Winter guard is an amazing sport that many people participate in. Different groups have varying ages, but it is quite disheartening to hear that for Independent guards, you age out at 22 for class A guards and 23 for open class guards. WGI was kind enough to extend the age limit to 24 for class A and 25 for open class in 2022 to make up for the year everyone lost due to the pandemic, but that begs the question - will they keep the previous age limits or stick with the extended? The best solution is to remove the age limit in the Independent division, much like there is no age limit in worlds. 

World class guards are few and far between in regions. For my area, the closest world class guard is anywhere between 2 and 3 hours away. This division of guard may be a dream for most, yet very few people who enjoy this sport are capable of joining a world class guard. The time, money, and transportation costs are overwhelming, not to mention the skill level necessary is not achievable for some. It is perfectly okay to admit one may never be of a skill level that high - should they just not perform because they struggle with the skills necessary or do not have the financial means?

Skill levels vary and should be accounted for. That being said, your directors are more than capable of making sure the work given to the guard is something all members can do or have the ability to learn. This keeps us striving for better and better. We all have heard the conversation “you all are not achieving this as a whole, we’re going to change it” at some point in the season - this wouldn’t change. However, what would change is the potential that younger members may achieve these more advanced skills earlier on because a senior member was able to show them and encourage them to do their absolute best. This information and help is quite beneficial to a group, as I do not shine when you do not shine - we help and grow together.

Guard has always been about bettering yourself and performing in front of those who love the sport just as much as you do. The community is full of amazingly talented people who should be able to spin as long as they want to. This brings on some valid concerns, though we have an inside look at what an age limitless Independent class would be like. In my Independent guard, we have a minor and we have majority 20+. We have had no problems. As adults, we are capable of making sure our minors are to be safe and away from inappropriate behavior. We have kept each other in check - going as far as saying, "remember, we are adults around minors, keep it PG" and having our staff keep us in check when we might have slipped. Staff members take safe sport classes to ensure safety as well. With these classes, it adds a layer of protection for those who are underage on top of the background checks that are performed at the start of every season.

Despite there being age limits in guards and percussion units (who don’t get an all ages world class option), winds are all ages. If there is a problem with guards and percussion units having younger members mixed with older members, what is different between winds and the other two? I have personally seen wind groups who have 50 year olds marching with teens. This is quite unfair for those in percussion and guard. We all put the same amount of effort to grow and succeed in our respective sport, we should all either have no age limit or have an age limit. Having no age limit would mean we could take practices from winds to keep safely marching with those of every age.

Some might argue about throwing in a senior class, but there might be some difficulties with that. Senior class is not available in all circuits throughout the country and those that do have one may not be able to compete in that division. Competition is what makes groups thrive; it motivates and inspires everyone to bring their best. Without competing, I’m unsure if a guard would want to do better. Adding to that, those who are above the age of 25 may still want to compete. Your age does not define whether you are competitive or not and shouldn’t hold you back from doing what you dream of doing. 

Guard is a lifechanging sport, speaking from experience. It keeps your health in check, as you have to maintain a healthy lifestyle to be able to perform. At 21, I was unable to shower standing up, I was almost 100% bedridden, but when I joined my wonderful, amazing Independent guard, I immediately noticed a difference. I was standing to shower, I was able to walk around, I was noticing my body regaining its strength. Guard quite literally saved my life, but I have to give it up at the end of this season because I may be too old to participate next season. It is unfortunate to the highest degree. We may have health problems as we get older and we may have injuries that occur in this sport, but what sport does not? Besides that, we have pay for insurance as a guard as well. I have seen more intense injuries in Scholastic guards than I have in Independent guards, but we power through it all because we love this sport and will march until we cannot anymore. 

So WGI, we as a community are asking this question - what are your plans for the age limits moving forward? We offer the solution of removing the limit in Independent guards, as we all have lost years now and we are capable of handling the age differences in this current season - we have seen the proof with the extension for this season.

Removing the age limit means more participate in the sport and the better performances we see, as everyone can continue to grow their skills at their own pace.

We can do great things if given the time.