Forest View Primary School drum majorettes’ hard work, dedication and enthusiasm paid off, as the newly-formed squad held their own against other, more experienced teams to place third in all but two categories in the drummies’ competition held at Forest Hills Sports Club on 9 May.
This was only the second time the squad has competed, and for the first time the girls competed in their full uniform (teams are not expected to be fully kitted out during their first year of competition due to the cost). Thanks to the generosity of the girls’ families and the local community they were able to achieve their goal.
“It was an emotional experience watching the girls walk out onto the field. They performed to such a high standard, especially considering how new they are at this. It is a real testament to what can be achieved with hard work and determination,” said chairperson of the FVPS Drum Majorette Committee, Nicolette Mare.
Drum majorettes was introduced as a school sport at the school in October last year by Victoria Blore, a school parent and ex-drummie who volunteers her time to train the girls. Driven by her passion for drummies and a desire to grow the sport in KwaZulu-Natal, she approached the school about starting a team. The school was incredibly supportive and the sport has proven extremely popular with the girls.
The team consists of around 30 girls from Grades 3 to 7, who train tirelessly to master their displays. Drummies is a physically demanding activity which requires extreme dedication and commitment, and the girls train three to four times a week.
“It’s a fantastic sport which cultivates self-confidence, discipline and teamwork amongst young girls – equipping our future leaders with skills that they will use well into adulthood,” said Mare.
Drum majorettes is offered for free at the school to ensure that all girls have the opportunity to participate, so a large amount of fundraising has therefore been required in order to get the team up and running.
“Initially our focus was on basic skills development and raising funds to supply the team with props and uniforms. Now our focus is on raising funds to get the team to nationals in Bloemfontein from 5 to 7 July.”
The team is looking for companies who wish to partner with them to help them achieve their dream. Contact the chairperson, Nicolette Mare, at nicolette.mare@gmail.com or coach, Victoria Blore, at victoria_blore@yahoo.com.
