Color guard has been part of HHS for many years and for the first time a local senior guy, Christian Foxworthy, has said no to gender rules and joined the team. Foxworthy is one of the newest members of the color guard team and couldn’t enjoy it more.

“You get to be part of the band without having to learn an instrument. Everyone’s energetic and very fun,” Foxworthy says.

He is beginning his first year in the color guard and has been accepted in with flying colors by the team. He has gotten a lot of support from not only the team, but from friends as well.

“I think it’s great that he joined color guard. Many people assume that it’s just for girls when really anyone can be a part of it,” senior Aubree Byington says.

When Foxworthy joined color guard, it seemed a bit out of the blue, considering he had never done anything quite like Color Guard before.

“The day of the first clinic, Kathleen Isenegger texted me and said that the clinics were that day,”  Foxworthy says. “I didn’t have anything to do so I went. And I ended up liking it so I stayed.”

In Foxworthy’s earlier years in elementary school he used to be a part of the gymnastics teams and starred in The Nutcracker ballet which helped him gain a background in dancing and performing. The skills he developed there helped him be selected for the team and helped show his true ability to perform.

Color guard is not only just about performing, it is also about the experience. The team loves being out on the field and being able to perform with their friends.

“It’s as enjoyable to do as it is to watch, or more so even,” senior Katie Buyers says. “Once you get to try it and get the hang of it it’s even more fun than you might expect.”

The team members love having Foxworthy on their team. And although some people didn’t understand why he was doing this, he didn’t listen and did what his heart told him.

“During the clinics some people told me to reconsider and that I shouldn’t do it,” Foxworthy says.

And not only people he knows have been unaccepting to him. He has faced plenty of discrimination from the public. With students at the games and kids after school, he has had a good share of people try to bring him down.

“Just a few weeks ago there was some middle schoolers who were riding their bikes and one of the flag members heard them yelling, “Hey fa—t! Hey fa—t!””  Foxworthy says. “I just kind of tuned them out. I initially didn’t notice them, but when I did, I just ignored them. I didn’t really care that much about it. I knew that they were just dumb kids.”

Not long after joining the group Foxworthy began to feel at home. After being welcomed into the group they accepted him into their family.

“During the first few weeks, yes [I felt out of place]. But once they realized I was there to actually be a part of the team they eased more into it,”  Foxworthy says.

Foxworthy has continued to something that he loves and is doing it despite what society seems to deem as a sport solely for girls. He has broken the gender barrier for the first time on the Color Guard team here at Howell High School.   

“I would tell people to do whatever would make them happy. If they felt that the criticism would make them unhappy, then they shouldn’t do it. It all comes down to their emotional well being,” Foxworthy says.