Niwot High’s new color guard director, Anthony Pierro, was so impressed with the talent of Niwot’s students, along with those at other schools featured during St. Vrain Valley’s band night, that he decided to start a competitive winter guard program.

“The kids inspired me to build them the program I wish I had in high school,” he said. “The kids are great. They are so willing to try everything.”

Similar to the district’s popular and award winning winter percussion program, Pierro made the winter guard program open to high school students districtwide. The fledgling eight-student team is competing through the Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association, which offers multiple divisions, or classes, for both school-based and independent guards.

St. Vrain’s first official competition is Feb. 8 at Mountain Range High School in Westminster. The season culminates with state championships at the end of March at the Denver Coliseum.

“We are competing, but we’re all there to support each other because we love what we do,” Pierro said. “We’re really competing with ourselves to score the best we can, and we hope everybody else does their best. Whatever placements happen, happen.”

Pierro, who also teaches in the guard program at Boulder’s Fairview High and performs with an independent Denver guard, said winter guard offers more time to focus on technique and guard specific trainings, including incorporating more dance.

In marching band, color guard gives a visual boost to the performance. In winter guard, the color guard creates its own show. Indoor performances, set to music, use choreographed dance and twirling, colorful silk flags to visually tell a story. Along with tossing flags, guard members may toss rifles and sabres, reflecting the color guard’s military roots.

“It’s so fun to take the audience into the world of the show,” Pierro said.

He said paperwork and logistics have been the biggest challenges of starting a new program, including finding a rehearsal space. The team rehearses for three hours, twice a week after school at Longmont’s Altona Middle, which offers a space with concrete floors and high ceilings to allow students to throw — and drop — flags and rifles without worry.

He bought the large floor tarp needed for competitions at a discount from another guard and found costumes that would fit their budget through Amazon. Creating a show that works for all the skill levels and showcases the strengths of the team is another challenge. The St. Vrain show’s theme is “The Dance of the Flamingos.”

“I’m trying to figure out how to give them a show that’s challenging, but also attainable,” Pierro said. “There is definitely a place for every skill level and every type of student in guard. Our job is to figure out how we can best show your talents and help you grow as a performer.”

St. Vrain’s team captain, Niwot High junior Lezlee Avalos, said she was thrilled when she found out about the winter guard program and is hoping it will help with recruitment during marching season.

“Competitions are scary, but fun,” she said. “I love being in color guard. I’m so proud to be part of this team. I’m very excited to see where our show goes.”

The students praised the friendliness of the marching band and guard community, adding that they’re looking forward to seeing performances by guards from around the state during competitions.

“Half of the fun is to see what other guards are doing,” Frederick High freshman Karlene Kindvall said. “It’s such a great community. It’s so welcoming to everybody.”

In the Boulder Valley School District, which has a long history of participating in winter guard, four high schools are taking part in this year’s competition season — Broomfield, Centaurus, Fairview and Monarch.

Last year, Monarch High’s 13-student team scored second in its class last year. This year, the team grew to 19 students and will perform a show with an art theme.

Instead of highlighting a particular artist, Monarch Guard Director Mado Krech said, he wanted to tell the story of the artistic process.

“You always have things that inspire you as an artist,” he said. “The show is about the journey of an artist.”

He said one of the keys to a high scoring show is to make it challenging enough that students are pushing themselves, but not so difficult they can’t perform it.

“You can push yourself past where you see your limit,” he said. “You can surprise yourself.”

The Louisville school’s winter guard is an afterschool activity that’s open to those who participated in guard during the marching band competition season, as well as those who are new to the activity. About half the guard this season are marching band members who played instruments during the marching season.

Callie Mrla joined winter guard last year as a freshman after playing baritone in the marching band. She struggled for most of the season as she worked on learning various flag-tossing techniques, she said, because she was comparing herself to others who were more experienced.

Once the skills started to click and she let go of the comparisons, the fun started to outweigh the struggle.

“It’s so visual and expressive,” she said.

She’s become such a fan of guard, she added, she’s considering switching from baritone to guard for next fall’s marching season.

“It’s one of the most accepting communities I’ve ever been a part of,” she said. “Everyone is very willing to help people try something new. I love guard.”

Their competition class allows up to eight minutes for each show, including up to five-and-half minutes for the performance. The rest of the time is spent rolling out the tarp and positioning props and weapons. There’s a point deduction if a team goes over the allowed time, so Monarch includes timed practices during rehearsals.

Monarch guard captain Sam Harrington, a senior who has participated in winter guard all four years of high school, credited guard with helping her find herself in high school.

“I wasn’t comfortable in myself and my body,” she said. “It forced me to get over that. It made me more self centered.”

Though she’s a team veteran, she said, she learns more every season. She spins flag, rifle and sabre, with the precision needed to toss and catch the slim sabre making it her favorite.

“There’s something really magical about working on a hard skill and then getting it,” she said.

While she said she loves performing with the marching band, winter guard is “a million times better.”

“In marching, we just add to the general effect,” she said. “We’re not really the big focus. Winter guard, we get to work on our own thing, and it’s a lot more personal. You can make that personal connection with the audience.”

She’s not sure if she will continue with color guard after high school by joining an independent guard, noting it will likely depend on where she ends up attending college. But either way, she said, the time she committed to the guard program at Monarch has been well worth it.

“Even if I never do it again, it’s four years of memories,” she said.