The Yellow Board: Re: Area Every Year Plan

What's stopping the 1A bands that wish to "advance" from participating in USBands in the off year?

Yes, their bands are tiny. But USBands allows entry into categories based upon band size - go enter and win the Group 1 category.

If you really think they want to have more contests, there are plenty (like USB) that would have them. What's stopping them?

Previous Message

This is excellent data. Given this information, I still think it would be worth combining some of these areas so that there is still something for 1As on off years. While this may result in greater travel distances, I think that actually benefits the 1A programs in terms of retention. The 1A student rationale for being in band is rooted more in the social than the aesthetic.

This is my first year at this school (currently 2A, will very likely drop down to 1A). Even with all of our progress this year, our band students, especially our upperclassmen, are very deflated at the likelihood of missing consecutive advancing years. Yes I understand that we are likely one of only a handful of schools that the realignment will affect in this way, but having some form of area contest for 1As would help our program grow and maintain momentum.

Previous Message

For you and all 39 of the other bands in Class 1A that compete out of 142 schools? That's how many entered Region this year.

Or do you mean the 19 of those 39 that earned a first division, and would have advanced? Divided equally over 5 areas, that's 4 or 5 bands per area. However, it's not equal, as you'll see below.

Look at the entry numbers.

Area West (ATSSB Area) has 14 bands in it from regions 1 and 6. That one might work.

Area Central has 11. Pushing it - getting small - but you could justify it. Regions 8 and 16 contribute here.

Area South has 5 bands. Region 11 sent 4, region 12 sent one.

Area East has exactly two bands. One each from Regions 21 and 4.

And, my personal favorite - Area North has seven - all from Region 7, so their region MC is the same as Area.

Is it worth holding a separate contest for that few?

I'm not getting into which bands/regions actually earned first divisions, I was solely looking at entries for this.

IMO, it's absolutely not feasible to host separate area contests with numbers this small. You can propose they add it to the 2A/4A/6A contest if you like, but that's an advancing contest, so they may not want to add bands. Those area contests are already super long unless they're split to three sites (many are two - one 2/4A, one 6A) and even then the numbers are much lower.

Previous Message

Well, as the director of a 1A Band I guess I don't get the choice.
Y'all have fun - kind of waiting to see if we might have an "non-UIL" state championship contest next year for those of us in the 6-man world.

Previous Message

Just curious about directors' initial plans for the Area marching contest each year. Assuming the band makes a 1 at UIL, will you go to Area contest in a non-state year?