Junior twins Kimi and Miya Uenaka have long been awed by the vibrant color guard flags whirling miraculously through the air.

“Spinning objects looked cool,” said Miya, so in seventh grade the two decided to test this activity for themselves.

After this exposure, the Uenaka twins found themselves coming back to the activity again and again, practicing from 30 minutes to one hour every day in middle school.

According to Miya, their skill level is “fairly high,” as they were both members of the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets, a high-achieving drum corps group, lasting from the winter of 2016 through the summer 2017.

Now, they are involved in both the school’s color guard and winter guard teams. For the winter guard going on right now, they rehearse every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with performances all day on Saturdays.  

“All the camaraderie and fun memories that comes out makes it well worth the try,” Kimi said.

Miya explained that guard provides participants with fun as well as valuable life skills.

“Guard doesn’t only teach students how to throw weapons and flags into the air,” she said. “It also teaches you how to be mature, how to time manage and how to handle stress.”