Things to consider before you tryout…

Being selected as a Marquette is an outstanding achievement, but it’s a commitment that must be taken seriously. A young lady must have the support and the understanding of her family. The decision to audition must be thoroughly discussed. The commitments should be realized from the beginning. To remain a member of the team, members must maintain a passing grade average in each of their courses. She must maintain a certain level of dance ability, keep in good physical shape and uphold all of the guidelines established for the drill team organization.

When a dancer becomes a member of the Marquettes, the entire family becomes involved as supporters, spectators, and helpers. Being a drill team member makes many demands upon the member and family in terms of time, money, and emotional involvement. It is important to be aware of these commitments before trying out for the team. However, we hope you will decide that the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices involved..

 

Time commitments for members and their families:

There are many long hours required of drill team members both before and after school, and some evenings and weekends. The team works within a three season year. There is rarely any downtime.

Football Season:
We start in the summer before school is in season, and perform at all football games, home or away.

Contest Season:
Practice for contest season begins in late Fall with the competitions taking place in early Spring at various local high schools.

Spring Show:
We finish the year with an annual Spring Show held at Marcus High School.

We also attend pep rallies, basketball games and parades throughout the year. As a result, family schedules will sometimes have to be adjusted to accommodate the drill team member’s commitment to the organization. This is a team activity. Each girl must be present for all rehearsals, performances, etc. Parents are required to give of their time as well and must attend all monthly Booster Club meetings, serve on committees, help with fundraising to cover team expenses, help with costumes and props, and most importantly, parents are asked to attend as many team performances as possible.

 

Financial Commitments:

Every effort is made to keep expenses reasonable, but there are considerable costs associated with being a member of the drill team. In an effort to ease the financial burden, fundraisers are scheduled to help defray expenses. Each family must support these events by giving their time and talents because each family directly benefits from the money raised.

 

Emotional Involvement:

The love and support of each member’s family will be very important to her as she travels the drill team journey. Your positive attitude will greatly influence your daughter’s reactions to her experiences. Help her to celebrate her triumphs and console her during her disappointments. Learning to deal with success and failure in a constructive and positive manner is an important tool that will help her later in life.

We like to consider ourselves a drill team family.  Just as you would do for your own family, cherish and protect our family. Your words and actions should reflect our family’s positive image. We must always consider what is best for the whole. We must all be willing to “give and take” for the sake of the team. By working together, we will have a wonderful drill team family.