Denise Schroeder
BHS Color Guard Coordinator
Room Number: Brahmadora Room
Email: dschroeder@bellvillebrahmas.org
Meeting dates, times, and location still need to be confirmed with Mrs. Schroeder.
The BHS Color Guard combines dance, movement, and equipment work to add visual impact to band performances. Members develop precision, coordination, creativity, and teamwork while performing at football games, marching contests, pep rallies, and other events.
- Football games and halftime shows
- Marching contests and competition results
- Pep rallies, parades, and community appearances
- New routines, choreography, and show themes
- Practices and behind-the-scenes preparation
- Auditions and new-member selections
- Captains and student leadership
- Awards and member accomplishments
- Senior recognition and final performances
- Important team milestones and memorable moments
Covering the Bellville Color Guard Beat
Start Here
- Introduce yourself to Mrs. Schroeder and explain that you are covering Color Guard for the BVP Newsroom.
- Ask when and where the team practices.
- Ask how she prefers to be contacted and how far in advance coverage should be arranged.
- Request the schedule of practices, football performances, marching contests, pep rallies, parades, and other appearances.
- Ask for the names, grade levels, and positions of captains and other student leaders.
- Ask how members are selected and when auditions or tryouts occur.
- Ask which upcoming performances or contests require especially significant preparation.
- Ask whether any practices, routines, uniforms, or contest material should not be photographed before being publicly presented.
- Check regularly with Mrs. Schroeder and student leaders for updates and possible stories.
- Submit possible stories as pitches before beginning full coverage unless your teacher tells you otherwise.
Your Responsibilities
- Check for Color Guard updates at least once each news cycle.
- Maintain contact with Mrs. Schroeder and the team’s student leaders.
- Track practices, performances, marching contests, pep rallies, parades, and important dates.
- Look beyond the finished performance to the preparation, repetition, teamwork, and problem-solving behind it.
- Watch for new routines, difficult skills, leadership roles, new members, awards, senior recognition, and important milestones.
- Pitch promising stories to the newsroom.
- Arrange interviews, photography, and video coverage in advance.
- Confirm names, positions, dates, contest results, awards, and advancement before publication.
- Follow up after performances and contests for official results, photographs, reactions, and information about what comes next.
Important
The performance is the finished product—not necessarily the whole story. A few minutes on the field may represent hours of practice, corrections, repetition, and teamwork. Look for the challenges, decisions, and student experiences that made the performance possible.
Flags and other equipment require considerable space and can cause injury or damage when in motion. Stay outside the practice area unless invited in, follow the instructor’s directions, and never touch or move equipment without permission. Confirm contest results and advancement with Mrs. Schroeder before publication.
Reporting Your Bellville Color Guard Stories
Possible Story Ideas
- Color Guard prepares a new routine or halftime performance
- Members begin learning choreography for the marching show
- The team performs at a football game, pep rally, parade, or community event
- Color Guard prepares for a marching contest
- The team earns an award or advances in competition
- Auditions or new-member selections are announced
- Captains or student leaders are selected
- A member masters a difficult toss, movement, or routine
- The team introduces new flags, uniforms, props, or equipment
- Members overcome a major challenge during rehearsals
- A senior participates in a final performance
- The team reaches an important milestone
- A student receives an individual award or recognition
- Color Guard and the band prepare for an important performance
- Members participate in a clinic, camp, or workshop
- The team performs a routine Bellville has not presented before
Signs There May Be A Story
Pay attention when:
- A performance, contest, audition, parade, or deadline is approaching
- Members begin learning a new routine
- The team practices a difficult toss, transition, or formation
- A routine changes after rehearsals begin
- Students are working under pressure to prepare for a performance
- A new member performs for the first time
- A student takes on a leadership role
- The team introduces new flags, uniforms, music, or props
- Color Guard begins working closely with the band on a new show
- A performance receives a strong audience response
- The team earns an award, rating, placement, or advancement
- A member returns from an event with recognition or a meaningful experience
- An injury, weather problem, schedule change, or equipment issue affects preparation
- Members overcome a setback before a performance
- A senior prepares for a final performance
Questions to Ask: The 5 W's and 1 H
You will not necessarily ask every question below. Select the questions that fit your story and ask follow-up questions whenever an answer is unclear or incomplete.
Who was involved?
- Which Color Guard members participated?
- Who led or choreographed the routine?
- Which captains or student leaders helped prepare the team?
- Were band members, directors, instructors, or outside choreographers involved?
- Which students performed for the first time?
- Who confirmed the contest results or awards?
What happened?
- What performance, routine, contest, rehearsal, or event was involved?
- What was the theme or purpose of the performance?
- What equipment did members use?
- What skills or movements were especially difficult?
- What problem or setback did the team encounter?
- What changed during rehearsals?
- What did the team accomplish?
- What happens next?
When did it happen?
- When did the team begin preparing?
- When was the rehearsal, performance, audition, or contest?
- How long did members practice the routine?
- What upcoming deadlines or performance dates should students know?
- When were results officially announced?
- When will the team perform or compete again?
Where did it happen?
- Where does Color Guard practice?
- Where was the performance or contest held?
- Where will the next appearance take place?
- Where can students attend auditions or receive information?
- Where can students see official schedules or updates?
Why does it matter?
- Why was this routine or theme selected?
- Why was the performance important to the team?
- Why was a change made to the choreography?
- Why was the skill or routine difficult to master?
- What did members learn from the experience?
- Why should students attend or support the performance?
- What does the accomplishment mean to the team?
How did it happen?
- How was the routine created and taught?
- How were positions and responsibilities assigned?
- How did members prepare for the performance?
- How did Color Guard coordinate its movements with the band?
- How did the team correct mistakes or solve problems?
- How was the team evaluated or scored?
- How are new members selected?
- How can interested students become involved?
Questions for Color Guard Members
- What is your role on the team?
- What part of the routine was most difficult?
- How did you learn and practice it?
- What happens when a toss or formation does not work correctly?
- How do you stay synchronized with the other performers?
- How do you coordinate your movements with the music and band?
- What do you think about immediately before performing?
- What have you learned about discipline and teamwork?
- Which moment in the performance makes you most proud?
- What happens next for the team?
- How can other students become involved?
Questions for Captains and Student Leaders
- What leadership responsibilities do you have?
- How do you help teach or correct a routine?
- What was the greatest challenge during preparation?
- How do you help newer members improve?
- How do you keep the team focused before a performance?
- What changes were made during rehearsals?
- How will the team continue improving?
Questions for the Coordinator
- What was the goal of this performance or routine?
- How long did the team prepare?
- What skills were members expected to master?
- How was the routine selected or created?
- What safety rules apply during practices and performances?
- How does Color Guard coordinate with the band?
- Have the contest results been officially confirmed?
- What comes next for the team?
- Is there anything about the performance or results that people might misunderstand?
People You May Need to Interview
Depending on the story, consider interviewing:
- Color Guard coordinator Denise Schroeder
- Color Guard captains
- Other student leaders
- Members performing for the first time
- Students responsible for difficult or featured parts of the routine
- Seniors participating in their final season
- Band directors and student drum majors
- Choreographers, clinicians, or instructors
- Members who earned individual recognition
- Contest officials or event organizers, when available
- Students or community members attending the performance
Do not interview only Mrs. Schroeder or a captain. Include the students who learned, practiced, and performed the routine.
For team stories, include members with different roles and levels of experience.
What You Need to Collect
Before writing or producing the story, collect:
- Complete and correctly spelled names
- Each student’s grade level
- Each member’s official position or role
- The official name of the performance, show, contest, or event
- The date, time, and location
- The theme or purpose of the routine
- The music, flags, props, uniforms, or equipment involved
- An accurate description of what members performed
- Information about how long the team prepared
- Details about difficult skills, setbacks, and solutions
- Important changes made during rehearsals
- Official ratings, placements, awards, or advancement results
- The name of the person who confirmed the results
- What happens next
- At least one useful quote from a Color Guard member
- At least one useful quote from Mrs. Schroeder
- Quotes from captains or first-time performers when appropriate
- Photographs or video of rehearsals and performances
- Identification of everyone shown in photographs
- Relevant schedules, programs, flyers, or official announcements
- Confirmation that photography and video were permitted
Before You Leave
Ask yourself:
- Do I have the correct spelling of every name?
- Do I know each student’s grade level and team role?
- Do I have the exact name of the performance, show, or contest?
- Do I know exactly what happened?
- Do I understand how the team prepared?
- Can I explain what made the routine difficult?
- Did I look beyond the finished performance?
- Did I interview students who performed the routine?
- Have all ratings, placements, awards, and advancement results been confirmed?
- Do I have strong quotes—not merely “I’m excited”?
- Do I know what happens next?
- Do I have usable photographs or video?
- Did I identify everyone shown in my photographs?
- Did I receive permission before photographing practices or unreleased material?
- Did I remain outside the performance area while equipment was moving?
- Is there another member, captain, instructor, or band representative I should interview?