Toss, spin, repeat. The Cary-Grove Color Guard team has once again performed at the school’s home football game. While on the field they may appear uniform and focused, off the field can be a much different story.

Vera Morici, a current senior at Cary-Grove and captain of the team, remembers a time many students find themselves in at one point or another during their high school career. Being shy or awkward is common, and Morici was no exception.  

She particularly recalls the struggle of being shy during her freshman year. After joining Color Guard, however, she was able to come out of her shell and find solace among the other members.

“There’s a place for everyone,” Morici said. “Fun is more important than performance.” The stress-free environment allows a relief from everyday school life; a pause from the neverending loop of homework, studying, and friends.

The tight-knit group creates traditions such as skipping arm-in-arm across the track before performing and ‘pump it up’ circles to show support for fellow team members. Alex Kasch, a senior and third-year member, has found a family away from family.

“It’s more than a sport, it’s a friendship opportunity. We’re all family,” Kasch said. She, like other teammates, has discovered a place to make friends she can count on. And as friends, the team is involved in much more than guard itself. They get together outside of school and practice to party, go on trips to the mall, and travel to pumpkin patches.

Shannon McGarry, a sophomore and squad leader of the Color Guard team, details the process of creating regimens. Along with the captain and co-captain, she writes the routines for the Homecoming pep rally and football games.

“It’s all about finding balance between being a friend and being a leader, or writing a routine that can be fun but also challenging,” McGarry said.

This allows for more experienced and seasoned members who have done color guard outside of school to continue challenging themselves, as well as introduce basic moves to those new to the sport. And, as with everything else in life, there are challenges to overcome.

“We’re all human. We all make mistakes, but we continue to work hard,” McGarry said. “But there will always be a place for everyone.”