Like other athletes, I have an official uniform to wear. I have practices to attend. When the time comes for me to be on the field, I give it my absolute best and count on my teammates to do the same. My sport, however, does not use a ball, a puck, a stick or require any barbaric physical contact. I am a refined athlete who dedicates his time to the art and sport of marching band.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a sport as “a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other.” Broken down, marching band fits every aspect of this definition.

In terms of being a contest, most marching bands perform in competitions  just as frequently as football teams play games. KHS rented our football field for practice to groups competing in the Bands of America Super Regional Championships at the Edward Jones Dome in October. This is one of several high school level contests where a panel of judges watch each group’s performance and issue them a score. And to those arguing referees are needed for a real sport, you’ll have to throw out diving, ice skating, gymnastics, freestyle skiing and almost all the X-Games along with marching band.
Others may argue against the physical activity aspect of the definition. Sousaphones (marching tubas) can weigh between 17-45 pounds and must be carried the entire halftime show. The band also marches at tempos up to 180 or 200 beats per minute (think the speed of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” times two). KHS plays about seven minutes of music on the field followed by a drumline showcase. Imagine super speed walking at a constant, quick pace while blowing non-stop through 12 feet of tubing and carrying weights (the instruments) while maintaining the proper horn angle and you’ve got a good idea of the workout that is a halftime show. It seems more physically demanding than, say, golf or other activities which hold the title of “sport”.

But what about rules? Well, technically, the music itself is a set of rules, dictating how each note should be hit, the precise amount of time it should be held for, and exactly how it should be articulated. If that isn’t enough for nay-sayers, each marching organization has a strict set of rules which must be followed by bands who wish to not be disqualified. And these rules are meticulous; The Bands of America Official Procedures and Adjudication Handbook is 53 pages long.

Finally, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary noted need for a sport to have people “compete against each other” might be where athletic purists think they’ve proven marching band to not be a sport. Competition, however, drives the marching world. KHS is a bizarre exception as we only perform at football games. Lindbergh, Parkway Central, Parkway West, Fort Zumwalt North and most high schools around the country compete in regional, state and national level competitions against other bands.

The version of marching band I and my peers at KHS participate in is not a full sport because we are a non-competitive band. However, I have friends who run without competing in any actual races and still call themselves athletes. A football player who trains daily but has yet to play in an actual game surely can’t be told he doesn’t play a sport. Players who attend every practice and don’t get off the bench still put in the work at practice and still get called players of their respective sport.

You won’t see a Top 10 on ESPN for the drills marched with the most precision. You won’t hear the same buzz about the Drum Corps International championships as you would with the Super Bowl or World Series. People won’t talk about the value of a trumpet soloist the same way they would a starting pitcher. But when “sport” is stripped down to its bare elements, away from all the marketing and hype, marching band ranks up with the big leagues.