Deriving Maximum Enjoyment Out of the DCI Season: Spring Training Edition
Spring Training Camp 2022 starts on Friday! Always an exciting if not a little apprehensive time, especially for first time DCI marchers with first time DCI parents.
So…I sat down and thought to myself…”Self…what do you wish YOU’D known before your son took off for Spring Training with the Cavaliers in 2017? Is there anything worth saying, specifically to a first time DCI parent?”
Actually…I think there is. So…for you veteran parents out there, this will be boring and old-hat, but perhaps when it’s posted in POTC, you could add your own sage wisdom to help our new parents through what is probably the toughest part of the season…Spring Training! So…in no real particular order, I’d offer up these thoughts.
1. Let your son breathe – If this is your son’s first move-in for a DCI Spring Training, there’s no doubt that there can be some apprehension about the physical and mental 30+ days he’s about to go through. Totally understood and totally natural. That said, I made a rule for myself back in 2017… short of someone in the family dying, I wasn’t going to try to stay in touch with my son at all. Of course, about a week after I scribed that mental rule, my Uncle David did indeed die…and I was concerned enough that Davis might see it on social media before hearing from family that we did contact the staff and have Davis contact us. I’d strongly urge you to have a discussion with your Cavalier about “communication triggers”…things that would warrant communication either way…and agree that beyond those ( death in the family, etc. ) that he dedicate himself to the training process, and you as parents let him focus…and breathe…and start maturing into even more of an adult. Be aware that the Members are in rehearsal blocks most of the day into the late evening without access to texts, etc. The few minutes they get in the mornings/evenings with their phone they will probably want to be doing something else besides chatting with mom and dad.
2. Plan at least one “surprise and delight” care package shipment to your son at Adrian. You know best what he’d want in it. Strategize timing…would he need encouragement a week in because it’s so new? Halfway through to celebrate the “tipping point” til tour starts? The last week as the Corps prepares to break camp and hit the road? You’ll know when it’s best to send…and there’s nothing that says you can’t send multiple care packages! Sometimes something that “feels like home” is just what the Doctor ordered.
3. Volunteer if you are able! There is absolutely no better way to understand what’s “going on” with a Drum Corps than to volunteer to serve the drum corps. I always chose to volunteer when they were actually out on tour, so I’d need someone else to chime in regarding the Spring Training experience. I’m sure it’s every bit as hard work as the road tour…the only difference would seem to be there are no middle of the night bus rides during Spring Training, so perhaps this is a good chance to volunteer to get the feel of it.
4. Subscribe to ALL of the Cavaliers Social Media Feeds. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc. will all carry content throughout Spring Training and the tour…and there will be moments of weakness where you’d just like some “proof of life” that your son is alive and well and still with the Corps. The Cavaliers Media Team does a great job of getting out regular, fresh content to the online universe. Definitely take advantage of it!
5. Trust the process… The Cavaliers have been doing this for just a little while. Our men are in good hands when it comes to instruction, food, medical attention, etc. Even if your Cavalier texts home a few days in and says “Woah! This is more than I bargained for!” …stay encouraging and strong. He’ll thank you for it later.
Up the page, I referred to Spring Training as probably the toughest part of the season. It’s 30+ days. In the same place. Running long days. Away from friends and family. Think of it like the “induction phase” of a diet. Tough to “get going” but necessary to have any success. There are other tough stretches every season ( the week between Texas and Atlanta every year seems to really physically weigh on the guys a little for instance), but once your guy has made it through Spring Training and ready to head to Detroit’s Ford Field…it really is all downhill from there.
Hope you find this helpful. I’m sure other parents can offer even more useful advice than this. But for me in particular, having thought through this PRIOR to my son’s first ST camp, the better off I would have been!
Rolling With the Cavaliers 