I took some time to realize that it was just the right combination of what I was searching for: an enjoyable activity with a high level of difficulty and great mental rewards. When people hear about marching band, they usually scoff, shake their heads, and wonder how in any way, shape, or form that it can be a considered a sport. At first, I responded in the same way. But then, as I spent more seasons with the band I came to a stunning realization: this sport is hard. Not the same “hard” as is usually found in other sports, where the body is only physically pushed to its limits, but “hard” in that it required very high levels of mental and physical coordination. No other sport that I’ve participated in comes remotely close to the difficulty of marching band in terms of mental and physical demand. In simple sports, such as track and field or swimming, one only has to concentrate on their form, the starting gun, and the limitations placed on the locations of their bodies on the track or in the pool. They have to push their bodies farther than their opponents to win. More complex sports (such as lacrosse, football, or soccer) add to the above in that one now has to coordinate the motions of their body with the movements of their teammates, and in some cases, the tool in your hand (i.e. a lacrosse stick) to beat your opponent. Once you get the hang of those sports, they are simple to play, have simple objectives, and have simple ways to achieve those objectives (score more points, touch the wall first, cross the finish line first, and so on). Marching band is simple in terms of who wins. It’s the process of getting there makes it the most demanding sport in the world.