Barringer 7

Samantha BarringerMalcolm CampbellUWRT 1103Apr. 2, 2015Marching Band Kids: Musical Sissies or Star Athletes?When you hear someone refer to a stranger as a band kid, what initial thoughts come to mind? In my personal experience, I have found that most people immediately picture band kids as uncoordinated, weak, and awkward. This exaggerated image is nothing short of complete fiction, yet I have found that many people believe it to be true. In reality, band kids, particularly those in marching band, should be considered athletes in the same way that football and soccer players are. This also means that by definition, marching band must be considered a sport, whether it is widely known as one or not. The first step in debating this topic is to identify the characteristics of a sport. There are many varied definitions of the term, so I have combined the key points. Essentially, an activity can be considered a sport if these criteria are present: a physical aspect that requires some degree of skill, standardized rules and regulations, and a method of scoring or competition. Without any of these, it becomes unclear whether an activity is truly a sport or if it could more accurately be described as a hobby or a pastime. Additionally, some definitions state that the activity must be done out of enjoyment rather than other incentives like money or survival. I dont think it could be said that this holds true for all athletes, so I decided not to include it.Many Americans would agree that one of the most impressive parts of competitive popular sports is the high level of athletic ability required by each player. One way to measure this athleticism objectively is to look at the amount of energy expended by those participating in various sports. Typically, the rate of energy expenditure is expressed as metabolic equivalents, or METs. Using this method of measurement, Loran Erdmann, Ralph Graham, Steven Radlo, and Patricia Knepler, researchers from Western Illinois University, conducted a study of high school marching band members in a laboratory setting. The study focused on parade marching, and at the highest peak of difficulty, the participants were asked to march forward at a fast pace while playing their instruments. Ultimately, the team established that high school marching band members experience between approximately 4.5 and 6.0 METs while marching parades (Erdmann et al). In order to give these numbers context, it is important to know that widely regarded sports such as baseball, volleyball, and wrestling demand 5.0 METs, 5.5 METs, and 6.0 METs, respectively (Measuring Physical Activity). In other words, this suggests that simply marching and playing cadences in a parade requires the same amount of energy as playing baseball, volleyball, or wrestling. If you ask me, the most interesting part of this study is the fact that it only measured parade marching instead of the style of marching required to perform halftime shows. It is likely that the researchers would have observed higher overall energy expenditures from the marching band students if they had taken halftime marching into consideration.(Here I plan to discuss the effects of the sun and dehydration on marching band students, as well as summarizing the results of the survey done on Avon High School Marching Band. This will further demonstrate the difficult nature of marching band in comparison to other sports which have rules governing practicing in the heat (i.e. Football teams cant practice if the heat index is over a certain number, but no such rules exist for marching bands))(Here I plan to discuss the competitive aspect of marching band, as well as how scoring takes place. This will highlight another similarity between marching band and sports such as basketball and soccer, and it will disprove the idea that marching bands perform only at football games.)In marching band, as in all sports, there are several specific rules that must be followed in order to keep competition safe and fair. Many of these rules also affect the scores the marching band will ultimately receive. For example, in many competitions, each band has exactly fifteen minutes to walk onto the field, set up everything they need, perform the show, and get everything off the field. In order to make sure this rule is followed, one of the judges times each show, and if he or she notices that a band has gone over their time, the group automatically lose a portion of their overall score. This penalty in marching band can be thought of in the same way as the penalties and fouls in most other sports. In American football, there are also a few time-related rules that each team must follow. One such rule has to do with the play clock that is used to keep track of the amount of time the offense as to start the next play before they are given a penalty for delaying the game (NFL Rulebook). These kinds of rules are necessary in all sports, marching band and football alike, because they ensure that things will be more or less the same from game to game or competition to competition.There are quite a few different reasons why people argue against marching band being a sport. One of the most common is simply that marching band is not physically active enough to be considered a sport (Should Marching Band). My immediate question to this argument is simple: How can we define what amount of physical activity is enough to count? There are numerous examples of how it is impossible to define something like this, especially when one considered such sports as bowling and golf which involve far less physical activity than marching band. In all honesty, this argument never seems to come with any evidence to support it, so I would like to reference exercise physiologist, Gary Granatas survey of Avon High School Marching Band as a rebuttal. In this survey, over 95% of the 172 marching band members questioned experienced muscle soreness after rehearsals, over half experienced heat-related illness, and over a third experienced an injury as the direct result of marching band participation (Granata and Benardot). These statistics suggest that marching band is just as physically demanding as many other widely accepted sports, and that in some cases, high school marching band directors and staff need to be more careful when it comes to injury prevention, especially when it comes to rehearsing in extreme heat (Greenwald-Gonella).Upon interviewing Andrew Barsody, a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, it was clear that he held many of the same views as our other critics. When prompted for his opinion, he said, While I understand that there is a certain level of strength needed in order to participate in marching band, the difficulty level is not nearly as high as a person playing soccer running 7-9 miles a game (Barsody). This would be a valid counterpoint, if I were arguing that marching band was more challenging than soccer. However, I am not concerned with how marching band and other sports compare. I am simply arguing that marching band deserves to be recognized as a sport, regardless of the other activities that fall under that title.Several other naysayers attempt to pacify marching band members by stating that marching band is physically challenging, but they always follow up that thought with the idea that marching band should be considered more of an art than a sport (Should Marching Band). This isnt necessarily untrue. As it turns out, the marching band community doesnt need critics to tell us that. Anyone familiar with marching band has long known that it is the mix of musical and visual arts with athleticism that makes for the truly incredible experience. I do not believe that there is a dichotomy between sports and artistic activities. In fact, I celebrate anything that can bring those two together!(Here I plan to introduce and explain the recent event regarding sportscaster, Jim Rome. This will serve as an example of widely held attitudes towards marching band, and it will also demonstrate the solidarity found amongst the marching band community.) (Here I plan to introduce and discuss the topic of Drum Corps International, and how it serves as the professional level of marching band for post-high school musicians. I plan to interview a current drum corps member in order to include information on the intense rehearsals these individuals experience.)(Here I plan to discuss some of the benefits of being involved in marching band in general. This will serve as a transition to my conclusion, and it will highlight some of the positive effects people experience as a byproduct of joining marching band.)This topic may not seem important to some, but when you consider the number of people in the United States who have invested huge portions of their lives to marching band, it becomes apparent that this is something that matters. The marching band community has a wide reach and it something that connects thousands upon thousands of people across the nation. Members of this community often find solidarity in our numbers, however, it is difficult to remain positive when the majority of the world around us do not fully understand the work that goes into what we do. When you get down to it, this debate is not solely about the title of a sport. It is about the validity that comes along with that title. Without being considered a sport, marching band can only gain so much respect in our society. The thousands of young men and women who derive purpose and hope from being a part of marching band simply want to be recognized and respected as the athletes we are.

Sam-I thoroughly enjoyed this argumentative essay! Your topic is unique and it is clear to see you have some personal connection with the subject. You made a lot of valid points of why marching band should be considered a sport and overall your essay persuaded me to believe this point of view. Some suggestions for you would be to make sure you develop both sides of the arguments just to ensure your audience has a clear understanding of both sides. My only concern would be there is not enough scientific research that has been conducted to back up your argument, but you have done a superb job finding the evidence and including it into your paper. Maybe for your next draft you can discuss ways to implement change to the system and how we can encourage society to think of marching band as a sport! It is clear to the audience you are very passionate when you write about topics that are important to you and I urge you to carry this passion throughout your entire paper! Excellent job. If you have any questions please let me know.Stephanee

Works CitedBarsody, Andrew. Telephone interview. 30 Mar. 2015.Erdmann, Loran D., Ralph E. Graham, Steven J. Radlo, and Patricia L. Knepler. Adolescents Energy Cost In Marching Band. Perceptual and Motor Skills 97.2 (2003): 639-46. Ammons Scientific. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.Granata, Gary, and Dan Benardot. The Physical Demands And Challenges Of Participating in Marching Band. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 41. Supplement 1 (2009): n. pag. ResearchGate. Web. 31 Mar. 2015Greenwald-Gonella, Haley. Musicians as Athletes. Halftime Magazine 1 Sept. 2010. Web.Measuring Physical Activity. The Nutrition Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.NFL Rulebook. NFL.com Rulebook. N.p., 2013. Web 1 Apr. 2015.Should Marching Band Be Considered a Sport? Debate.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.