Gruesome (and not so gruesome) band injuries?

[LeanderMomma]

I was just curious as to what are some band injuries you guys bands may have seen or experienced over the years? I know we had 2 or 3 in wheelchairs at Grand Nats last fall (2 sprained ankles and a broken hip). We looked like a M.A.S.H. unit!!

 

2015 was rough for my then Junior band kid who fell and broke her foot and damaged a ligament the FIRST HOUR of band camp!! Fortunately she recovered in time to finish the season, but the first 2 months were VERY sad for us.

 

I also heard, and later saw on the video I happened to record on my phone

[dukeoftrumpet]

My junior year I tore my MCL playing soccer and still marched because it was my last state year. Wasn't a smart decision.

[LeanderMomma]

  On 9/16/2017 at 3:31 PM, dukeoftrumpet said:

My junior year I tore my MCL playing soccer and still marched because it was my last state year. Wasn't a smart decision.

Ouch. That had to make for some painful marching!

[Danpod]

I don't have the photo, but there is a fairly famous incident involving an Avon guard member who broke her nose near the end of their 2005 show at Grand National Semifinals.  She finished the show and still managed to nail the "Zen" pose at the end of the show which is when the photo was taken.  Definitely gory but she became a legend after that.

A year before I started High School, our band had a baritone player who had a lip blister pop during a halftime performance.  It was raining during the performance so he was in a clear poncho that quickly turned in to a red poncho when that happened.

 

There is also the Carolina Crown member that sustained a leg fracture during Finals in 2010.  One of their volunteers saw the brass member go down and ran on to the field to carry the member off.  That volunteer also injured himself while running off the field with the injured player.  

[LeanderMomma]

  On 9/16/2017 at 3:38 PM, Danpod said:

I don't have the photo, but there is a fairly famous incident involving an Avon guard member who broke her nose near the end of their 2005 show at Grand National Semifinals. She finished the show and still managed to nail the "Zen" pose at the end of the show which is when the photo was taken. Definitely gory but she became a legend after that.

 

A year before I started High School, our band had a baritone player who had a lip blister pop during a halftime performance. It was raining during the performance so he was in a clear poncho that quickly turned in to a red poncho when that happened.

 

There is also the Carolina Crown member that sustained a leg fracture during Finals in 2010. One of their volunteers saw the brass member go down and ran on to the field to carry the member off. That volunteer also injured himself while running off the field with the injured player.

DCI is notorious for gory injuries. Remember this one from just this season? She's in the Crossmen guard.

 

https://www.collegemarching.com/content/bloodied-crossmen-member-doesnt-quit-performance

[snares]

What is now 12 or 13 years ago, my high schools snare line had a pretty big move straight backwards and the freshmen on my left tried to shift his weight for the next move and rolled his ankle completely, fell over and then got stepped on. Tore a ligament in his ankle as well as cracking his fibula towards the bottom after being stepped on. It also bent the rim of that old Yamaha snare and broke off a know that adjusts snares. He quit at the end of the season it was really sad.

[LeanderMomma]

  On 9/20/2017 at 5:01 AM, SnareSnare13 said:

What is now 12 or 13 years ago, my high schools snare line had a pretty big move straight backwards and the freshmen on my left tried to shift his weight for the next move and rolled his ankle completely, fell over and then got stepped on. Tore a ligament in his ankle as well as cracking his fibula towards the bottom after being stepped on. It also bent the rim of that old Yamaha snare and broke off a know that adjusts snares. He quit at the end of the season it was really sad.

Poor kid. :/

 

Marching band is definitely not for the faint of heart. Sheesh!!

[JC18]

I’m currently marching with a sprained ACL, and it’s definitely not easy (I ended up in an ambulance after my first performance on Friday and yesterday at UIL I had to walk off with support, but it’s getting better, slowly!), but I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I’m sure my story isn’t unique, but from this perspective it’s hard not to march and most of us would go through pretty much anything to keep marching, this is just too special

[LeanderMomma]

  On 10/25/2017 at 12:35 PM, JC18 said:

I’m currently marching with a sprained ACL, and it’s definitely not easy (I ended up in an ambulance after my first performance on Friday and yesterday at UIL I had to walk off with support, but it’s getting better, slowly!), but I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I’m sure my story isn’t unique, but from this perspective it’s hard not to march and most of us would go through pretty much anything to keep marching, this is just too special

 

Oh my goodness!  And they say band is not an athletic activity.  

 

I hope you are feeling fantastic for BOA SA if your band is attending!!

[JC18]

  On 10/25/2017 at 2:51 PM, LeanderMomma said:

Oh my goodness!  And they say band is not an athletic activity.  

 

I hope you are feeling fantastic for BOA SA if your band is attending!!

Feeling somewhat better, although SA being only a week and a half away is looming... The amount of work bands put in now, between visuals, marching and everything is insane.

[JC18]

Update: Almost collapsed at the end of performance, had to be helped off, but did it, and it was worth it(if you saw Cy-Fair’s performance, that was me not in time limping off, lol)

[LeanderMomma]

  On 11/6/2017 at 4:50 PM, JC18 said:

Update: Almost collapsed at the end of performance, had to be helped off, but did it, and it was worth it(if you saw Cy-Fair’s performance, that was me not in time limping off, lol)

I truly don't know how you can march like that! Must be so painful.

[Band_dad_of_2]

Not gruesome but my kid played bass 3 her freshman year....she pulled a muscle in her leg.  She had to march finals at BOA San Antonio with that pulled muscle...percussion uses the side-step a lot so it was incredibly painful for her. 

 

In fact, there was one point in the show where most of the band got on the ground and was supposed to look like they were suffering...the BOA photographer got a pic of my daughter at that exact moment....she wasn't acting.  I can still see the picture in my head and it still puts a lump in my throat thinking about it.

 

She...never....missed...a step through the show.  I was as proud of her then as I've ever been.  I saw her after the show and she literally collapsed in tears on one of the grass medians.

[LeanderMomma]

  On 11/6/2017 at 7:45 PM, Band_dad_of_2 said:

Not gruesome but my kid played bass 3 her freshman year....she pulled a muscle in her leg. She had to march finals at BOA San Antonio with that pulled muscle...percussion uses the side-step a lot so it was incredibly painful for her.

 

In fact, there was one point in the show where most of the band got on the ground and was supposed to look like they were suffering...the BOA photographer got a pic of my daughter at that exact moment....she wasn't acting. I can still see the picture in my head and it still puts a lump in my throat thinking about it.

 

She...never....missed...a step through the show. I was as proud of her then as I've ever been. I saw her after the show and she literally collapsed in tears on one of the grass medians.

Wow, that's impressive!! I know it must have been tough to watch her suffering like that. Poor baby!

[JC18]

  On 11/6/2017 at 5:19 PM, LeanderMomma said:

I truly don't know how you can march like that! Must be so painful.

Adrenaline, a lot of Gatorade, and about 4-ish Advil tablets seems to do the trick.    Wouldn't recommend for the long run though.

[JC18]

  On 11/6/2017 at 7:45 PM, Band_dad_of_2 said:

Not gruesome but my kid played bass 3 her freshman year....she pulled a muscle in her leg.  She had to march finals at BOA San Antonio with that pulled muscle...percussion uses the side-step a lot so it was incredibly painful for her. 

 

In fact, there was one point in the show where most of the band got on the ground and was supposed to look like they were suffering...the BOA photographer got a pic of my daughter at that exact moment....she wasn't acting.  I can still see the picture in my head and it still puts a lump in my throat thinking about it.

 

She...never....missed...a step through the show.  I was as proud of her then as I've ever been.  I saw her after the show and she literally collapsed in tears on one of the grass medians.

Seeing that with your daughter... I couldn't imagine how worried you must have been.

[LanghamCreekEuph]

Back in 2016, during Area Finals for Langham, one of the baritone saxes ruptured their appendix during the show and marched the rest of it. Pretty sure he collapsed after the performance.

[An Inspirational Pinecone]

In 2016 while exiting the field at BOA San Antonio, there was a traffic jam and one of the docks weren't paying attention or didn't stop in time and ended up running into another dock. Problem was that there was a person between those docks and they were goin pretty fast... I don't know the details after (I believe she missed out on the rest of the season) but she's doing fine now.

[TWHSParent]

  On 10/1/2019 at 2:41 AM, An Inspirational Pinecone said:

In 2016 while exiting the field at BOA San Antonio, there was a traffic jam and one of the docks weren't paying attention or didn't stop in time and ended up running into another dock. Problem was that there was a person between those docks and they were goin pretty fast... I don't know the details after (I believe she missed out on the rest of the season) but she's doing fine now.

 

That happened again in 2017 (remember all those pyramids and silver posts on the carts), just earlier in the season. I think the band member that was injured made it back for Grand Nationals. Had nasty bruises but nothing was broken.

[MadisonBandMan1]

I've marched a whole performance with a dislocated toe... not fun.

[SpartanBandAlum]

I turned an ankle during region last year and then had to march the closer where I had a backwards 6-to-5 slide at 180 bpm. Not the best I’ve ever felt

[Magma31651]

My freshman year there was a tuba who marched the second half of our season, which ended with gnats, with both ankles revealed to have been broken after the season ended

[WoodlandsMom4ever]

Ironically... I"m headed to the Urgent care with my color guard child... the wind vs flag battle wound up with a flag pole to her chin... The wind won this round....  We are going to go and get it stitched up... 

[LeanderMomma]

  On 10/2/2019 at 12:47 AM, Bandmomx4 said:

Ironically... I"m headed to the Urgent care with my color guard child... the wind vs flag battle wound up with a flag pole to her chin... The wind won this round.... We are going to go and get it stitched up...

 

It’s so dangerous really.

[LHSbandDad]

  On 10/2/2019 at 12:47 AM, Bandmomx4 said:

Ironically... I"m headed to the Urgent care with my color guard child... the wind vs flag battle wound up with a flag pole to her chin... The wind won this round....  We are going to go and get it stitched up... 

So sorry to hear about this!!  Hopefully it is a quick recovery!!