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Winter Guard International is not only a national competition but it is also an organization that has been around for many years. Unlike other traditional sports the rules and regulations have been changed and altered many times since the activity has started. This is a good thing because it means not only the competing members and directors have been getting better with technique and designing but it also means that as the activity is growing and getting better the judging requirements have been being changed when necessary. If the bar never gets raised the expectations will stay the same and the activity will no longer be something of interest. The hard part about this activity is that it is very much like dance competitions. There are judges that Interpret things there own way, whether it be wrong or right, and they score the groups accordingly. It is not like a sport where there are black and white defined rules and expectations. In this activity there is more leeway for judges to make decisions based on feeling and not on something that is as defined as a sport. The quote "smoke in the mirror" is used a lot in this activity because what you actually see groups doing may just be hiding the things that the group as a whole cannot accomplish. It is very seldom that the whole guard is participating in a big affect moment. major competitions worldwide are sanctioned and managed by Winter Guard International. This is the governing organization that makes and changes the rules and regulations for this activity. This activity not only exists in the United States but all around the world. The rules that are written by WGI apply to every Winterguard group competing in the National Championships no matter what country they are from. The National Championships are held every year in the United states. Most recently they have been held at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Prelims and semi-finals are held around the Dayton area and Cincinnati area. This is the one very good reason to travel to Dayton, Ohio every year.

The phrase "Sport of the Arts" is frequently associated with WGI. winter guard is described by saying "it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format." For people who have never seen it before or even heard of it should take the time to watch a show or two. It really is like nothing you have ever seen before. Theater, Dance, Song, Equipment all mixed together to become something both beautiful and entertaining to watch.