Welcome to the first summer posting for “View From The Sidelines”! After another extended hiatus, the blog (and it’s writer…*lol* ) are back up to speed and ready to deliver some of the best commentary around on the phenomenon that is the HBCU marching band experience. For those of you that have followed VFTS from it’s beginnings until now, I’d like to extend a heart-felt thank you for your continued patronage. This column’s longevity would not have been possible without your interest and participation. For those of you that are new to VFTS, welcome!!! I (as well as our sponsors at the 5th Quarter ) hope you find as much enjoyment out of “The Craft” as we all have over the years.
Now, to the topic at hand; Those of us who follow HBCU programs are very aware of the hierarchy that currently exists between the more recognized organizations and some of our smaller members. Whether we want to collectively admit to it or not, there are ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ among our programs…Program longevity and success is something that’s hard to come by, and even harder to maintain from season to season. Of course, every program that puts their spats on one at a time wants to reach the pinnacle of the the craft. The question is how does a program get there? Once that program has reached a satisfactory level of success, how does said program maintain that success consistently? There are many variables that go into making a good, stable program, but there have only been a handful of them that have turned those factors into a long lasting standard of excellence.