BY ASHA HARRIS Junior
BLYTHEWOOD -- Blythewood High School’s drill team begun practice in August to prepare for National High School Drill Team Competition in May 2016, Daytona Florida.
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Sergeant Frank Bell, ROTC teacher at Blythewood, Chooses two students every year to lead the drill team to nationals and through competition.
“With drill team coming up I decided that Senior Nykia Free and Junior Daven Wilson will lead the drill team” said Sergeant Frank Bell.
Sergeant Bell said he believes the team can work on a few things.
“I feel the team needs to work on their timing and precision is their main skill they need to work on, With all the kids signing up this year the students really need to work on those thing” said Sergeant Bell.
Then he gave is personal opinion on how well he feels the students work at this point preparing.
“They work extremely hard, they are dedicated, they come to practice for two hours a day four days a week.” Said Sergeant Bell
When asked if there was anything else he wanted to say about drill team as a whole he had more to say.
“ The Drill team and ROTC do not get the well deserved exposure, they are one of the most consistent programs at this school,” said Sergeant Bell.
Then it was over to Student Leaders of the Drill team Junior Daven Wilson and Senior Nykia Free.
There are many responsibilities that come with leading a drill team to nationals.
“When your leading drill team or when your commanding an event you are responsible for everyone. So, if anyone else fails you basically fail, you have to make sure everyone is doing everything right,” said Wilson.
“Discipline. It's hard to have over 30 people your age listen to you. You have to have a certain factor of respect and understanding to lead such a large group of teenagers. My responsibilities are like any other team captain or commander; it is my duty or job to ensure that Drill Team is functioning at it’s highest ability,” said Free.
They were then asked what they feel their team needs to improve on preparing for nationals.
“Respect for one another and focus. Nationals is only a couple of short months away and I need for drill team to become as focused as possible in order to prepare and be ready for nationals. There are always problems on a team but I need Drill Team members to overcome any petty problems they have with each other for the sake of the team,” said Free.
“Discipline and motivation, the more disciplined and motivated you are the better you will be when it comes to marching,” said Wilson.
As for motivating speeches to keep the team going heading into this rigorous competition Wilson, Free, and Blythewood Principle Dr. Brenda Hafner has a few things to say.
“The drill team is so good and strong and i just feel they need to channel that knowledge of their strength. I feel our drill team is one of the best teams in this district and they honestly just need to channel their strength,” said Dr. Hafner.
“The beauty and the overall feeling of success with winning a 4 foot tall trophy and the amount of respect and credibility that not only our school but our Bengal Battalion JROTC program will get if we prove ourselves worthy of performing with the best of the best,” said Free.
“ I tell the team that local drill meets are just practice, and then well go to league and that will be a little bit bigger, then state will be a little bit bigger, and we are gradually working our way up till we get to Daytona which is the biggest,” said Wilson.
In many ways drill team equates to the real world for different people and these leaders were asked how it equates to the real world in their eyes.
“ Drill team is working together to achieve one goal, and in the real world we all have to work together in whatever profession we have we need to work together to achieve one goal,” said Wilson.
“Drill Team is a variation of real life because we perform using the same rules that real life can require. We always put our best foot forward and our best members on the pad. Life isn't always fair and you could be the most hard working person but if you don't produce results you won't be included in the final product,” said Free.
There are many teams that compete in these drill team competitions but, Wilson and Free had their opinions on who they look forward to competing against.
“In the Local meet I am looking forward to competing against Airport and in Daytona Forestville,” said Wilson.
“Well locally we don't necessarily have any real competition and I look forward to defeating any school that competes against us but the only school that will be hard to defeat is Airport but I believe we have a chance of proving ourselves the best this year,” said Free.
Lastly here are some things these students feel the reader needs to know about Drill team.
“Drill team is a family, we laugh together we cry together we work hard together,” said Wilson.
“It is way more fun than it looks,” said Free.
