On Feb. 10, Winterguard had its first competition. Their show, Undefined, symbolizes the immense dedication and all the hard work the guard has put in for the past two months, and it left the audience in awe and anticipation after the Cardinal Alliance Color Guard finished their teaser for the season.
Coach Contreras decided to lead his guard with an idea that was not only familiar but inspiring. Undefined was based on the high-grossing movie, Barbie. Featuring the hit song, “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, Conteras led the show with good intentions and an influential message to the young girls and women watching the show.
“We’re showing that you (the audience) are undefined; you can be whatever you want to be, and you don’t have to ask to be what you want to be… I’m trying to empower them to be who they want to be. They can be more, they can do different routes to different things and there doesn’t have to be an answer right this minute. They can try things out, what you like, what you don’t like and what you think you like, and then end up saying, ‘No, I don’t wanna do that. I wanna do this,’” Conteras said.
Members of the Color Guard team have a strong bond with each other, too. They use each other’s energy to boost themselves and each other to their full potential.
“I love my guard! Everyone’s so sweet and they’re all supportive. The captains are the greatest…You meet new people, you become friends with them, and we are all a close-knit family,” freshman Gabby Gudino said.
As a family does, they also help each other. They make sure no one falls behind so the guard can be as successful as possible. With the help of the coaches and the captains, they are able to make this a reality.
“If I wasn’t there for a rehearsal and we learned a new choreo, they’d come and help me personally. They’d say, ‘Ok, this is what you need to do and this is how you do it,’” Gudino said.
This all paid off. At the competition, the Winterguard won first place. After the guard celebrated amongst themselves, they had time to reflect on the performance.
“At first, I was really nervous, thinking that we weren’t ready at all. Now, I feel great… The season is going to be great,” senior and one of the Color Guard Captains Abby Centeno said.
Contreras was very proud of his guard. Like them, he’s looking forward to the rest of the season and is hopeful and confident.
“It’s a nice way to start. There’s definitely room for improvement but it’s always nice to be the best. I think it’s a good start and it’s going to help them with their confidence,” Conteras said.
The Winterguard has had two shows this past month and the next show is on March 9 at the WGASC Show at Mira Mesa High School, and with this victory jump-start this early in the season, the rest of the season is looking bright and triumphant.
