Watch This Color Guard Coach Twirl On 'Let's Make A Deal'

ARCADIA, CA — Drill Team director, Joseph Kidd, has a lot to smile about this year. Not only does he work as the Dana Mariners and Arcadia High School Color Guard Team Coach, but he also showed off his stuff in front of a national audience.

Dressed out in full hamster onesie, along with a birthday sign, balloon, and trove of medals around his neck, he was put on the spot to show what he knows using nothing but a broom and the gumption he teaches his middle and high school students.

When you have your opportunity to shine, take it.

Kidd trains the Dana Mariners with the same approach and passion as he does Arcadia High School's nationally recognized Color Guard team, which recently took home 2nd place medals at the Southern California Color Guard Championships this past April.

Kidd, originally from Georgia, joined Lulabel Independent, where he got his first job as a color guard instructor at Newton High School. He recently was interviewed by Arcadia Unified Digital Communications Intern Kate Fletcher on his work, his passion and what is next for his color guard teams.

"Ever since I was introduced to color guard, I just knew there was something special about the activity," Kidd told Fletcher.

Kidd has taught schools in Georgia and California until he finally landed in the city of Arcadia.
Every minute counts for the Dana Drill Team, as each practice consists of only 35 minutes every Tuesday and Thursday.

With over 35 students, ranging from eleven to fourteen years of age, Kidd admits that "it takes a lot of focus on my part and determination on theirs to make the necessary progress as we enter into the competitive parade season."

No obstacle is too difficult for these performers, especially not the young Dana Hills Drill Team.

"Middle schoolers are fearless," Kidd said. "They are so young and quite inexperienced in the activity that they don't know what can go wrong. Therefore, their performance anxiety is low, and their willingness to try new skills is very high."

Color guard teams have two competitive seasons throughout the school year. During the first season, bands and color guards join their efforts to create a show that captivates the spectators through sight and sound as they go down the parade route. The second season stretches from February to April, and color guards compete individually against other color guards, where competitions take place indoors in a similar yet different sport called "winter guard."

This winter season, the Mariners will be the first Arcadia middle school to have a competitive winter guard. Kidd is most excited about the new students that will join the winter guard world. He hopes that more students will love the unique sport that color guard is and that they feel pride representing Dana Middle School at all of their competitions.

After competing in Baldwin Park on Saturday, Nov. 2, Dana captains proudly accepted the second place trophy.

The Mariner Drill Team will make its next appearance at the Arcadia Festival of Bands on Nov. 23 alongside the Foothills, First Avenue, and Arcadia High bands, as well as compete in their last parade of the season in Pomona on Dec. 14.

The Arcadia High School Color Guard placed 16th at the World Championships in 2018 and is a part of the Arcadia High School Marching Band, also recently found out it will soon be under the national spotlight again when the band marches in the iconic Rose Parade in 2021.

Arcadia High School marching band has appeared 17 times in the historic parade. The legendary Apache band also marched in two presidential inaugurations, performed at halftime of the very first Super Bowl in 1967, performed at a World Series game, and was even featured in an NFL Super Bowl Commercial a few years ago.

As for Kidd's 'Let's Make a Deal' appearance, filmed in May and aired in November? He brought home $550.

Arcadia Unified Digital Communications Intern Kate Fletcher, with Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.