How to Join a Drill Team

To join a drill team, you'll need lots of preparation and dedication. Drill teams are notoriously particular and drill team applicants will have to jump through several hoops before being initiated as members. The long, and often intense, journey is well worth it. The sense of camaraderie, purpose and loyalty that stems from drill practice is unparalleled to other hobbies.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Make the Team

1. Work out often. Whether on your own, with a trainer or at a gym, working out is essential to any drill team member's performance. Being on a drill team is physically demanding and you need to build strength, flexibility and dexterity to prove you are capable.

2. Hire a current or former drill team member or leader as your coach. If you are serious about joining a major drill team, you'll need expert coaching and advice before you apply to join.

3. Remember that practice makes perfect. Be prepared to demonstrate solo routines as well as group routines, since both are a part of drill team life.

4. Perfect the moves. Work on your creative choreography and study classic drill team maneuvers like the Kims.

5. Study other forms of movement. Coaches are impressed by applicants who have a diverse background in other forms of footwork such as modern dance, tap dance or gymnastics.

6. Start small. The drill team community is small and tight-knit. If you can prove yourself on smaller levels, like city or school-funded teams, you have a better chance of scaling through the ranks.

Find Drill Teams in Your Area

7. Talk to your local schools. Grade schools, high schools and universities all have operational drill teams, some with top-ranking reputations and credentials.

8. Join the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps). The ROTC is a great way to get your start in drill team life as a youth and you can carry your talents into the military level.

9. Explore military options. Each branch of the military has its own drill team, many of which compete or sometimes perform together at public events.

10. Talk to local marching band members, dancers or baton twirlers. Many drill teams co-exist with these groups because performances are often combined into showcases and various artists will even perform together.

11. Talk to city, county or community agencies like 4-H clubs or after-school programs. Many times, drill teams can be formed based on demand or they may already be in existence and more open to newcomers than some of the larger teams.

Tips & Warnings

• Some drill teams require no experience or training and will accept all applicants.
• Military drill teams are some of the most highly regarded teams in existence.
• Some schools offer drill team participation for school credit.
• Expect to pay fees upon joining. Drill team members need to pay for equipment, costumes and practice space.

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