Should marching band be considered a sport? On a technical level, yes. Much like many sports, marching band has a high school league, a college league, and even a major league; yet, to most people, marching band is not classified as a sport. A sport is often defined as a competitive activity involving physical exertion and skill. Given that definition, it’s fair to conclude that the marching band should indeed be considered a sport. Other definitions depict the importance of competing against opposing teams for entertainment. People may think that this is a reason for marching band not to be considered a sport, but although they don’t play “against” each other, they do perform individually to earn scores to get awards and “win.”

I don’t feel as if it is important to deem marching band a sport. Marching bands are impressive, nonetheless, and it shouldn’t matter whether or not people see it as a sport. Those who believe it is should continue to do so, and those who don’t have the right to their own opinions. 

Whether you believe marching band is a sport or not, there is no denying that marching band requires physical effort from the parties involved, it demands practice to succeed, it provides entertainment to those who watch, and is oftentimes more inclusive than traditional sports.