Overview
After over a decade of teaching drill teams of all experience levels and services, as well as judging and facilitating drill competitions around the world, we have naturally developed ways of speaking to a team’s ability level, performance output, or even overall conduct. Essentially, we believe it helpful to think of teams as existing in one of three categories:
- Developing
- Proficient
- Performance-Grade
These categories can be applied to specific items (like a team’s performance in a specific event or even in a specific aspect of a singular event) or more broadly to describe a team’s overall execution or understanding of a larger concept (like a team’s structure or processes).
Developing Teams
Developing teams are best characterized as those requiring substantial education and/or practice to continue their drill journey. They may physically struggle to accurately achieve “snap” and may not show evidence of great attention to detail in precision. Teams in the developing category may also struggle with timing and synchronization between members as individual drillers are so focused on their own movements that they may struggle to be situationally aware of their teammates. Developing teams may show evidence of having not carefully studied their event (whether performing movements outside of published guidance or show limited evidence of understanding choreography & design) and require a stronger education to continue their journey.
REGULATION & COLOR GUARD: Developing drill teams may struggle with handling their bodies and/or equipment with precision and may still be learning to move in time with one another. They may not yet have a firm enough physical command of execution to have dived too deeply into the drill manual and, as such, may deviate significantly from published guidance.
EXHIBITION: Developing drill teams may struggle with their physical strength and coordination. They may favor shorter sequences with minimal simultaneous demands (i.e. a driller will only need to do 1-2 things at a time) and their choreography may be more linear and lack dimension. They exhibit rudimental vocabulary and may lack variety.
INSPECTION: In terms of uniform preparation and hygiene, Developing drill teams may struggle with presenting themselves in a professional, well-groomed manner. Developing drill teams either struggle with meeting the minimum published guidance for such items or, while they may technically have achieved the written standard, they may struggle in their execution. Concerning the conduct of the inspection, Developing drill teams may be intimidated, timid, or even scared. They may struggle maintaining even the most basic level of military composure.
Developing drill teams are rated and provided feedback as ENCOURAGEMENT to continue their journey!
Developing teams need a coach – someone to encourage and bring forth the best! The feedback provided is targeted and aimed not only at improving performance but motivating the team towards improvement. Whether rating, judging, or teaching/training, knowing that a school is Developing in a specific area lets us know to put on the COACH hat.
Proficient Teams
Proficient teams are best characterized as those who are performing drill & ceremonies at a functional level. They have moved beyond learning the basics and exhibit evidence of practice. Drillers on Proficient teams may often display awareness of timing and show evidence of situational awareness beyond their own individual performance. Proficient teams may generally show an awareness of their event but may not always clearly & intentionally perform the specifics in a manner suggesting that some team members were trained “by rote” rather than fully educated on the “ins and outs” of the event. Proficient teams require encouragement to move from functionally executing drill to clearly & intentionally performing each and every specific detail.
REGULATION & COLOR GUARD: Proficient drill teams are no longer struggling with handling their bodies and/or equipment with precision and are functionally moving in sync with one another. Because they are more comfortable with the physical demands of the drill, they may adhere more closely to published guidance though there may be areas for improvement and opportunities to demonstrate a more clear understanding of the manual(s).
EXHIBITION: Proficient drill teams are no longer struggling with equipment handling or coordination. They may be experimenting with longer sequences with more simultaneous demands (i.e. layered or rippled movements) and their choreography may be logical and show evidence of planning and foresight. They exhibit a variety of vocabulary beyond the rudimental basics of their discipline.
INSPECTION: In terms of uniforms and hygiene, Proficient drill teams are achieving the written standards of their service at a level suitable to pass a thorough classroom inspection. There are no glaring deficiencies nor major discrepancies in either area and their attention to detail is clearly more honed than that of a Developing drill team. Concerning the conduct of the inspection, cadets are reasonably confident and articulate and exhibit a basic command and control of military bearing. They may still be intimidated as the inspection is still mentally a FUNCTIONAL task to be completed.
Proficient drill teams are rated and provided feedback as EDUCATION to move beyond a functional level of performance!
As such, Proficient schools need a COUNSELOR. A counselor acts as a guide and a professional resource for improvement. As a team improves and enters the proficient realm, they are ready to receive even more specific recommendations with an emphasis on taking in and applying information. When a school is evaluated as Proficient, we put on the COUNSELOR hat to help guide them on their mission of improvement!
Performance-Grade Teams
Performance-Grade drill teams are best characterized as those whose performances are so clear & intentional that they could have only achieved this through a thorough education program. Each driller on a Performance-Grade drill team demonstrates that they are not merely “following orders” but have a firm grasp on their individual responsibilities at any given time throughout the performance. A Performance-Grade drill team has given great attention to detail to each facet of their drill such that nothing is achieved by accident or happenstance. These teams show great physical command and comfort of their movements and outstanding situational awareness of their teammates as a result of their comfort with their own movements. Rather than reacting to circumstances or environmental factors or even their teammates, they exhibit evidence of proactive decision-making indicative of careful study of their craft and critical thinking.
REGULATION & COLOR GUARD: Performance-Grade drill teams handle their bodies and/or equipment with confidence and comfort and consistently interpret and perform time with clarity and intentionality. Because they are highly-developed, correct interpretation of the manual is stressed over executing movements in the sharpest manner possible and, therefore, they faithfully bring the associated published guidance to life in a way that leaves no room for interpretation. While they may still need guidance on best-practices, they have established command and control from the least experienced driller to the cadet commander.
EXHIBITION: Performance-grade drill teams are using the medium of drill to communicate a broader artistic intent. They are not simply going through a series of fancy commands and movements but instead are communicating with their audience. They have a variety of content and display consistent depth and simultaneous demand throughout. The routine as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts because each part was carefully considered and chosen specifically to bring a cohesive vision to life.
INSPECTION: In terms of uniform preparation, the Performance-Grade drill team has not only prepared every item in exacting accordance with their published guidance but their level of consistency from cadet to cadet as well. Their overall excellence and attention to detail belies a process above and beyond a basic level of individual preparation and exhibits evidence of a coordinated, unified team effort to achieve uniformity. The Performance-Grade drill team has gone above and beyond the minimum in terms of their hygiene and may maintain grooming standards that exceed the minimum required by their service. Concerning the conduct of the inspection, Performance-Grade drill teams are unflappable because they have embraced the notion that the inspection phase is a PERFORMANCE like any other; they not only functionally complete the inspection but perform with evidence of a structured rehearsal process.
Performance-Grade drill teams are rated and provided feedback as APPRECIATION & CRITIQUE to further the level of excellence & achievement they display!
Performance-Grade schools need a CRITIC. Like a restaurant critic taking in a fine dining experience and appreciating the good and pointing out the bad, Performance-Grade teams are prepared for a specific critique of their performance. Just as in the restaurant world, food critics are professionals evaluating the work of other well-established and practiced chefs and so the feedback provided can be frank and no-nonsense. When a school is evaluated as being Performance-Grade, we put on the CRITIC hat to give them the critique teams likely crave at this stage of their journey!