‘Live, laugh, lightning.’ To the average person, that phrase means nothing, but if you are a member of the FHC Color Guard, you know exactly what it is referring to. 

Junior Megan Wilson, captain of the Color Guard, explains that it is a program that works incredibly hard to put together performances for each football game halftime show. While being able to do tricks with their flags is a highlight of being on the Color Guard, the core reason each member loves it is because of the special bonds and hilarious inside jokes they collectively share, such as ‘live, laugh, lightning.’

“One of the girls [on the team] has a boat,” Megan said, “and our plan was to go out boating for some team bonding, but the forecast was predicting rain and lightning. We, of course, decided to risk it and go anyway. So one of the things we said as a joke was ‘live, laugh, lighting,’ and it’s kind of funny because, as Color Guard, we are basically holding metal poles, inviting lightning to hit us.”

Originally, Megan joined Color Guard her freshman year because one of her close friends who was on the team when Megan was in middle school convinced her to try it out. 

However, besides the promise of having amazing friends, Megan also was intrigued by the Color Guard after watching their halftime performances leading up to her first year of high school. 

“[When I used to watch the halftime show], I always noticed that the Guard really added a lot of visuals to the halftime show,” Megan said. “I just loved that it seemed to be something people enjoyed watching and were really attracted to, but as for the Guard itself, nothing compares to the sister-like bond we all share, and that’s truly the highlight of joining.”

One of Megan’s teammates, freshman Kayla Quach, completely agrees with Megan that the love and compassion they all feel for each other as a team is what makes being a part of the Color Guard so special, but as a freshman, Kayla has a bit of a different perspective. 

Going into high school is a scary thing, so Kayla decided to try Color Guard as a way to get to know people, and luckily, it worked out in her favor. 

“I’ve been trying out a couple of new things going into high school,” Kayla said, “and I thought this would be a great opportunity for something new I could try. Being on Color Guard has given me the opportunity to make new friends, as well as learning from the upperclassman what high school is all about.”

The upperclassmen have taken it upon themselves to help out their younger teammates both in school and on the field. One way they do this is through the constant practices they all have together, where they learn new skills and performances they will all be proud to perform. 

Everyone experiences different thoughts as they are performing, but for Kayla, the one thing she is trying to focus on this year is having a good time with the halftime show, rather than worrying over every minor detail. 

“[When I am performing], I don’t worry about perfection as much,” Kayla said. “I just try and have a good time, and I think that was something I really wanted to accomplish this year, considering [that] in previous sports, I struggled with actually enjoying them.”

Another thing Kayla wants to do during her performance is display the happiness she feels on the inside to the crowd. Fellow freshman, Ava Malinowski, could not agree with her more. 

Not many sports include having a big smile on the list of requirements to play; however, if you’re in a sport that performs, such as the Color Guard, being able to smile wide is definitely crucial. 

“[When I am performing], all I can think about is reminding myself to smile,” Ava said. “[In] almost every song we perform, it’s so important that you always project your happiness on the crowd so that they can feel what your performance is all about.”

Whether the members of the Color Guard are focused on showing off their passion for the sport at the crowd or simply smiling at their fellow team members about whatever new inside joke formed that day, there is no doubt that they work incredibly hard. 

The team wants the Color Guard to be known for the beautiful community, friendships, and performances they pour their hearts into in order to create. Hopefully, by sharing more about what being on Color Guard really means, Ava and the rest of their teammates hope it will bring more positive attention to them. 

“One of my hopes is that someday the Color Guard will be more recognized for all that we are and all that we do,” Ava said. “I would love it if it was a less rare occurrence to see girls joining the Color Guard because if people knew what it was really like, they would better understand how much fun it actually is.”