More than a competition: BOA Grand Nationals

More than a competition: BOA Grand Nationals
By Kenny Martin
Assistant Band Director & Percussion Coordinator
Jenks Public Schools

From a band director’s viewpoint, the best part about Grand Nationals is the unmatched sense of community it creates. No, wait — it’s definitely how much we love watching our students and staff come together for a united purpose, employing teamwork, discipline, communication, time management, perseverance, and resilience in the pursuit of excellence. Hold on—maybe it’s the thrill of performing under the lights in Lucas Oil Stadium with the incredible crowd engagement. The whole place is abuzz with excitement, and in the world of high school marching band, there’s nothing else quite like it.

No matter what your favorite part may be, the ways that attending Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships benefits our students, our program, and our community is an endless list. Even if we don’t place in the top (insert number here). Regardless of where the numbers fall, the benefits are endless.

The anticipation and excitement leading up to Indianapolis is incredible. BOA Grand Nationals is the biggest contest event a high school marching band could attend. Schools from all over the country travel to showcase their talents in one of the largest and most competitive events in the country. Jenks High School has competed four times at Grand Nationals and each time it has been an amazing experience for our students and staff.

Stepping into Lucas Oil Stadium and seeing the magnitude of this venue and event is thrilling. With the entire band holding in the stadium tunnels, the moments leading up to our band’s performance were filled with tension, excitement, nerves, and adrenaline. The journey to this moment started with hundreds of hours of practice, refining choreography and perfecting music. We built teamwork, discipline, and pushed personal and group limits. When we pushed over the goal line after each of our Grand Nationals performances this year, the sense of accomplishment was deep. For our students, it’s a life-changing experience—having worked so hard to make it to this point and knowing we are competing on the national stage with some of the best bands in the country.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the Grand Nationals experience is the sense of community; while the competition is fierce, the event creates a spirit of mutual respect and camaraderie among participants. Everyone in attendance knows just how much work it takes to pull off what we do. It’s not a strange sight to see band members in the stands giving standing ovations to their competitors. Bands in the halls dropping what they’re doing to cheer on another band which is on their way to perform. Our own community showed up at 7 a.m. on a Wednesday with handmade signs and posters and stood along the streets waving them as our line of busses departed Jenks High School for Indy. This event brings people together, sharing in the collective pride of being part of something larger than themselves.

After multiple rounds of competition spanning across three days, the Jenks High School Trojan Pride marching band placed 14th out of 113 bands, and we could not be more proud of our accomplishment. Participating in the BOA Grand National Championships has left a lasting impact on our students, directors, and our community here at Jenks, and we can’t wait to return.

Kenny Martin Assistant Band Director & Percussion Coordinator Jenks Public Schools  Kenny Martin has been an Assistant Band Director and Percussion Coordinator with Jenks Public Schools for nearly a decade, working with students as they begin the program all the way up to graduating members of the Trojan Pride. A former member of the Pride of Broken Arrow and a graduate of Broken Arrow High School, Mr. Martin holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oklahoma State University and has taught all around the state of Oklahoma.