The indoor color guard program introduced a new head coach, Ange Mascaro-Trotter, this season, a new face that not only brings experience but also her heart. 

Her goal was to help each member discover the same passion and resilience that have shaped her journey.

Ange’s journey began before she even got into the sport herself. She grew up surrounded by the activity; both her parents and one set of grandparents were involved in color guard. 

Much of her time was spent around performances, learning the rhythms first from the sidelines until her friends joined in high school. Then she thought, “I want to at least try it”.

This love expanded in college when she joined an independent group to broaden her palette. Even during a four-month hospitalization period due to a color guard-related injury, when she could not walk, her thoughts were fixed on returning to the floor and getting back into performing. 

After years of performing, colorguard became more than just a hobby; it became a lifeline. After Ange graduated, she jumped right back into guard as a coach. At first, it was a way to stay connected, but quickly it turned into more.

“It’s a life raft that I couldn’t live without,” Ange says. Over time, coaching has become more than just staying connected, and now it is about helping the next generation with things she knew she had trouble learning. 

Though Ange only met the current team in November, she has said she is very impressed with their determination. The team has a willingness and wants to excel at hard things, which Ange has described as “incredible”. Discussing one new member, Ange says, “Even in December, you wouldn’t have known she’d never done it before.”

For Ange, the hardest skill to learn is not physical; it’s mental. She believes that every member must learn how to be a part of the team and find not just motivation but also discipline through every day, even the tough ones. Ange says,

 “There will always be days when you want to quit, but it’s the reasons you stay that become the biggest motivators.” 

As a coach, Ange’s goal is to help the team focus on growth and being present, rather than looking solely at the scores. She emphasizes that numbers and judges’ opinions do not define success. 

“Scores do not dictate or diminish your achievements,” she says. “So much weight is put on the number that everything else seems less important. But that’s the important stuff”. 

The team finished their season with a fifth-place finish, scoring 77.660.