Who’s ready for football and marching season?! 🏈🎷

Do you have lingering questions? When will my child get home? What are prelims and finals? Who will feed my child? Do I have to stay the whole time? Fret not! I’m here to explain what happens to you over the next 5 weeks.

This week starts us off with what my youngest child calls “The Week of Doom and Despair.” 💀 It’s the busiest week of the next 5 weeks. You’ll have early morning rehearsals, after-school rehearsals, a showcase, a football game, a marching contest, and probably very little sleep. Parents—this is your official introduction to marching season.

🏈 The Brutal Friday-Saturday Double Header 🏈
There will be days when Liberty has a Friday night football game. It’s long, it’s far away, and there’s traffic. And no, the band does not leave early from football games—we stay until the very last whistle blows! By the time the kids get back to school, unload, and are dismissed, it is late in the evening. Then comes Saturday. It’s the crack of dawn, and you’re a zombie driving a zombie. Grab a cold brew, buckle up, and let’s head right back to school with your teenager.
✨They wear the same clothing underneath their uniforms for both games and contests (compression shirts and black shorts). They will be stinky and sweaty, late night laundry might come into play.

Things to know about competition/contest days (you’ll hear these terms used interchangeably):

⏰ Contest Days Are a Marathon ⏰
Each performance is short, but the day is long!

Pre-Game:
Arrival: Usually 3–4 hours before our contest performance time.
Rehearsal: A quick run-through to get ready.
E.P.L. (Eat, Pack, Load): You will see this listed on the director’s competition itinerary. Band Booster funds cover the cost of meals on contest days! It will usually consist of lunch and dinner at the stadium, or sometimes dinner back at school. Breakfast will be provided ONLY IF it is an early-morning arrival time.
Depart for the stadium.

🏆 PRELIMS vs. FINALS (The Plot Twist) 🏆
Most of our competitions use a two-performance format:

Round 1 (Prelims): Every single band plays during the day to get scored and ranked.
Round 2 (Finals): Only the bands with the highest scores get to perform again at night.

What this means for you: If we don't make finals, we come home earlier. If we do make finals, the whole high-stakes process restarts from scratch (warm-up, perform, awards), and we won't get back to Liberty until well past midnight.

👀 SPECTATOR SURVIVAL TIPS 👀

⏱️ Do not be late: We are given a strict, set amount of time to perform. If you are 5 minutes late to the stadium, you will completely miss the show. Most stadiums do not allow entry into the stands while a band is performing. If you run late, you may be stuck watching from the concourse walkways.
🚗 You do not have to stay the whole time. You are welcome to come watch Liberty perform and leave, or you can stay all day to watch the other schools!
☀️ Beat the heat: Not all stadiums have shade or comfortable chairs. Oftentimes, you're sitting on metal bleachers in the full glare of the Texas sun. Consider purchasing a stadium seat and a good hat.

💡 What Parents Can Do 💡

❤️ Be There: Your teenager will almost certainly roll their eyes at you. They will pretend you are embarrassing them. Ignore it. Deep down, they want you in the stands.
📣 Cheer them on: Bring your loud stadium voice, sit with the other Liberty band parents, and make some noise during the contest!
👕 What to wear: For contest days, wear your Show Shirt. For football game days, wear your red Liberty shirt.
🔔 Turn your Band App notifications ON: We will do our best to keep you in the loop regarding where we are sitting, if we make finals, and—most importantly—when the buses are heading home. Don’t make the mistake of sitting in the school parking lot 2 hours early because the buses got stuck in traffic!
💲 Snack Money: Remember, these days are long. While the Boosters provide the main meals, your teenager will almost certainly crave a stadium slushie, a giant pretzel, or extra concession snacks. These items must be bought with their own money. If your child is a big snacker, make sure they have a form of payment with them! (Pro-tip: Many modern stadiums are entirely cashless, so a card or digital payment is usually safest!)
🙌Volunteer: We needs lots and lots of parent volunteers - meal team, bus chaperones, and roadies. Please contact @Jennifer Brandt
❗ Follow stadium rules! There are rules regarding bags, noise makers, and oddly the size of your camera. Don't get left outside because you accidentally brought contraband.

TL;DR:
✅Expect some brutal Friday football games followed by crack-of-dawn Saturday competition arrivals.
✅Boosters cover main meals but pack a cashless form of payment for your kid's extra stadium snack cravings.
✅Competitions have Prelims (everyone plays) and Finals (only top schools play again at night). If we make Finals, expect a well-past-midnight return!
✅Do not be late to the stadium or you'll miss the show entirely.
✅Turn your Band App notifications ON so you get live updates on bus arrival times and stadium seating info.

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