10 GOLDEN RULES FOR DANCE/DRILL TEAM DIRECTORS

By Shary Lasater - Anderson

“You’ve got the job!”  Oh goodie, you’ve just been hired as the new dance/drill team director at Suzy High Kick High School and you can hardly wait to get started.  Before you step in and begin changing the uniform, method of marching and title for the officers, let’s think about some of the golden rules of directing dance/drill teams.  You can save yourself countless hours of stress, heartache, and talk sessions with the administration if you will try and abide by these suggestions.

RULE #1: MEET AND BUTTER-UP THE HEAD CUSTODIAN

If not on the first day of your new job, then soon after, introduce yourself to the head custodian in your building.  On many a night during the school year, it will sometimes just be the two of you walking out after a long day.  He can save you from many a disastrous situation if you will make him feel needed and important.  Unlocking doors, finding needed tools, minor repairs to equipment and props are but a few of the details that they can do for you if they are made to feel they are appreciated.  On the other side of the coin, they make your life a living nightmare if you have alienated them.  A dozen chocolate chip cookies will go a long way.

RULE #2:  DEVELOP A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BAND DIRECTOR

Whether you want to admit it or not, a respectful relationship between the two of you is a must and it will be your responsibility to foster this relationship.  He or she does not need your cooperation for their half-time show to be a success, but you certainly need their support to make yours work.  All of us have held our breath on Friday nights waiting to hear the tempo of our high kick music.  If you work with the band director not against him, a positive relationship between the band and drill team can exist.  Be thoughtful of the band during their contest season, take brownies to the band after halftime of the first game and have a banner that says “THANKS”, or decorate the band hall before their big end-of-the-year concert – do something to let them know you care for and appreciate them.

RULE #3:  HAVE A HEART TO HEART WITH YOUR PRINCIPAL ABOUT HOW HE/SHE VIEWS DRILL TEAM

For your own sanity, you need to know how your principal feels about the drill team and its role in the school.  Does he or she want to be a part of the major decision that you make so they won’t be blind-sided by a mad parent?  Will they give you blanket support in the decisions that you make?  Often times, as long as there are no problems, the administration will leave you alone, but what if a major discipline problem develops?  Do they want the drill team to be active in the school serving as hostesses at district events or do they want you to be low key and simply perform at athletic events?  Sit down and talk with your supervisor.  Let them tell you how they feel, and what they expect of you and your team.  It will save lots of hurt feelings, and you will know where you stand.

RULE #4:  TRY HARD NOT TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGES DURING YOUR FIRST YEAR-IT’S TRADITION

Now don’t get me wrong, if the team needs work on technique and polishing skills-fix those areas as soon as possible.  I am talking about flexible areas such as:  Senior introductions at pregame of last home game – don’t cancel it; Captain’s solo scheduled after intermission in Spring Show – if it’s ALWAYS been done that way, leave it for now;  or announcements of new girls at spring tryouts – if big sis/little sis has always been announced at the same time, leave it that way this year.  When your girls feel that you are disrupting something that they consider TRADITION, you automatically become the enemy.  Early in your job, spend time with your seniors.  Find out those time honored traditions that are important to the girls and will make or break their senior year.  It is simply not worth the tears and heartache that these changes will cause.  After you have been there a year or two, you and your team can begin to make changes that will miraculously become the new traditions.

RULE #5:  INSTILL IN YOUR GIRLS THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING GOOD GRADES AND CITIZENSHIP

It sometimes takes the girls a while to figure out that faculty and other students automatically expect more if they are a “drill team girl.”  They become a role model and their actions reflect on the whole team.  Talk about grades, encourage attendance at tutorials, have a drill team honor roll, and make grades a major criteria for your officer tryouts.

RULE #6:  GET CONTROL OF AND HAVE A GOOD WORKING

RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BOOSTER CLUB

Countless directors have horror stories about booster clubs that got totally out of control.  They felt as though THEY were the director and that they would make the major decisions for the team.  From the beginning, you must handle them with kid gloves.  You need their support for your fund raising, prop building and transport, spring show duties, and countless other behind-the-scenes jobs, but they need to know that YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR.  Officer selection is important: is it always senior parents?  Who controls the booster club account?  Who can authorize a booster club check, does it take two signatures?  Do the underclassmen parents have a major or minor role in the running of the booster club?  You may run into the problem of underclassmen parents feeling as if their child “deserves” an officer position because of the time that they have put in as a booster club parent.  Be careful.

RULE #7:  REMEMBER THAT DRILL TEAM IS AN

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY, NOT THE ACT OR THE SAT

We as adults sometimes forget that the girls do not eat, breathe, and sleep drill team like we do.  They have boyfriends, other school activities, homework, church activities, and a home life.  If we put too much pressure on them to always make drill team their Number 1 choice, we are bound to have conflicts.  We are a cog in the wheel in trying to teach these young women how to manage many activities at once.  At the age of 15-18, it takes time for them to learn how to juggle lots of responsibilities and excel at each one.  Some of your girls will fail at this task.  Keep drill team in perspective.  Yes, they have elected to try out for the team and you assume that they know how much time and effort it takes to be a good team, but often times they do not have a clue.  Take on the role of the person that teaches them to make choices – it is a part of life.

RULE #8:  ALWAYS FIND TIME TO PRAISE

It is natural to constantly be critiquing and challenging your team.  It is important part of drill team for the girls to learn how to take criticism and not feel personally attacked.  While all of this is true, search weekly to find a time to praise and compliment your team.  Don’t do it all the time or it will not mean as much, but do find opportunities to say “GOOD JOB”  for a great performance or  “THANKS” for a good practice.

RULE #9:  AS WELL AS A TEAM OF EXCELLENCE, MAKE YOUR DRILL TEAM ONE THAT IS FUN

Along with hours of stretching and kicking down the floor, polishing each step of the routine and working on the perfect line spacing, find time during each week to have some fun.  This will be a challenge.  Some directors call this their “motivational” time, but whatever you call it, have some time to relax, have a laugh or two and enjoy the friendship of your fellow team members.  This job often falls to your squad leaders, if you have these as a part of your team.  Don’t let this be one of those things that falls between the cracks.  Sit in a circle and go around the circle saying one positive thing about your neighbor, assign skits to groups (Soph’s, Jr’s, Sr’s) about different facets of drill team, or have a pizza party at the school before getting on the bus for an out of town game – use your imagination.  The girls will remember these fun times as much as the many standing ovations.

RULE #10:  REMEMBER - THEY ARE KIDS

When we have a great set of officers, a wonderful senior class or just an overall outstanding team, we get spoiled and think that every group will be like this.  When you have the occasional very mature young woman or group of women, it is easy to expect this each year.  Don’t forget that they are kids who have joined your team and look to you for guidance and acceptance.  They will make mistakes, frustrate you at times, and make you want to quit.  You will find yourself reevaluating “Why am I doing this job?” on a weekly and monthly basis during a few of your years.  Understand that they are children, not adults.  It is part of your job to teach them how to be responsible adults.  Accept this as part of your job and cherish those years when you have an exceptional team.

Good luck to those of you just beginning your years as a high school dance/drill team director and congratulations to those of you that have been in the ranks for many seasons.  My hat is off to you !!!  I hope that you will find these suggestions useful in the coming months and years.  I often think that being a dance/drill team director is like being a minister – it requires a calling.  If you have answered that calling, I wish you all the best as you face the challenges of the new millennium and the ever -changing world of dance/drill team.

*  Shary has been a performer, team director, summer camp head instructor, NCA SUPERSTAR Dance/Drill Team Camp Vice-President in charge of Personnel and Curriculum, along with special events production staff member for over 30 years.  She has served as a dance competition adjudicator for several other dance/drill team companies as well as team and officer tryout judge throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  As a member of the production staff, she has been involved in the pre-game and halftime of the Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl, SW Bell Cotton Bowl, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.  Shary continues to be involved with dance by conducting private summer camps, choreographing contest material, and critiquing area spring show and competition routines.