Now a solider in the US Army, Jordan Wierzbicki spent 4 years as his unit’s cadet commander. Here, he shares what he’s learned!
Category: Tip of the Week
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Drill Team Hacks 04: Backwards Planning
It’s never too early to start thinking about the end of the season!
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Drill Team Hacks 03: What To Do With No Rifle
DTD Ambassador Brian Lemus is stationed overseas and doesn’t have access to a rifle. That won’t stop him from practicing, though! Check it out here:
You can get your own practice bar by CLICKING HERE!
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Drill Team Hacks 02: Building Beats
Join DTD co-founder Matt Wendling as he gives you an idea of how to better use music to your advantage!
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Drill Team Hacks 01: SOPs
Welcome to a brand new series: Drill Team Hacks!
These are quick tips & tricks that will level your game up! Check out this week’s Hack here:
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Tip of the Week: Sound off!
Exhibition drill is about entertainment. How can you keep those military judges interested from start to finish? One great way to keep your audiences engaged is through the use of audio. Your rifle is like an instrument. Hit the middle of the upper handguard and you’ll get a distinct, “Crack!” Slam it to the deck and you’ll get that deep, “Boom!” that you can feel in your chest. If you’re an unarmed team, slapping your sides sounds much different than stomping loudly against the deck. Learn to use all the tools at your disposal to create the best SOUNDING routine you can come up with. Close your eyes and listen to your team perform each segment and see whether it produces a steady rhythm. Pull up a song with a strong beat and start using your rifle or body to create movements that mimic the beat. Let the slams and stomps become your bass and the cracks and pops become your snare. Be careful, though! Your favorite song just might wind up being the one you can’t stand hearing after you’ve spent so much time listening to it over and over! Music is sometimes called the “universal language” and learning to speak it through your exhibition movements will enhance your routine tenfold!
This week’s DTD Challenge:
Create a short exhibition beat to your favorite song (any genre!), film it, and post it to our Facebook page with the name of the song you used!
Want to learn more? Check out our Drill Team Training Workshops to find out how to bring our world-class Staff of coaches to your school!
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Tip of the Week: Learning to win!
Everyone likes to be a winner and few enjoy losing. As another awesome training outfit claims, “No one wants to leave with second place when first place is an option!” Winning, however, isn’t as simple as knowing the right steps, hitting your mark on-point, and executing well. Winning starts from the heart. Before your team can begin winning trophies, they must learn to win as a group. Teams who compete at a high level also practice at a high level of intensity. They spend time outside of practice hanging out and bonding. They learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to adapt on the fly. They come together to create goals and work together to achieve them on a daily basis. They respect each other and honor positions of authority even if they may have personal disagreements. These teams win because they have learned to function as a cohesive unit. Go to these practices and you would see their water bottles lined up perfectly. You would see them in similar attire. You would never see rifles scattered everywhere; you’d see them laying in an orderly fashion while the team takes a break. All these small things culminate and result in the big wins you desire! There are no quick fixes and no amount of JUST drill will make your team a consistent powerhouse. Learning to win ensures that at the end of the day, win, lose, or draw, progress towards your end goal has been made! Remember, you can’t control what the judges think but you CAN control how your team responds!
This week’s DTD Challenge:
Post on our Facebook page and tell us about a team you’ve seen dominate competitions (maybe it’s your own)! Tell us what stands out about that team?
Want to learn more? Check out our Drill Team Training Workshops to find out how to bring our world-class Staff of coaches to your school!
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Tip of the Week: Exhibition essentials!
What makes an exhibition routine awesome? Ever wondered what those amazing teams on YouTube do to create the amazing performances they give each year at Nationals? The process of making a routine is as much a science as it is an art. And it starts with the essentials! Ask yourself first what the skill level of your team is. Routine elements should match their ability and challenge each team member to improve. What movements do you know and want to use? Make a list of the movements and spins you already know. Make a list of tricks you want to learn. Use this list to perfect existing movements in place and learn new ones before plugging them into your routine. Once you have a solid base of spins and sequences, start looking at how they compliment each other? Do you have a sequence where each squad executes at a different time? Consider placing it next to a sequence where everyone executes the same movements at the same time. Have you created a sequence that is very fast-paced? Consider placing it next to a very slow sequence. The contrast will make the fast one appear faster and the slow one appear slower. Things like contrast and variety are essential and will take you further than difficult spins and tosses alone!
This week’s DTD Challenge:
Work with your team to create an new exhibition drill sequence! Film it and post it to our Facebook page!
Want to learn more? Check out our Drill Team Training Workshops to find out how to bring our world-class Staff of coaches to your school!
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Tip of the Week: Dress right!
What does your football team wear to practice? Is it jeans and a hoodie? Does the bowling team wear tennis shoes to the lanes? They’d probably be thrown of practice faster than you can say, “Platoon, Attention!” When it comes to drill, we tend to think that just because we’re not tackling, running, and jumping, anything goes when it comes to clothing. However, to really set yourself apart, designate a practice uniform. It will help you develop precision and build a sense of belonging within the team. One of the tricks many top teams use is to mandate that an old pair of dress shoes be worn to practice. This way, each cadet practices in the footwear they will perform in. It won’t be long before you see your teammates rocking their practice gear during the school day like a badge of honor. Remember, practice clothing should be comfortable and athletic and allow for a good range of motion.
This week’s DTD Challenge:
Post a picture on our Facebook page of your entire team in matching practice clothing! The most uniform group wins!
Want to learn more? Check out our Drill Team Training Workshops to find out how to bring our world-class Staff of coaches to your school!
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Tip of the Week: Practice time is team time!
Does your school’s top basketball player only shoot hoops during after-school practices? Does that amazing flute soloist in your band only play her instrument during band period? Does the student making straight A’s only study during the school day? Absolutely not! Drill practice is time for the team to grow and improve as a unit, not to address individual issues. Use every moment available to you outside of practice to work on your skills. “But I don’t have a rifle at home to use!” you might say. I’ll bet you do have a baseball bat. Work on your rifle manual with that broom in your garage. Flank into your classrooms. Practice your arm swing walking through the grocery store. Throw your keys in the air and see how fast you can pin your arms before catching them again. Every moment spent improving outside of practice will make your actual drill practices more effective.
This week’s DTD Challenge:
Snap a picture of you (and your drill team friends) practicing drill somewhere other than drill practice! How creative can you get? Share the picture on our Facebook page!
Want to learn more? Check out our Drill Team Training Workshops to find out how to bring our world-class Staff of coaches to your school!