Cordon for Homecoming Court by Kyle McLaren
During halftime at the Melbourne High Homecoming football game, ten AFJROTC cadets took to the field to perform a special Cordon, a formation meant to recognize and celebrate the many court candidates who walked across the field. “The purpose of this event is to honor the Homecoming Court and to present them. It gives some flavor to the Homecoming Court!” said junior Brady Smith. Smith was one of the commanders who helped organize the event. “Since I commanded them, I told everybody to work on strength training, holding the rifle in tough positions, and of course teaching people the importance of getting it right,” Smith said.
The whole presentation of the Homecoming Court lasted over ten minutes as over fifty candidates walked down the field. Junior Hayden Meagher was one of the ten members. On each side of the aisle, there were five members. In each formation, there was a member holding a sword on each end, and three members holding their rifles in the middle. “It was interesting. Holding the sword up for a long time, my hand got shaky,” said Meagher. The team had also practiced their movements the day before the game as the Homecoming Court candidates determined the best way to arrange themselves on the field.
JROTC instructors Colonel Robin Athey and Chief Jerome Blackwell explained performances like this highlight how the program built leadership and community. “We do Orlando Magic basketball games, we just did the opening day for the West Melbourne Little League. We also go do Colorguard for other events. We’re out and about doing things for the local community all year round,” said Chief Blackwell. “The best part [about JROTC] is when we see the students actually get what we’re trying to tell them. Our program is all about success,” said Colonel Athey. “The main thing is that we are not yelling, screaming, or doing pushups. It’s a safe environment where we teach life skills and a little bit of military experience, we’re not mean at all,” Chief Blackwell said.
Caption:
Motivation + Teamwork = A Great Team: Charlie Flight leaders stands in the center of a circle of cadets for their daily motivation chant. “We do motivation checks in the classroom or outside and it keeps the team motivated,” says Hayden Meagher. The flights participated in PT time every wednesday. All members left the classroom and went to the school baseball field and played games such as kickball and modified versions of Capture the Flag. Photo by Kyle McLaren