The Yellow Board

Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Mr. Dude on 5/18/2022, 10:58 am

Anyone on here have an indoor practice facility and gets to use it for marching band? Our athletic director wants to get me involved to help get it approved and I want to make sure I ask for the right things.

What are some things yours has or doesn't have that you think are crucial?

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Indoor on 5/21/2022, 11:50 am, in reply to "Indoor Practice Facilities"

We just got one last year. I've only used it a few times.

There's no AC. You're out of the sun, but it's still hot, and quickly gets humid with sweaty kids breathing on each other. There are big ass fans (literally, that's the brand name) to move air but they're LOUD.

Ours has no room for a front ensemble. We could potentially do full band music in there in arcs, or marching fundamentals, but not actual show runs with the pit.

The observation deck is centered in the building, but the yard lines are not. They started with the end zone at one end, the observation deck is between the 40 and 45, and it stops at the other 40. We tried it once on a rainy day and just put up yellow yard markers to put the 50 on the line closest to center. Better than not rehearsing that day, but still not great.

Ours has a nice sound system with a wireless mic we can use to talk. To plug in a met requires someone to be in the sound closet in the end zone, so we have to bring the megavox anyway.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Central Tx on 5/19/2022, 5:49 am, in reply to "Indoor Practice Facilities"

Longhorn Band practices in an indoor facility that they've been using for several years now. They might be a good resource.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by And... on 5/19/2022, 8:39 am, in reply to "Re: Indoor Practice Facilities"

...I think A&M rehearses indoors as well, saw them do it in a video.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by BariRock on 5/19/2022, 12:28 am, in reply to "Indoor Practice Facilities"

We have one where I am, the head director/Fine arts director had a say in planning it. Make sure there is enough sideline room for a front ensemble, make sure there is a "directors stand" or an area for directors and coaches to stand on the 50. Make sure there is plenty of airflow from multiple garage doors/the company "big @$$ fans" there was one rehearsal we had in there where it was hotter in there than it was outside. And then potentially a speaker system in there with a wireless mic that can be used anywhere on the field.

Good luck on getting it approved!

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Money on 5/18/2022, 4:30 pm, in reply to "Indoor Practice Facilities"

That sounds like a ridiculous waste of money that could be better spent on other things...

That aside, you will have a logistical nightmare ever getting practice time as I am sure football then soccer will get priority. How would both the football team and the band practice after school in it?

Secondly, do you really want to use it very often. Part of rehearsals outside are conditioning. Kids get used to being inside then get thrown out for that first football game and that could be a disaster.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Well... on 5/19/2022, 3:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Indoor Practice Facilities"

In our district, we are sometimes "forced" to stay inside when the heat index reaches a certain number. So frankly, I don't think that is a waste of money if it is something that will allow students to continue to do what the community wants, without the risk of excessive heat exposure, or having to cancel practices/just stay inside and work on music half the time.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Mr. Dude on 5/19/2022, 11:32 am, in reply to "Re: Indoor Practice Facilities"

To your first take, facilities money has to be spent on facilities, there are plenty of programs who will be benefiting from the growth plan (no bond).

Considering we currently share about 17 kids between football and band, and we are already sharing a practice facility (at different times of course), it would be exactly the same as it is now which is no problem at all.

Secondly, yes I will want to use it often. Will I have every rehearsal in there, no of course not! Next year, I have no idea how my full band will fit inside the band hall including pit and drum line. Being able to have music rehearsals in an open area gives us a lot more breathing room than our band hall which will be wall to wall next year. Being able to split our groups and have multiple marching/playing rehearsals at the same time without sound bleeding, especially each one having a met.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Yeah... on 5/19/2022, 8:41 am, in reply to "Re: Indoor Practice Facilities"

So dose buying a new pressbox for the stadium using ESSER III money...but our district did it anyway.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Irritating on 5/19/2022, 10:19 am, in reply to "Re: Indoor Practice Facilities"

That's incredibly irritating as a tax payer. Those funds were meant to serve a purpose of catching kids up after lost instruction.... UGH! And for the record, I disagreed with districts that used those funds to replenish an aging inventory too. That's not what that money was supposed to be used for.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by make sure on 5/18/2022, 12:49 pm, in reply to "Indoor Practice Facilities"

You need to make sure that you will actually get to use it. Sounds like your AD knows that getting the band program involved will help get it approved, which it will. However, you need some kind of actual agreement, probably written, that you will actually get to use it. If not, you may be SOL when it comes down to benefiting from it.

Re: Indoor Practice Facilities

Posted by Mr. Dude on 5/18/2022, 3:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Indoor Practice Facilities"

I hear ya...won't be a problem with our current personnel, we have great relationships with the coaches. And we already share practice facilities and work really well communicating about times and expectations, so that won't really change.

And if there's a coaching change, they are told in the interview what those expectations are...I've had two AD's tell me this.

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