Guard

Welcome to the Lakeside High School Guard Program!

The Lakeside High School Guard is the CSRA's leading color guard & winter guard program and a vital part of the Lakeside Bands. In the fall, guard members perform as a section within the marching band, and in the spring semester, guard members are sorted into teams to perform their own unique shows. This video is a great crash-course on the world of guard!

Our Winter Guard program is comprised of up to four performance ensembles that serve students from 7th through 12th grade: Varsity, Sub-Varsity, JV, and Spin Club (for middle schools students beginning their involvement in the program). Membership in these groups is determined through an audition process. Only students who are members of the fall marching band program are eligible for Maroon membership. Both groups compete in regional and national/international circuits (Carolina Winter Ensemble Association and Winter Guard International). This activity provides an avenue for guard members to hone their skills year-round and an additional performance outlet to highlight those skills in a different environment that features the members more directly than the larger ensemble setting of marching band. The program has become increasingly successful and competitive; in 2024, Maroon earned the silver medal and Silver earned gold in their respective rounds and classes at CWEA Championships, and Spin Club won their class at both of their competitions! In 2025, Spin Club placed 7th in their first ever performance at championships, Silver placed 8th in their round, and Maroon earned the gold medal in their round and was named the circuit champion for their division!

Membership in the guard program is open to any student enrolled at or zoned for Lakeside High School (students must be enrolled with the Columbia County School District). Several members of the fall guard and even more in the winter guard are also instrumentalists in the band program.

The ultimate goal of the program is to provide our students with a lifelong understanding of and appreciation for music, dance and the performing arts. As an extension of the Lakeside Bands, we operate under the same philosophy and hold ourselves to the same standard in all that we do: excellent people, excellent process, excellent product.