Argumentative Essay: Why Marching Band Is A Sport

I've been in the Horizon High School Marching band for over two years and I know by heart, Marching band is a sport. Most students at any High school don't know how hard Marching band students work. Most of them think it's just a bunch of people walking around playing an instrument on the field or flipping a flag and they believe it's not a sport. In reality, it's quite the opposite. Students have to be outside for hours at a time and memorize over 70 numbers and where they have to be within those 70 numbers. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” This exactly describes what a Marching band is. The ability to perform, march in time, and play an instrument is a demanding sport and a difficult ability to perform.

Most students that are not in the Marching band do not realize the extent of what band students do. The marching band

Most bands have three pages of music they have to memorize which is equivalent to 3,000 words depending on the instrument and the music. While reading notes for music is like learning a whole new language. But then add on having to memorize the music and march in time with people around you. The students also have to memorize about 7 to 11.5-minute shows in just a couple of months with visuals added. Most people think it's just walking and playing an instrument. When in reality they have to know how to dance and memorize movements that are not just playing an instrument and marching. And sometimes they have to play memorized music, and choreography while marching in perfect timing at a fast tempo and performing to an audience for seven to ten minutes straight. Watch the drum majors (the students that stand on a podium and conduct), and know where to go at each second all at the same