If you went to a Texas high school, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. They would take the field during half time at the varsity football games, their sequins seemed to glow in the stadium lights, their smiles painted on like china dolls. I was lucky enough to have been a drill team girl for all four years in high school, even getting the privilege to become an officer my senior year. Like every organization, club, or sport there are some things about drill team that any ex-drill team girl can relate too. No matter what school you attended, or how big or small your team was, or even who your director was, we can all relate to the good, the bad, and even sometimes, the ugly. Drill team isn't just two hours of practice five days a week, countless bruises, 15 new pairs of jazz shoes, cheering on the football team or constantly finding glitter in the strangest of places. It's spending hours with your best friends making memories for a lifetime, getting to perform under stage lights, on gym floors and astroturf, and gaining discipline and life skills that you will use forever.
1. If you're not 30 minutes early, you're late.
This is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. No matter what I'm going to, or where I'm going I can't be late. I will always be ten minutes early. (30 is a little much for a regular day.)
2.All things sparkly are good.
I still love and am attracted to ANYTHING with even a hint of glitter.. all thanks to my formative years spent on drill team. Glitter eye shadow? Glitter shoes? Glitter folders? Yes, just yes.
3. Don't forget anything. Ever.
The fear of forgetting a bow, or body tight is one that will stop you dead in your tracks. Not even your mom can save you from the wrath of your director.
4. There is nothing uglier than bruised knees and shins (but secretly you are so proud of them.)
The bruises always seemed to show up right around homecoming time, which is annoying but also gave you the perfect opportunity to show off all your hard work.
5. Finally mastering a new skill after countless hours of practice.
Speaking about hard work, learning a new trick or skill is daunting. There is no better feeling than walking into practice the day after you've mastered something new.
6.Hearing a song you danced to in a store or mall and remembering the dance to it.
I can be in a Macy's, or even at Target, and hear a song and suddenly the moves will just come back to me like it was yesterday.
7. Standing in line somewhere and randomly clogging or tap dancing.
I'm guilty of this at work. I'll be standing at the end of my register on a slow day and find my feet clogging away. It's just so fun and easy.
8. Hearing a song on the radio or in the car and making up a dance to it. Always.
Especially if I'm in the car with my mom or sister. It's like a telepathic thing.
9. The phrase "Did you try using a hot glue gun?"
We hot glue EVERYTHING on drill team. Missing sequin? hot glue it. Ripped jazz shoe? hot glue it. Boy problems? Hot glue it.
10. Learning to work with different kinds of people.
Lets face it, as much as you love your teammates there is always that one girl that just gets under your skin. I say, that if you can learn to dance with her for all four years then you can work with anybody.
11. The adorable, the not so bad, the ugly and always sequined costumes.
There are certain costumes that will go down in history as either being ridiculously cute or completely unflattering but no matter what, you "love" them all. *sigh*.
12. How to properly use fake eyelashes.
In today's society, the fake eyelash has become a fashion staple and luckily for you, you are a champ at gluing them on. Watch out world, I know what I'm doing.
13. Fearing the phrase "Hook up."
You don't know real trouble until your director tells you to "hook up." If she has told you to do this then it is too late to fix whatever you have done. Take your kicks like a man, and hopefully no one recovers early.
14. All the T-shirts you end up with
Literally, so many shirts. There is four years of shirts hidden away in one of the upstairs closets in my parents house just begging to be turned into a t-shirt quilt.
15. Every year wishing you could go back and do it all again.
No matter how old you are, or how long ago you were on drill team, just one look at those old uniforms and the smiling faces wearing them will send you back to the good old days. If you're on drill team now, cherish your time with your team...it all goes so fast.
#onceabellealwaysabelle
