What to Expect on Game Days
This document is meant to
serve as a guideline of what usually happens with the high school marching band
on football game days. Please have him or her pay close attention to all
announcements given during class and practices, as the Band Directors and Color
Guard Director may change procedure at will.
School Day Dress on Game Days
Students will be instructed
by the Band Director to wear his or her WHS Band Polo Shirt (pep-rally shirt)
on game day. Shirts will be available for purchase before the beginning of
school. The show shirts should be kept with the uniform, clean and ready to be
worn on game day.
Uniform Delivery to School
WHS campus students should
deliver their complete uniform stored in their garment bag and hat box to the
WHS band hall before school. Uniforms and hat boxes do not fit in school
lockers. The garment bags are hung on rolling racks in the main area, and hat
boxes are to be placed against the face of the wall below the student’s band
locker. The best option for
Marching Uniform Requirements
Standard: Unless otherwise instructed by the Band Director,
the complete marching uniform must be worn for all marching performances. The
night before a performance, students should make sure that all removable items (such
as buttons) are re-applied to the uniform, and that all items are together and
ready for delivery. Students are to wear non-bulky shorts under the band
uniform pants at all times. These shorts must not show when the pants are worn
over them. The shirt worn under the
uniform jacket will be the current season show shirt with few exceptions. Please see the uniform wearing guide and
the cleaning instructions for additional important information..
Hot Weather Deviations: The Band Director may decide that members are not
required to wear gloves or jackets early in the season. This will be by
specific instruction only. However, do not assume that that these items can
stay at home. The Band Director reserves the right to call for these items at
any time, and they should therefore be available to be worn.
Cold Weather Suggestions: As the weather cools, the band uniform alone may not
be enough to keep your child warm. Even a warm fall day can cool off to chilly
temperatures during the game. Coats are not allowed over the uniform.
Additional layers of insulating garments may be worn under the uniform, but
must not be visible when the uniform is donned. Black is the best color for
these items. Roo blue or black lap blankets may be used by the band members
when seated in the stands. These are available for sale by the Band Fan Club
Spirit Items Committee.
Hair: Little or no hair should show beneath a band
member’s hat. This applies to both boys and girls. Long hair and heavy bangs
must be secured by any and all means necessary (braiding, pinning, headbands,
elastic bands, hairspray, etc.) to fit under the hat in a way that will last
through the event.
Hats: Hats should be kept protected in the hat box except
when worn for performances.
Plumes: Plumes are an additional decoration worn atop the
hat at the discretion of the Band Director. These are issued to the students by
parent volunteers at the time they are to be worn, and collected at the end of
the performance. Any plume accidentally taken away from an event should be
returned as soon as possible to the Band Director or Assistant Director.
Sashes: Sashes are also worn at the discretion of the Band
Director. They are handed out before games by the section leaders and are
collected before final dismissal. Any
sash accidentally taken home should be immediately returned.
Shoes: The required shoes for the uniform are to be
purchased by the band member and become his or her property. These will be for
sale by parent volunteers in the WHS band hall before the school begins. Shoes
are to be kept clean and free of scuffs or ragged laces. When worn, they must
fit snugly and be tied tightly. Losing a shoe during a performance embarrasses
your entire band at best and can cause injury to other marchers at worst. Shoes
can be brought to school on game day in the bottom of the uniform garment bag.
Socks: Black socks above the ankle are the ONLY socks worn
with the uniform. No exceptions. They should have sufficient elastic to stay up
under marching conditions. Band members should own several pairs and keep one
clean pair in their hat box at all times.
Gloves: Special issue black gloves are required and will be
available for sale by parent volunteers in the band hall during marching
season. These have a non-slip surface on the palm side. Some members, whose instruments require precise
fingering, will be instructed by their section or squad leader as to how to cut
off the finger tips of their gloves. Gloves should also be kept in the hat box
at all times, and owning at least two pairs will prevent panic situations.
Color Guard Uniform Requirements
Color Guard members have two
uniforms: a Roo blue uniform (checked
out on a yearly basis) and a show uniform (students buy each year). The Roo blue uniform is worn at the beginning
of the year before the show uniforms arrive and at functions where school
colors would be more appropriate (i.e. Homecoming, parades, etc.). The show uniform is chosen to complement the season’s
music selection and is worn for marching performances. The Color Guard Director will specify which
uniform to wear.
Roo Blue Uniform: This uniform should fit snugly while allowing freedom of movement. Pants
should not
drag the ground and long sleeves should come just past
the wrist. Students must wear above-the-ankle
black socks and black dance shoes. Everyone must wear
a black tank top underneath the uniform; during
cold weather a snug fitting black long sleeved shirt
may be worn under the top. Black gloves and black
ear-muffs may also be worn in cold weather.
Girls’
Roo Blue Makeup: blue or gray eye
shadow; mascara; blush; medium to dark red lipstick (the Color Guard Director
must approve the shade.)
Roo
Blue Hair: Long hair should be
secured in a ponytail. The Color Guard Director will determine other styles and
adornments for hair that cannot be put in a ponytail. A blue or black
ribbon/scrunchi/headband may be worn by girls. Bangs are acceptable, but any
hair that falls into the eyes must be pinned back.
Shades of Autumn Uniform
(2008): This uniform should follow
the same fit guidelines as above. The same black socks and dance shoes shall be
worn.
Girls’
Excalibur Makeup: silver eye shadow;
black eyeliner; mascara; blush; "wine" shade of lipstick (the Color Guard Director must approve the
shade.)
Girls’
Shades of Autumn Hair: hair should be
parted on the left and pulled back into a "messy" ballerina bun. Hairspray and hairpins should be used as
needed to ensure that the hair is pulled back smoothly and remains in
place. Bangs that fall into the eyes
need to be pinned back. Hair gel or
mousse should be used to help with creating the "messy" bun. With the Color Guard Director’s permission,
girls with hair that is too short to be pulled into a bun will wear a silver or
black headband to keep hair out of their faces when they perform.
Pep Rallies
The band plays at all WHS
football pep rallies on Friday mornings. The blue band polo shirt and jeans are
the standard attire. Ninth grade campus members will not participate.
Game Tickets
For information on ticket
purchase for both home and away games go to www.weatherfordisd.com/athletics
Band members are not required
to have tickets. Concession volunteers do not need to purchase tickets to be
admitted to the Roo Stadium. All other game attendees, even those performing
other volunteer duties will need to purchase a ticket to be admitted unless
they have been otherwise informed by their lead volunteer.
Call Times
What is a call time? A call time is the time the Band Director expects
the band to be fully ready to perform. A
call time is NOT an arrival time. The student must be properly dressed
(including hair style) and ready to be inspected and to play at the designated
time, with all of their equipment and personal items in order and properly
stowed. Please allow plenty of time between your child’s arrival and this call
time for him or her to make ready. The location of the call is usually, but not
always, the WHS band hall. Please have your child pay close attention to
announcements of call time, location, and what time the facility will be
unlocked and open for arrival. Consequences for not being ready at call time
are significant, and are further spelled out in the Band Director’s Handbook.
Generalizations: Call times are several hours ahead of performance
time to allow for practice and transportation to the event. On school days,
this means that your child will have little or no time to go home between
school dismissal and call time. Occasionally, an away game will be distant
enough that the call time will overlap with school time. In those cases, the
Band Director will work with other school officials to excuse students from
their regular class(es) and arrange for transportation of students from the
Ninth Grade Center Campus.
Eating on Game Day
Supper: On game day, your child is working his or her band
duty at the time he or she might normally eat supper. A major function of the
Band Fan Club and its parent volunteers during marching season is to feed the
band an early supper on game days. The meal fee each student pays to the Band
Fan Club covers one meal for every game and contest for the season. These meals
are of average size and, when possible, are obtained at a discount from local
restaurants. The menu will be set and a drink is included. If your child cannot
or will not eat the announced meal, or if he or she requires additional food,
it is the responsibility of the student and/or the parent to ensure that the
student has supplemental food. Since band members are not allowed to eat in
uniform, they must do so before call time. These meals are served out of doors
because all food and open drink (except secured water) are prohibited in the
band hall.
Distant Away Games: When the band performs at distant locations (such as
In the Stadium: Students may not consume food or drinks in the stands.
The Band Fan Club, through parent volunteers, distributes up to two bottles of
water and one canned soda or lemonade free to each student at designated times
while in the stadium. Each student is offered one bottle of water in the stands
near the beginning of the game, and one can of soda or lemonade during their
third period break after marching at half time. Students may choose bottled
water instead of the canned drink. The remaining bottles of water are available
to the band members upon request. These drinks are obtained through business
and personal donations to the Band Fan Club and are accepted in the band hall
(when open outside of class time) throughout the marching season. Drinks cannot be designated for a particular
student.
Instrument/Equipment Loading
Students who play small
instruments such as flutes and clarinets hold their instruments (in their
cases) on their laps while travelling to the game site. Larger instruments are
loaded onto the band truck or trailer. Freshmen boys serve as the loading and
unloading crew in addition to their other band duties. They are directed by the
Loading Crew Squad Leader, who is usually an upper classman.
Boarding
the Busses
The band travels as a unit to
and from all events, either by yellow school bus (as contracted by the school
district) or by chartered bus service to distant locations. Students are not
allowed to travel individually by personal or parent vehicle. When the time
comes to depart, the Drum Majors or Band Director will dismiss the band to
board the busses. Students are dismissed by seniority and are assigned to a
particular bus, usually by section.
What Students Can and Cannot Take to the Stadium
In the Stadium: The Band Director will have specific instructions
for each game. Band members should expect to be limited in the stadium to small
and necessary items that will fit in their hat boxes, such as extra reeds or
valve oil and their cell phones. Entertainment devices such as electronic games
or iPods are not allowed. Students who carried their instruments on the busses
will leave their instrument cases there.
Storage of Other Belongings: During the game, the majority of each student’s
belongings will remain in the band hall at WHS. This includes school clothes,
back packs, lunch boxes, etc. When students return from the game, access to
regular school lockers and athletic lockers will not be available. Students
should plan accordingly, so that all items required over the weekend are with
them when they end the school day. If
the student plays an instrument that requires a large band locker, he or she
will be able to secure belongings in that space. If the student has a small
band locker, or no band locker, then belongings should be stowed neatly against
the wall in front of the lockers. The band hall is locked when not occupied.
PLEASE encourage your student to keep his or her items together and to remove
all of them at the end of the night. The pile of unclaimed items in the band
hall can grow rapidly and can smell terribly in just one day. It takes
everyone’s effort to keep the band hall tidy.
Procession into the Stadium
At home games, the band is
let off at the front of the Ninth Grade Center and marches in formation by
section to the east end of Roo Stadium. Members carry their instruments out of their
cases, along with their hatbox (and their garment bag if told to do so). The
band stops along the way where the truck and trailer are parked so that brass,
guard, and percussion players can get their instruments, which have been
off-loaded by the freshmen boys. The band marches behind the Blue Belles during
this procession. The procedure is the
same at away games, with only the drop off point and stadium entry point
varying.
During the Game
The band remains together at
all times during the game, either in the stands, in preparation for
performance, on the field, or in the designated break area. At Roo Stadium, the
band sits at the east end of the home (north) side. For particularly crowded
games, such as Aledo and Homecoming, they may be moved to track level in the
northeast corner of the stadium. A football game is a working event. Band
members are not allowed to chat with visitors or use their cell phones to talk
or text.
Performance: About half way through the 2nd period of
the game, the Band Director will instruct the band to leave the stands, obtain
a plume when necessary, and line up in preparation for the marching
performance. Parent volunteers will help move large percussion equipment (the
pit) and ladders for the drum majors first into staging position, and later
onto the field at the beginning of the performance, and finally off the field
after the performance.
Third Period Break: After all performances and half-time ceremonies are
complete, the band will be dismissed (by seniority again) to a designated area
to relax for a few minutes and have a drink. Students may remove their hat and
carefully lay aside their instrument during this time. This is also the time
that band members will be excused to briefly use the restroom. Once called back
to the stands, the band will remain in the stands playing until the end of the
game. When the band leaves the stadium, members march in formation back to the
busses, stowing the larger instruments at the truck and trailer.
Returning to WHS
Busses carrying the band
generally arrive back at the WHS parking lot around
Bus Releases/ Clean Up
Once all busses have returned
to the WHS parking lot, students will be released to the band hall by seniority.
They are not yet dismissed to go home at this time. Freshmen boys will be
released to unload the truck and trailer. Freshmen girls serve as the clean up
crew for the busses as they offload. They may also be requested to tidy the
band hall.
Parent Pick-Up
The Band Director and Drum
Majors will hold a short debriefing meeting in the band hall prior to
dismissing the students to finally go home. Parents are asked to wait outside
the band hall or in the parking lot for the student to exit the building.
Parking: Parents and
other persons arriving at the WHS parking lot to pick up students must park in
a parking space. Parking at the curb will put your car in the way of the
band truck, trailer and the busses.
Post-Dismissal Traditions
At this late hour, band
members are tired and hungry, but also still very excited. In years past,
Cici’s Pizza has agreed to stay open for the band past normal business hours after
home games only. Band members can enjoy the buffet at regular cost ($6.00
in 2008) with the Band Fan Club receiving a small portion of the proceeds.
Parents are welcome as well. This is a great opportunity for the kids to unwind
together.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Band Fan Club appreciates
all those who help feed the kids, work on the pit and ladder crews, drive the
truck, pull the trailer, alter the uniforms, and so much more. Please visit the
volunteer section of the website to learn how you can take part in helping the
band.