My Best

I've had many times in my life where I have succeeded. Many of those came from participating in my high school color guard. I was the captain both my junior and senior years, but my best moment didn't come until our very last performance.

We got color guard at my school my sophomore year. It started out with just six of us, and our band only traveled to parade competitions. The next year when I was named captain, we were up to twelve girls, a new coach, and the band actually did real field shows and traveled to competitions. We were successful after winning best guard at Urbandale Marching Invitational in the fall and earning 3rd at the winter guard competition. All of this was great, but never matched up to senior year.

The captain position was never easy, but I loved every minute of it. I loved being able to serve the other girls on the "team". We made it through the fall competitions, not quite as successful, but still better than would be expected of a guard in their third year of competition. We started off our winter competition a little rough. One girl was taken off the team, and I was sick for our 8 hour rehearsal where they learned a big chunk of the show. It led to the morale of the team being a little lower, so I had to ensure the girls kept their heads up and stayed dedicated.

Things finally started to fall together. Two weeks before the competition, we didn't think we would be near ready, but the week of we busted out some tough rehearsals and pulled it together. The morning of competition, we headed to Des Moines in high spirits, ready to take what was ours. We knew that morning we were as prepared as we would ever be. The performance we gave that morning was the best it had ever been. As we walked off the floor in Vets Auditorium, we all broke down crying because we were just so proud of what we had accomplished. At that moment, it didn't matter what place or trophy we would take home that night, all that mattered was that we were a family and did our best. I've never been so proud to be a part of a group. And though we took third home that night, we knew we gave a first place performance.

To me, places and the size of a trophy isn't what matters. It's doing your best and working hard to come together as a family. The color guard did that the night of state, and no third place finish will take the first place feeling we had walking off that floor.