A group of six students assembled at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in Alumni Gym, chatting and catching up while pop music played on a portable speaker. Soon, among rows of empty chairs and tossed-aside backpacks, they were spinning flags and practicing choreography.
This sport is winterguard, an indoor version of colorguard featuring dance and manipulation of flags, prop rifles and sabers. The winterguard club started at Elon in the 2023-24 school year but really took off this year, according to president and sophomore Leah Funchess.
Several of Elon’s winterguard members participated in colorguard or winterguard in high school and were eager for the opportunity to continue in college.
“It was my greatest passion,” Funchess said. “When I saw that there was a winterguard program here, I wanted to bring that same passion because I really enjoyed doing it in high school.”
This year, the Elon team had its inaugural performance Feb. 23 during halftime at a women’s basketball game. It was an impactful bonding opportunity for the team and has already become a favorite memory of the year for many of them, including sophomore and team treasurer Izzy Bennett.
“We were definitely nervous, but it was very exciting to finally show people what we can do and what winterguard is,” Bennett said. “Getting a chance to do that on a bigger scale than just a family and friends performance was a very cool opportunity.”
Their halftime performance also represented strong team bonds and connection, sophomore Lauren Nesbit said.
“My favorite part of winterguard is the solidarity,” Nesbit said. “When you're out there performing, you really feel like you're on a team. You have that group of people who are performing with you, and are helping you out, and are covering for you if anything goes wrong, and are really looking out for you.”
The winterguard’s goal is to put on an end of year performance where they can showcase a full routine, choreographed by Funchess and Bennett. A year or two from now, they hope to compete in regional competitions against other college winterguard teams.
For now, the team is focused on learning a routine and practicing new flag and rifle skills.
“I really like teaching our new members,” Bennett said. “I think it's very rewarding to see someone who's never touched a flag – or has barely touched a flag – be able to do something new.”
Funchess wants club members to maintain close relationships through their training and lean into winterguard as a form of creative expression.
“The benefits of winterguard is community and being able to express yourself through a creative art that many people don't know,” Funchess said. “You get to move your body and learn new things and build lots of skills.”