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 6th 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 the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association, a Winter Guard International affiliate circuit. This activity provides an avenue for guard members to hone their skills year-round, as well an additional performance outlet to highlight those skills in a unique environment that features the students more directly than the larger ensemble setting of marching band. The program has become increasingly successful and competitive; recent accomplishments include:

2026 Varsity - Bronze Medal in SAA Round 1 at CWEA Championships

2026 Spin Club - 5th overall in Cadet Class at CWEA Championships

2025 Varsity - Class Champion in Class SAAA, promoted to Class SAA

2025 Sub-Varsity - 8th in SRA Round 4

2025 Spin Club - 7th overall in Cadet Class at first ever CWEA Championships

2024 Varsity - Silver Medal in Class SAAA Round 4 at CWEA Championships

2024 Sub-Varsity - Gold Medal in Class SRA Round 2 at CWEA Championships

2024 Spin Club - Cadet Class Champions at both regional competitions

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 have also been 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 while growing as people. As an extension of the Lakeside Bands, the guard program operates under the same philosophy and standards in all that we do: excellent people, excellent process, excellent product.