Most know Kristi Burke as Stewart Home & School’s Master Cosmetologist. But, did you know she was an accomplished member of the University of Kentucky’s Marching Band Color Guard team? Having that experience and knowledge, she brought the idea of forming Stewart Home’s first Color Guard team to light!
Kristi:
I was a member of the Woodford County Yellow Jacket Marching Band as a Flag Corp member from 1997-2000 and was Captain my Senior Year. Through high school it was a great way to cultivate friendships and get active! We had many practices and football games as well as national competitions where we got to know each other and have fun! Our Flag Corp sponsor, Faye “Momma” Daniel was very much my second Mom!
When I graduated High School I knew without a doubt that I wanted to try out for the Wildcat Marching Band Color Guard at the University of Kentucky! I was so nervous but went to try outs and made the squad!! I was the little fish in the big pond at that point. I learned so many new things in my 2 seasons there; like adding some dance aspects to routines & how to toss the flag high in the air…..and still catch it! I earned many bumps and bruises trying to learn that part! Being in such a big school color guard also helped me to make new friends and the fact that I got to go to all of the football games for free was a great added bonus!
It’s been 21 years since I picked up a flag to learn a new routine or marched on a football field. I’ve missed it so much. The physical activity, the creativity and the friendships! When I learned that Stewart Home & School participated in Flag Football the idea occurred to me that our students may enjoy and benefit from a color guard squad. We have 14 students will all ranges of abilities on our squad. Our practices have been so fun and full of smiles! I have adjusted flag pole weight & size to accommodate our students and they seem to love it as much as I do. We’ve had practices once per week since the beginning of October and will be going to our first Special Olympics Flag Football games this Sunday October 22 in Northern Kentucky to support our teams and have our first performances! It makes my heart so happy to see our students doing something that makes them smile. I can’t wait to see where we go from here with our color guard Squad!
We’re so thankful for Kristi and her willingness to bring such an exciting new activity to Stewart Home & School! Good luck to our flag football teams as well as our color guard team this weekend! GO SHS!
