Winning State is the goal of many high school activities, as it is one of the highest awards they can obtain by competing against the top contenders in the entirety of Kansas. Last year, several teams succeeded in doing so.
One of those teams was the Emerald Regiment. Band director Thorne Banks said the marching band did exceptionally well over the course of last year’s season, placing third at the Blue Springs Gold Regiment Invitational, first at the Olathe Marching Invitational and finally, winning State.
“Our goal is to continue to put in the same amount of work that we put in last year so that we can continue to compete at a high level,” Banks said. “I try to tell students that the goal isn’t necessarily about what place we get. Of course, it feels good when we get a high place, but what is more important is their individual growth and that they are becoming the best versions of themselves. I think if we do that, it will also lead us to success.”
While this is his first year as director, Banks worked with the band last year as well. He worked with clarinets and provided visual feedback, watching the program grow by the year.
“I chose [band] as a career because I discovered that the teachers who were in music and in band … often cared more about me, even as a person, more than other teachers did,” Banks said. “I thought that was really valuable, and I wanted to provide that same experience to students later.”
Junior drum major Isabella Borrell said the hope is to win State again this year, or to at least keep up with the competition. To do that, the band prepares extensively throughout the season, practicing consistently and trying to improve the show as time goes on.
“We have rehearsals starting at 7 a.m. every single day besides Thursday. On Thursdays, we have rehearsal from 5:30-8:30 p.m.,” Borrell said. “Usually, we warm up, do stretches and then practice our drill, practice music.”
Borrell said the band has not changed much, keeping the resolve to try hard and make the show just as good as last year’s. However, to do so, there are challenges.
“Keeping up stamina through the whole show and learning all of the components in the show [is difficult],” Borrell said. “People have to march, know where they’re going, know the counts, know what to play, what times and the drum majors have to learn the counts of the whole show.”
Banks said students have to be honest and accountable about their performance, and overcoming that is important. However, he said it has contributed to great success and when they were announced as State champions, it all paid off.
“We really didn’t think we were going to win, but we had put in a really good show. Then you’re just sitting there, and you hear them read the names, and every time it’s not your name, the goosebumps grow a little bit. And then, of course, after they read second place, everybody knows what’s coming,” Banks said. “People get out their cameras and they want to record, and then it’s just this super exciting moment of all the hard work paying off and someone else recognizing that.”
Similar to the band, the soccer team went undefeated and won State last season. Senior center midfielder Dane Christensen said there are a lot of new faces on the team. He said the team has to build up the chemistry, and once they do, he thinks they’ll do just as good as last year.
“There’s a lot of good underclassmen,” Christensen said. “So I think there’s going to be a lot of winning years in the future.”
There are a lot of challenges that come with playing soccer, individually and as a team. Christensen said individually, it is physically challenging, but keeping a positive attitude and having a growth mindset are difficult to maintain. As a team, Christensen said they try to stay on the same page, and figuring out what the other person will do during the game is hard, but manageable.
“We’ve got practice three times a week, every day when we don’t have games,” Christensen said. “And we watch some films after the games to see what we can improve on.”
Christensen has been playing soccer since he was 6 years old, first getting into it after his mom signed him up. He said he would like to continue playing through college.
“I think more people should come to the games,” Christensen said. “To get some more fans out there.”
Head soccer coach Erik Jones spoke with pride about the team’s accomplishments last year. Not only did they win State, they also won EKL, the KMO tournament and were ranked number two in the country by the end of the year.
“I think we bring back a lot of good leadership from that team. These guys want to have similar successes to years past, so they’re putting in a lot of hard work and a lot of effort; they’re very coachable,” Jones said. “I think that we’re just always trying to continue and build upon past success with future success.”
Having experience from playing soccer in high school and college, Jones said he knows what makes a good team and what will help them continue to build the program up even more after last year.
“Our training, getting the guys’ mindset right,” Jones said. “Focusing on just one game at a time and not looking too far ahead, and just keeping centered and grounded.”
Jones said coaching soccer requires a lot of him, such as asking players to play a different position they aren’t used to. He said he has the pieces to make a good team, but getting those pieces to fit in the right spot can be a challenge.
“[My favorite part is] just watching the boys excel and win. I think sometimes people take it for granted. It’s just a lot of fun to watch all their hard work come together in the end. It’s always a goal of ours to make it to State or win State,” Jones said. “And getting to see young players achieve that goal and just the excitement and happiness they found doing it will be a memory they have forever. And just knowing that, it gives you as a coach a different perspective.”
The band will compete at the Kansas Band Masters Association at Emporia State University on Oct. 18, and soccer, if they qualify, could do the same on Nov. 8 in Wichita.
