In honor of celebrating 100 years in Tiger Stadium, I’d like to give you a glimpse into one of the most important aspects that make up a thrilling Tiger game day. Meet the LSU Colorguard: an elite group of 26 talented performers who are a part of the renowned Golden Band from Tiger Land.
You may recognize them as “the purple flag girls” when you’ve seen them marching down Victory Hill before a Saturday night in Death Valley or on the field during pregame. It takes a lot of practice, conditioning and hairspray to look that good.
Welcome to game day: the LSU Colorguard version.
Rise and Grind, Tigers
While you’re getting your beauty sleep for a long day of tailgating, the Guard has already hit the practice field. Sometimes as early as 4 a.m. for those extra sunny 11 a.m. kickoffs!
The Guard practices for 10 hours during the week, and that’s not even including the open-to-the-public Tiger Band rehearsal on Saturday mornings. We typically arrive at this rehearsal two hours before the band reports to the practice field to perfect our routine for that day’s halftime show.
You would think the scorching heat would be the biggest of our worries, but it’s making sure “the bump”—which is the mountain of teased game day hair—doesn’t completely flatten during practice. After baking in the sun for about four hours, it’s time to grab a quick bite and suit up for the game!
Let’s Geaux to the HILL!
As we march our way down Victory Hill with the band, the energy in the air is electric. When we finally stop at the bottom of the hill and hear those iconic four notes of pregame, we’re immediately reminded that we get to be a part of “such a fun environment with so many cool traditions and experiences,” said Sophie Rangel, a third-year LSU Colorguard member.
The party continues as the band marches into the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to watch a sneak peek of the halftime show and listen to some LSU tunes.
Alex Kling, one of the captains of LSU Colorguard, said it best: no matter where we perform, “the person behind the flag is creating the story. It’s real because you can see it and feel the music rather than only hear it, offering another perspective… My favorite part about game day is performing in front of the fans who all gather around for the love of LSU.”
One sec, we’re callin’ Baton Rouge
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: we have finally arrived in Tiger Stadium. The time we spend dancing and laughing in the stands is arguably one of the best parts of the season. Captain Leah Stockstill says that while she loves spinning, that’s not the reason why she loves LSU Colorguard.
“I do it because I enjoy making friends and spending time with people that like the same thing as I do,” Stockstill said. “I think color guard would just feel lonely if I had to do it by myself, so it’s nice having people there that want to do well with me.”
There’s truly no better place to make friendships than being packed together in the stands of the stadium. Some of the Guard’s favorite dance routines to perform in the stands are “Still Fly” by Big Tymers, “Right Above It” by Lil Wayne and “Swag Surfin’” by Fast Life Yungstaz.
While the Tiger Band pregame performance provides the ultimate game day hype, halftime is where the magic happens. When comparing the Guard’s pregame routine to its half time routines, it is evident how we have upheld years of tradition in pregame while implementing new and exciting choreography into our halftime shows. The halftime shows are choreographed entirely by our captains; the Guard learns a new show with the band every week!
Performing at halftime on the stage of an SEC football field is unlike any other experience. Senior member Kaylyn Rhodes describes the experience of spinning in Death Valley as “an emotional outlet where I can let feelings out through something other than words surrounded by some of my closest friends… It’s also just so fun to be able to experience game days with Tiger Band and watch the reactions from the fans.”
As cheesy as it sounds, it really is amazing to look around at this wonderful group of people and think about how we came to be a part of a team. When I picked up a flag for the first time as a freshman in high school, there was no thought in my mind that I would even end up at LSU, much less on the Colorguard.
As a member of the color guard, we hear all the time that the flag is an extension of our body. It’s funny because color guard has become such an extension of our souls.
“Color guard gave me that sense of belonging and allowed me to express myself and overall make me who I am today,” senior member Chloe McGuckin said.
Senior member Morgan Schooler also added that “it’s given me some of my best friends throughout the years, and I know that even when practices are really long and we struggle, it’s okay because we’re all doing it together.”
It gets hard. At the end of the day, it’s a physically—sometimes emotionally—demanding sport. We don’t do this because it’s easy, but because the highs of performing and the relationships we’ve developed exceptionally outweigh the lows. We’re upholding a legacy. We represent the color guards who came before us and many generations to come.