Every morning, one of my first questions for my kids is: “What do you want for breakfast, and what do you want for lunch?”
It is the start to a great day when my older child prepares cereal or toaster waffles for himself and his sister. Occasionally, if we’re running late or they’re slow to get ready, I incentivize them to speed up by telling them we can go get donuts at a drive-through place nearby. I know— donuts aren’t exactly the breakfast of champions, but at least they are eating breakfast, and we have milk and fruit as well.
At this point in the summer, both of my kids go to day camp. One has lunch supplied by the camp, the other not. So I pack one lunch each day, typically with a sandwich or bagel, fruit, vegetable and squeezable yogurt. Frankly, I feel like I have limited options for lunch choices, especially since my son’s camp has forbidden any peanut butter or products containing nut traces this summer. Some days, a pre-packaged lunch is what ends up in his backpack.
As a parent, I only need to feed two kids, so I can’t even imagine the everyday decisions, hours of preparation and potential challenges that go into feeding a group of 150 drum corps or marching band students. Fortunately, we got the scoop on what marching instructors and health professionals recommend to fit the energy needs of marching participants. Do you know that they should drink nearly six times the amount of water and eat twice the calories of a typical person? Wow! For other interesting tidbits on nutrition and hydration during marching season, read “Fueling Your Body,” page 28.
On another note, we wish hearty congratulations to the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps on its golden anniversary. At an era where drum corps are finding it harder and harder to survive, the Blue Stars should certainly feel proud to reach this milestone. Read our Q&A with executive director Brad Furlano on page 34.
To all drum corps and marching students throughout the coming seasons: Good luck, have fun and stay healthy.
Musically Yours,
Christine Ngeo Katzman
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
