JROTC exists at the intersection of two elements: the military and public/private education. At our heart, we are a teaching organization. We were founded by former classroom teachers and how we see, teach, and shape the drill team activity is first and foremost through that scholastic lens. Our many instructor friends, retired military mentors, etc. represent and inform our understanding of the activity and its foundations. We bridge the gap between that world and the scholastic one.
To get to know us better, we have assembled a “What Do We Believe About…” so you can decide for yourself if partnering with Drill-Team Dynamics Inc. is in the best interest of your students!
What do we believe about…
…the nature of the drill team activity?
We believe that drill team is an athletic performing art.
Athletic – Requiring intense physical fitness (strength, stamina, etc.)
Performing – To present to an audience
Art – The expression & application of human creative skill and/or imagination
This places it in kinship with activities such as dance, marching band, cheer, figure skating, & most “extreme sports.” Unlike traditional sports, a drill team has neither a way to impact the outcome of other competitors’ performances nor is it scored by any physically-measurable metric such as crossing/failing to cross a goal-line or completing a feat in the lowest amount of time. To us, this distinction in no way minimizes the physical effort required to be successful and instead offers us a way to understand both the physical and intellectual effort required of our activity.
We believe that drill is drill.
Many interpretations of our activity “silo” drill by disciplines: regulation, color guard, exhibition, inspection, etc. We reject the idea that these disciplines represent different forms of drill. Instead, we hold that the fundamentals of drill are universal – posture, standing manual, marching, pivoting, equipment handling, etc. – and that when moving through drill phases, these fundamentals are omnipresent and equally important in each discipline. This approach means we can begin with whatever discipline will most actively engage our students and harness that excitement to develop sound fundamentals that will apply to ANY kind of drill they encounter.
We believe all facets of drill are ever-changing.
As drill manuals are revised, those responsible for training in each military branch turn over, and as competition expectations change year-over-year, so too does the JROTC drill team activity. As a result, the procedures we use, how we train, and what we emphasize must likewise be undergoing constant evolution and revision. This includes facets of drill normally thought of as “static” such as Regulation drill or Color Guard.
We believe a drill team is a triune relationship between PEOPLE, CULTURE, and CRAFT.
People – The Individual Participants
Culture – Shared Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors
Craft – The Physical Act of Drill
We believe these three items are co-substantial and a drill team only exists with the presence of all three elements.
Athletic – Requiring intense physical fitness (strength, stamina, etc.)
Performing – To present to an audience
Art – The expression & application of human creative skill and/or imagination
This places it in kinship with activities such as dance, marching band, cheer, figure skating, & most “extreme sports.” Unlike traditional sports, a drill team has neither a way to impact the outcome of other competitors’ performances nor is it scored by any physically-measurable metric such as crossing/failing to cross a goal-line or completing a feat in the lowest amount of time. To us, this distinction in no way minimizes the physical effort required to be successful and instead offers us a way to understand both the physical and intellectual effort required of our activity.
We believe that drill is drill.
Many interpretations of our activity “silo” drill by disciplines: regulation, color guard, exhibition, inspection, etc. We reject the idea that these disciplines represent different forms of drill. Instead, we hold that the fundamentals of drill are universal – posture, standing manual, marching, pivoting, equipment handling, etc. – and that when moving through drill phases, these fundamentals are omnipresent and equally important in each discipline. This approach means we can begin with whatever discipline will most actively engage our students and harness that excitement to develop sound fundamentals that will apply to ANY kind of drill they encounter.
We believe all facets of drill are ever-changing.
As drill manuals are revised, those responsible for training in each military branch turn over, and as competition expectations change year-over-year, so too does the JROTC drill team activity. As a result, the procedures we use, how we train, and what we emphasize must likewise be undergoing constant evolution and revision. This includes facets of drill normally thought of as “static” such as Regulation drill or Color Guard.
We believe a drill team is a triune relationship between PEOPLE, CULTURE, and CRAFT.
People – The Individual Participants
Culture – Shared Values, Beliefs, and Behaviors
Craft – The Physical Act of Drill
We believe these three items are co-substantial and a drill team only exists with the presence of all three elements.
…the goal of participation on a drill team?
We believe the strongest skill that drill team fosters and develops in participants is the ability to teach.
Teaching is both a technical skill and a relational one. It is relevant and sought-after in every career field. Because drill is something a student CAN master in their short time in high school, and because they are directly responsible for transmitting this expertise to others, we believe that developing outstanding teachers should be the ultimate goal of any successful drill team program.
We believe that drill team should be a transfer-of-value activity.
The skills developed throughout the course of a student’s participation should be directly applicable to their future pursuits. This means that the student experience on a drill team should be equally as educational and developmental of the whole person as with any other sport, activity, or club offered at a given campus. We hold that benefits such as discipline, work ethic, teamwork, etc. are no longer strong enough differentiators to justify student participation; these benefits can be obtained through other campus activities that also provide more tangible transfer-of-value opportunities such as scholarships, work skills, etc. Drill affords participants an authentic opportunity to teach a skill to others and thus offers extreme transfer-of-value.
We believe in raising up drillers who have a healthy respect for the ENTIRE drill team activity.
At the end of their time on drill team, however long, we want each student to appreciate that what makes American military drill special and unique from all other athletic performing art forms is the Position of Attention. We want them to appreciate that ALL forms of drill – regulation, color guard, exhibition, inspection, etc. – are just modified ways of moving out of and back into the Position of Attention and, therefore, all valid expressions of drill worthy of admiration and respect.
Teaching is both a technical skill and a relational one. It is relevant and sought-after in every career field. Because drill is something a student CAN master in their short time in high school, and because they are directly responsible for transmitting this expertise to others, we believe that developing outstanding teachers should be the ultimate goal of any successful drill team program.
We believe that drill team should be a transfer-of-value activity.
The skills developed throughout the course of a student’s participation should be directly applicable to their future pursuits. This means that the student experience on a drill team should be equally as educational and developmental of the whole person as with any other sport, activity, or club offered at a given campus. We hold that benefits such as discipline, work ethic, teamwork, etc. are no longer strong enough differentiators to justify student participation; these benefits can be obtained through other campus activities that also provide more tangible transfer-of-value opportunities such as scholarships, work skills, etc. Drill affords participants an authentic opportunity to teach a skill to others and thus offers extreme transfer-of-value.
We believe in raising up drillers who have a healthy respect for the ENTIRE drill team activity.
At the end of their time on drill team, however long, we want each student to appreciate that what makes American military drill special and unique from all other athletic performing art forms is the Position of Attention. We want them to appreciate that ALL forms of drill – regulation, color guard, exhibition, inspection, etc. – are just modified ways of moving out of and back into the Position of Attention and, therefore, all valid expressions of drill worthy of admiration and respect.
…the students who participate on drill teams?
We believe in approaching students with Unconditional Positive Regard.
Put simply, basic acceptance and support of a student is given without judgement or condition. We choose to believe the best of each student, practice empathy and patience in their development as a performer, and guard ourselves against negative talk regarding students. Practicing unconditional positive regard, however, does NOT mean a lack of accountability or consequences for one’s actions, just that we approach every student with the fundamental belief that they are capable of success given the right support.
We believe students experience the wholeness of a successful drill team experience best when they are afforded the opportunity to work with all their peers.
We vehemently oppose the notion of single-gender drill teams. Because we view drill as an athletic performing art and NOT a sport, the need to separate drillers from their peers is largely an arbitrary one. Students thrive when their team’s depth chart reflects their cadet corps.
We believe any student capable of participating on a drill team is capable of succeeding.
Given the blend of coaching, support, and time we believe anyone capable of participating on a drill team is capable of succeeding!
Put simply, basic acceptance and support of a student is given without judgement or condition. We choose to believe the best of each student, practice empathy and patience in their development as a performer, and guard ourselves against negative talk regarding students. Practicing unconditional positive regard, however, does NOT mean a lack of accountability or consequences for one’s actions, just that we approach every student with the fundamental belief that they are capable of success given the right support.
We believe students experience the wholeness of a successful drill team experience best when they are afforded the opportunity to work with all their peers.
We vehemently oppose the notion of single-gender drill teams. Because we view drill as an athletic performing art and NOT a sport, the need to separate drillers from their peers is largely an arbitrary one. Students thrive when their team’s depth chart reflects their cadet corps.
We believe any student capable of participating on a drill team is capable of succeeding.
Given the blend of coaching, support, and time we believe anyone capable of participating on a drill team is capable of succeeding!
…student safety as participants on a drill team?
We believe that students deserve the opportunity to participate in our unique activity free from physical or mental harm.
As a result, training practices should be audited constantly to ensure that they conform to athletic best-practices. Adults (i.e. instructors, coaches, judges, etc.) should interact with students in a manner consistent with best-practices in safety and educational psychology. This includes monitoring the team for hazing, bullying, or any other physical or psychological dangers.
We believe that students who participate on drill team should be shielded from access to adults who seek to take advantage emotionally, sexually, etc.
We believe there is no reason a participating student should have regular, unfettered, and/or unsupervised contact with an adult simply because they might share an interest in drill any more than a teacher should have regular, unfettered, and/or unsupervised contact with their student because they share an interest in video games.
As a result, training practices should be audited constantly to ensure that they conform to athletic best-practices. Adults (i.e. instructors, coaches, judges, etc.) should interact with students in a manner consistent with best-practices in safety and educational psychology. This includes monitoring the team for hazing, bullying, or any other physical or psychological dangers.
We believe that students who participate on drill team should be shielded from access to adults who seek to take advantage emotionally, sexually, etc.
We believe there is no reason a participating student should have regular, unfettered, and/or unsupervised contact with an adult simply because they might share an interest in drill any more than a teacher should have regular, unfettered, and/or unsupervised contact with their student because they share an interest in video games.
…the role of adults?
We believe a JROTC instructor should be physically present with their team for all official functions.
All too often, “student led” becomes a synonym for “Lord of the Flies” with cadets being left to their own devices in the name of developing leadership. Just like any other sport, club, or activity, an adult should be physically present to monitor and supervise their students.
We believe behavior-management is an adult responsibility.
We hold strongly that the onus for individual student behaviors at a drill team practice or function should fall on the adult(s) responsible for the team. Disruptive behaviors, blatant disrespect, etc. should be managed by an adult in the same way a teacher manages a classroom. Forcing students to do more than shepherd the behavior of the team places them outside of an age-appropriate leadership role in relation to their peers.
We believe “if a student can, a student should.”
Finding the balance between adult-facilitated and student-led is tough. We believe that any adult responsible for a drill team should be consistently seeking to empower their students to be responsible for as much as is appropriate for their team at their current development level. Generally speaking, this includes things like planning practices, teaching drill, creating choreography, etc. Examples of things a student CANNOT (and therefore SHOULD NOT) be responsible for include creating team rosters, communicating in an unsupervised manner with drill meet hosts, etc.
We believe it is an adult’s job to appoint leaders and staff team rosters.
Of the many things cadets can – and should – be responsible for, choosing their leadership and determining who participates on a competitive team should not be one of those. While cadets may have input, formal or informal, they should not be responsible for electing their commanders or choosing who participates on what team simply because they lack access to all the relevant information required to make the soundest decisions. An adult should always be the final authority on these matters, even if they take input from their team to some degree.
We believe the adult leader of the team is responsible for seeding and overseeing team culture.
Culture is defined as the regularly practiced behaviors that beget and encourage success. In the formation of a new drill team, we believe the adult leadership of the team is responsible for taking the first steps in creating a positive culture. As the lifecycle of a team progresses, the adult leadership has a responsibility to monitor and oversee team culture to ensure that it remains safe, positive, and healthy. We disavow the use of manipulation, dark psychology, black magic, cultic practices, or any other trauma-inducing “team-building” tactics.
All too often, “student led” becomes a synonym for “Lord of the Flies” with cadets being left to their own devices in the name of developing leadership. Just like any other sport, club, or activity, an adult should be physically present to monitor and supervise their students.
We believe behavior-management is an adult responsibility.
We hold strongly that the onus for individual student behaviors at a drill team practice or function should fall on the adult(s) responsible for the team. Disruptive behaviors, blatant disrespect, etc. should be managed by an adult in the same way a teacher manages a classroom. Forcing students to do more than shepherd the behavior of the team places them outside of an age-appropriate leadership role in relation to their peers.
We believe “if a student can, a student should.”
Finding the balance between adult-facilitated and student-led is tough. We believe that any adult responsible for a drill team should be consistently seeking to empower their students to be responsible for as much as is appropriate for their team at their current development level. Generally speaking, this includes things like planning practices, teaching drill, creating choreography, etc. Examples of things a student CANNOT (and therefore SHOULD NOT) be responsible for include creating team rosters, communicating in an unsupervised manner with drill meet hosts, etc.
We believe it is an adult’s job to appoint leaders and staff team rosters.
Of the many things cadets can – and should – be responsible for, choosing their leadership and determining who participates on a competitive team should not be one of those. While cadets may have input, formal or informal, they should not be responsible for electing their commanders or choosing who participates on what team simply because they lack access to all the relevant information required to make the soundest decisions. An adult should always be the final authority on these matters, even if they take input from their team to some degree.
We believe the adult leader of the team is responsible for seeding and overseeing team culture.
Culture is defined as the regularly practiced behaviors that beget and encourage success. In the formation of a new drill team, we believe the adult leadership of the team is responsible for taking the first steps in creating a positive culture. As the lifecycle of a team progresses, the adult leadership has a responsibility to monitor and oversee team culture to ensure that it remains safe, positive, and healthy. We disavow the use of manipulation, dark psychology, black magic, cultic practices, or any other trauma-inducing “team-building” tactics.
…how to achieve excellence?
We believe that the best way to achieve lasting excellence is through the relentless, active pursuit of joy.
Love of craft begets many things: self-discipline, work ethic, resilience, attention to detail. These critical building blocks of success can be taught and coached in many ways but none more effective than teaching a student to love their craft and the process through which expertise is obtained. We believe when a collective group of experts unlocks a love of craft, excellence is the natural outpouring of that endeavor. You cannot achieve the most authentic, genuine display of excellence possible and be miserable simultaneously.
We believe sound teaching is the genesis of excellence.
Teaching that meaningfully imparts information, empowers students, and creates in them a drive to constantly improve themselves and those around them is foundation upon which excellence can be built. Teaching has only happened when learning has occurred and learning has only occurred when understanding has been achieved. In this way, we hold that excellence is achieved not when a student is physically capable of executing a maneuver but instead when they fully understand what to do, how to do it, and why they are doing it.
We believe in cultivating an environment that meets the many unique motivations for joining a drill team.
Like any other team-oriented endeavor, each participant has their own unique combination of reasons for their continued participation. But unlike many other sports or activities, many participants on a drill team are wholly unaware of what our activity truly is when they join. Because drill team offers the opportunity to take on a diversity of roles, those more inclined toward the social aspects of belonging to a team have as many ways to contribute meaningfully as those more inclined towards the craft of doing drill. We believe that a successful drill team achieves excellence in all things faster by leveraging the widest range of motivations possible.
We believe student-owned excellence is a unique hallmark of the drill team experience.
Like other sports and activities, there are many contributing factors in achieving excellence on and off the drill deck. However, unlike most other sports of activities where adults are THE primary determining factor in that success, we believe drill team offers students a real-world look at how their inputs directly correlate to their outputs. While adults certainly CAN take much of the burden for excellence upon themselves by enforcing or demanding compliance, we hold that excellence achieved through force is inferior to excellence achieved by choice. For this reason, giving to the students the maximum amount of ownership in their output lets them experience the fullness of the activity.
Love of craft begets many things: self-discipline, work ethic, resilience, attention to detail. These critical building blocks of success can be taught and coached in many ways but none more effective than teaching a student to love their craft and the process through which expertise is obtained. We believe when a collective group of experts unlocks a love of craft, excellence is the natural outpouring of that endeavor. You cannot achieve the most authentic, genuine display of excellence possible and be miserable simultaneously.
We believe sound teaching is the genesis of excellence.
Teaching that meaningfully imparts information, empowers students, and creates in them a drive to constantly improve themselves and those around them is foundation upon which excellence can be built. Teaching has only happened when learning has occurred and learning has only occurred when understanding has been achieved. In this way, we hold that excellence is achieved not when a student is physically capable of executing a maneuver but instead when they fully understand what to do, how to do it, and why they are doing it.
We believe in cultivating an environment that meets the many unique motivations for joining a drill team.
Like any other team-oriented endeavor, each participant has their own unique combination of reasons for their continued participation. But unlike many other sports or activities, many participants on a drill team are wholly unaware of what our activity truly is when they join. Because drill team offers the opportunity to take on a diversity of roles, those more inclined toward the social aspects of belonging to a team have as many ways to contribute meaningfully as those more inclined towards the craft of doing drill. We believe that a successful drill team achieves excellence in all things faster by leveraging the widest range of motivations possible.
We believe student-owned excellence is a unique hallmark of the drill team experience.
Like other sports and activities, there are many contributing factors in achieving excellence on and off the drill deck. However, unlike most other sports of activities where adults are THE primary determining factor in that success, we believe drill team offers students a real-world look at how their inputs directly correlate to their outputs. While adults certainly CAN take much of the burden for excellence upon themselves by enforcing or demanding compliance, we hold that excellence achieved through force is inferior to excellence achieved by choice. For this reason, giving to the students the maximum amount of ownership in their output lets them experience the fullness of the activity.
…the purpose of competition?
We believe that the purpose of competition is to provide an authentic audience to students.
The byproduct of having this authentic audience is an increased sense of urgency, a tangible correlation between preparation and performance, and a way to measure growth and progress.
We believe contest hosts have a great burden to shoulder in producing their meets.
We believe the preparation and production of drill team competitions should show effort commensurate to and respectful of the fact that the students who chose participation on a drill team are forgoing other (potentially more lucrative) experiences. Treating competitions primarily as fundraisers, briefing points on annual inspections, etc. often cheapens the experience of each participant in a way other activities do not suffer from to the same degree. While hosts may benefit financially (or in other tangible ways), the quality of the competition should come first.
The byproduct of having this authentic audience is an increased sense of urgency, a tangible correlation between preparation and performance, and a way to measure growth and progress.
We believe contest hosts have a great burden to shoulder in producing their meets.
We believe the preparation and production of drill team competitions should show effort commensurate to and respectful of the fact that the students who chose participation on a drill team are forgoing other (potentially more lucrative) experiences. Treating competitions primarily as fundraisers, briefing points on annual inspections, etc. often cheapens the experience of each participant in a way other activities do not suffer from to the same degree. While hosts may benefit financially (or in other tangible ways), the quality of the competition should come first.
…the purpose of Regulation drill?
We believe the purpose of all Regulation-based drill team events is to bring to life the words, spirit, and intent of a team’s chosen manual(s) in the most authentic way possible and to the highest degree of excellence.
Therefore, we hold strongly to a dual-lineage of modern competitive Regulation and Color Guard drill:
1) That movements should, to the best of each team’s ability, be a good-faith representation of the documentation from which they are derived AND…
2) That the level of excellence unique to competition drill team (where drill is not only a means to an end such as discipline or teamwork, but also the end in and of itself) should reflect the high standard that the activity has become known for in terms of precision, physicality, etc.
We do NOT endorse any philosophy that posits that there is a difference between “drilling to win” and “drilling by the book” since any such approach relegates to the backseat the governmental doctrine provided to each team in order to win contests.
We believe that all forms of Regulation drill present an excellent opportunity to develop cross-curricular literacy skills.
Because this phase of drill is based upon procedural texts written below grade level, and because these procedural texts often require extra-textual research to fully embody, Regulation drill is both a physically and intellectually challenging endeavor. We believe it is especially beneficial for students enrolled in literacy interventions or participating in ESL/ELL programs.
Therefore, we hold strongly to a dual-lineage of modern competitive Regulation and Color Guard drill:
1) That movements should, to the best of each team’s ability, be a good-faith representation of the documentation from which they are derived AND…
2) That the level of excellence unique to competition drill team (where drill is not only a means to an end such as discipline or teamwork, but also the end in and of itself) should reflect the high standard that the activity has become known for in terms of precision, physicality, etc.
We do NOT endorse any philosophy that posits that there is a difference between “drilling to win” and “drilling by the book” since any such approach relegates to the backseat the governmental doctrine provided to each team in order to win contests.
We believe that all forms of Regulation drill present an excellent opportunity to develop cross-curricular literacy skills.
Because this phase of drill is based upon procedural texts written below grade level, and because these procedural texts often require extra-textual research to fully embody, Regulation drill is both a physically and intellectually challenging endeavor. We believe it is especially beneficial for students enrolled in literacy interventions or participating in ESL/ELL programs.
…the purpose of Exhibition drill?
We believe that the purpose of all Exhibition-based drill team events is to experience both the process and outcome of the choreographic process valued in other like activities.
In most other choreographic activities, the design process is largely an adult-centric act. In our activity, students are allowed (and encouraged) to engage in this process directly, exercising creativity, organization, and teaching skills. We believe that every student has the potential to bring their own unique experiences, backgrounds, and cultural heritages to inform their choreographic voice and, so long as the outcome is tasteful to a primarily-military audience, these influences are welcome and positive additions to a team’s performance.
We believe that Exhibition drill is primarily a mental pursuit that manifests itself physically rather than a primarily physical one.
Therefore, we believe that choreography should be designed to accommodate the largest number of potential participants possible so as to avoid artificially segregating teams based on factors (such as physical development, gender, etc.) that could easily be negated through different choreographic choices.
In most other choreographic activities, the design process is largely an adult-centric act. In our activity, students are allowed (and encouraged) to engage in this process directly, exercising creativity, organization, and teaching skills. We believe that every student has the potential to bring their own unique experiences, backgrounds, and cultural heritages to inform their choreographic voice and, so long as the outcome is tasteful to a primarily-military audience, these influences are welcome and positive additions to a team’s performance.
We believe that Exhibition drill is primarily a mental pursuit that manifests itself physically rather than a primarily physical one.
Therefore, we believe that choreography should be designed to accommodate the largest number of potential participants possible so as to avoid artificially segregating teams based on factors (such as physical development, gender, etc.) that could easily be negated through different choreographic choices.