2E49 J@FC A:E49[ >2E49 J@FC G@=F>6[ H:E9 E96 A6@A=6 ?6IE E@ J@F 2?5 92G6 E@ =@@< =67E 2?5 C:89E E@ >2<6 DFC6 J@F’C6 ?@E E96 @55 8FJ @FE @7 7@C>2E:@?] xE’D 23D@=FE6=J C6=:2?E @? J@F 36:?8 23=6 E@ ?@E @?=J 5@ J@FC A2CE 3FE C6=J @? E96 A6@A=6 2C@F?5 J@F E@ 92?5=6 E96:C A2CE 2D H6==] xE’D 23D@=FE6=J 2 E62>\32D65 24E:G:EJ]k^Am
kAm“}@E @?=J 5@6D 32?5 C6=J @? 2 E62> :E’D 2=D@ G6CJ 4@>A6E:E:G6 2D H6==[” 96 4@?E:?F65] “(96? H6 8@ E@ 4@>A6E:E:@?D H6 2C6 D4@C65 2?5 C2?<65 32D65 @? 9@>6\7:6=5 D6G6C2= 5:776C6?E 2DA64ED @7 @FC A6C7@C>2?46D :?4=F5:?8 9@H H6== H6’C6 F?:7@C>65 H:E9 6249 @E96C] w@H H6== H6 A=2J :? EF?6 E@86E96C[ 9@H H6== H6 >2C49 :? E:>6 E@86E96C 2?5 2== E96 2DA64ED 2?5 7F?52>6?E2=D E92E H6 E6249 @FC <:5D] yFDE =:<6 2 DA@CED E62>]”k^Am
