With a quick flick of the hand, a flag soars through the air and freshman Isaac Caban catches the smooth silver pole.
As the first boy to ever spin a flag for the DHS color guard, Caban enjoys this activity to its potential.
“It’s not much different,” Caban said. It’s like I’m just one of the girls with a little more strength.”
Caban satisfied the needed criteria and requirements to enter as one of the four freshmen in color guard.
“Whoever can do it I’m taking them,” color guard instructor Ginger Dillard said. “It’s not a gender-specific activity so it didn’t really affect anything.”
At the end of each school year, interested band members audition to join the color guard. They perform routines with flags and costumes while the marching band plays at games. Last year, an interest sparked Caban at a football game.
“That’s what makes marching look cool,” Caban said. “It’s not just the people walking around making shapes; it’s the pretty flags everyone looks at.”
Before the audition, interested spinners attend four two hour workouts sessions after school. The practices involve learning basic flag movments of color guard.
I thought boy’s are kind of goofy and I didn’t think he’d be very good at it,” Thompson said. “But he turned out to be good at it.”
As a male asset to the program, Caban brings more to the table.
“I think he’s a lot stronger than the girls,” Thompson said. “Tosses seem easier for him.”
At a recent competition in Lake Dallas, the team was named best guard.
“Everyone is about the same skill level,” Caban said. “Just being a boy just adds a little bit of mixture to the group.”
Along with the advantages of strength, Caban finds learning the routines comes naturally.
“He gets his stuff down,” Thompson said. “He was one of the first people who knew the show before the season even started.”
Along with the work put into color guard, Caban also creates a positive atmosphere.
“He’s all over the place,” Thompson said. “He makes us laugh a lot.”
The love of turning flags isn’t the only thing that struck Caban’s interest.
“I want to eventually get to a point where I can be captain my junior or senior year,” Caban said.
Other members see this as an achievable goal.
“If he stays in it I can see him as a captain because when he is serious he can get stuff done,” Thompson said.
Ana Perez • Feb 12, 2012 at 8:36 pm
Haha! This kid really is one of a kind. 😀 I’m surprised of his effort mainly because most dudes are known to “slack off,” but even when he does, he gets stuff done. :3 Grr! I Love Isaac! n_______n <3