What Every Parent Should Know About Home Football Games

 2012

What Band Parents Should Know About Home Football Games
We are all looking forward to seeing the halftime show that our students have been working on so very hard! The halftime show will be the competition show that the band takes on the road as well.
Home games are considered performances, and all students in marching band are required to attend unless previously excused by Mr. S. Otherwise, if a student is ill, the parent must call Mr. S at 506-9278 before the time that the students are to arrive.
Your student should arrive at school dressed in the band show tee shirt, athletic shorts (no denim or cargo shorts). They should have black socks to wear. They need to bring their shoes with them.  Long hair should be pulled back in a ponytail or bun, but high ponytails or hair piled high on the head will cause the hat to sit wrong.
Students should arrive at school no later than 10:00, and preferably earlier.  All band members will need to get their uniforms on, get their instruments ready, tune, and be ready to warm up at the direction of Mr. S. The first marching event is always a bit chaotic, with uniforms needing last minute repairs, students needing help finding the correct hat, figuring out where their gloves or armbands are.
“The Pit” refers to the Front Ensemble, or non-marching percussion. Their very large instruments, and the drum major’s podium, need to be taken down to the field before the game begins. Parental assistance is needed for this.
“Troop” is the band’s entry into the stadium, and supervising parents will need to troop with the band. The band will play the pregame, including the National Anthem and the school song, and then exit the field to their bleachers. During the game, they will play spirit songs and cadences, and cheer! Cell phones/texting are strictly prohibited, and Mr. S. has instructed supervising band parents to confiscate all phones ringing or seen during the game.
Parents are needed to help the Pit on and off the field, and to set up/take down the drum major’s podium. After the half time show, the students are allowed a short break, and then will return to their bleachers to continue playing until the end of the game. The pit instruments are returned to the band room after the half time show, which means pushing them uphill!
Parents are needed to assist students with uniforms before and after the game. (Afterwards, students usually need help getting their pants on the hanger correctly. Pants that are incorrectly hung will wrinkle, and our students will lose points for appearance at the competitions.) We also ice coolers of water bottles to keep the band hydrated.
The band boosters have a tent at the game, at which we sell Spirit beads and sticks, face painting, and other spirit items. We are always looking for new items to sell, so if you have suggestions, let us know. We do a 50-50 raffle during each football game.
Please consider volunteering to assist at one or more of our home games! It’s a great way to support your student! Please don’t worry about not being sure what to do. We all just pitch in and do whatever is needed. The parents who came before us never left manual to tell us what to do, we have a good time doing whatever it takes….it’s a lot like parenting! Just come when your student comes, we’ll definitely find a job for you!


No comments:

Post a Comment