Written by Isabella Elliott
Salem High School's new winter guard director, Stephanie Bower, has wanted to coach winter guard since she was in high school.
“Directing at Salem just kind of found me,” she said, adding that she has been helping band and guard since her kids joined in 2014. She would push props, make uniforms and sew; whatever needed to be done she would do it.
“Miss Hildenbrand discovered that I had been in guard myself and she asked me if I would be interested in being the guard director,” she said. In a lot of ways it was always her dream job because she was a member of fall and winter guard while in high school.
Bower did a brief season as a winter guard director at Eastern right after she got out of college. When she got a job teaching at an elementary school in Jeffersonville, her life got busy and she wasn’t able to do both.
“I’m in a great position to offer more of my time and experience now that my own kids are older so it worked beautifully,” she said.
Bower would love to build the SHS program and said, “I want to encourage my performers to push their abilities and to never back down from a challenge.”
She wants the students who perform to have a great experience and when they graduate, she wants them to look back at the years in guard with the same love that she has from her time performing.
Her biggest influence as a coach was Richard Trueblood.
“He was an amazing influence on every student that came through the guard program at Salem for decades,” she said. “He introduced us to all styles of dance, music and art. He always encouraged us to grow our creativity.”
Bower's expectations for winter guard is to stay open to growth. The work winterguard does is frustrating at times and is challenging. Being able to work with constructive critique is the best way to grow.
Winter guard has five scheduled competitions this season. They are presenting their show in an exhibition for those who cannot travel to the competitions on March 5 at 7 p.m. in the brick gym at Salem Middle School. Admission is free but donations will be accepted.
Winter guard started with a weekend audition in late November and the season wraps up mid-March. There are nine performers in the group this year with three student prop helpers.
“I love Stephanie,” said Kelsey Sease, who is a sophomore guard member. “She's been such a great director. She's different from other coaches because she listens to us and treats us like people; she's nice and kind and pushes us to do our best. She's great at teaching and doesn't bring us down.”
“It has been such an honor to be given the task,” said Bower. “I was a member of Salem’s guard myself in high school, so it means a lot to me to guide a new generation of students through something that was a huge part of my life. I love art, music and design and winter guard lets me work with all of those elements. It’s been so much fun to bring to life all of the ideas swimming around in my head.”