Fall 2014
What would a fall football game be without fans dancing in the stands or singing the fight song? The marching band adds energy and enthusiasm to the game and pageantry to the half-time show. Who supports the band? Band boosters. They are the dedicated parents and volunteers, who raise money and support the band in every way possible.
Liz Tanaka is co-president of the Booster Club for Clements High School Ranger Band. Her son, Nicholas, is 16 years old and plays tenor in the drum line. “His instrument is a stress reliever, and it also brings joy to him,” Tanaka says. “I can see the difference in his mood after he practices. Band has become his family at school and has brought strong friendships.” Tanaka volunteers because it is important to her son and to the 250 other talented kids that make up the band and guard.
Patrice Hartsfield, who played clarinet, growing up in Maryland, is also involved at Clements as booster secretary. She fundraises, selling homecoming mums, and like many other parents, chaperones trips and football games. Her daughter, Samantha, is a senior, section leader, and horn player.
Marching in the Rain
In Fort Bend, it doesn’t rain, it pours, causing havoc for a marching band. Last year, when lightening chased the band off the field at the close of a performance, Hartsfield and 20 other boosters dashed back and forth from the stands, ferrying instrument cases, hat boxes, garment bags, and more to dry cover. Still, Hartsfield says, “We all laugh together and have fun with the kids. They are a dedicated group of teenagers that work hard towards a common goal. It is heartwarming to see the effort and drive that the band and guard exhibit.”
Logistics and Luggage
With the logistics of hundreds of teens, things go wrong. Setbacks, like a member forgetting his equipment or even luggage for a five-day competition, can cause panic. In such cases, boosters rally to buy clothes, replace uniforms, run down an extra reed or whatever it takes.
Recent booster vice president at Clements, Allyson Assuncao has seen it all. She formerly played flute at Holub Middle School in Alief, and her 16-year-old son, Brandon Watson, now plays trumpet. En route to a competition in Round Rock, one of their nine busses had a flat tire, making a long day longer. Finally on their way home, the massive, tired group invaded Buc-ee’s at midnight. Why does she do it? “I enjoy working with kids and seeing how successful they can become,” Assuncao says.
Feeling of Family
The common theme among boosters is the feeling of family. Though Bryan Morris was a footballer in his early days, he supports his future step-children, Taylor, 15, and Skylar, 17 years old, who play clarinet and flute for the Terry High School Rangers Band. He has packed gear into busses in freezing rain and sold fireworks in 100-degree heat, but the kids, who have become like family, make it all worthwhile. “Being a booster gives parents time to be with their kids that most parents miss—to see how their child interacts with others, how involved they get in band and their music and the feeling of winning or losing,” Morris says.
Nikki Crittenden, Terry High School band booster president, says Morris is “a complete booster doing anything that is needed or asked – from helping our band directors to doing repairs.” Crittenden also recognizes Yvonne Serrano and Donna Brewer for their help in various ways. “I can count on all three to be at every function I’m at and working just as hard.”
Positive Peer Pressure
The band brings school spirit to sports, and the boosters bring all the gear, food, water, and more to make it possible. Lisa Emiliani is booster president with four children at Travis High School. She has senior triplets with son, Kyle, playing trombone for the Tiger Band. Emiliani recognizes the discipline, perseverance, and dedication it takes to play and perform, which transcends other school subjects and home.
There is strong mentorship within the band, too, offering positive peer pressure to make good choices as they mature and enter the workforce. This showed, when the group performed at Disney World, and the band received numerous compliments from airline and hotel staff on their manners.
Volunteer Hours
The largest organization in most high schools is the band, and it takes a large booster club to hold it all together. Surveys have indicated 1400-plus hours of volunteering that run the gamut from feeding, loading busses, manning the pit crew on the field, mending uniforms, chaperoning, fundraising, as well as offering applause or a shoulder to cry on. It is a tight-knit, happy, exhausted group of kids and volunteers. Emiliani says, “Seeing what my son is passionate about and being a part of—it gives me such a sense of pride watching him. I can’t wipe the grin off my face.” SLM