CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — UIL now requires that Texas students in the marching band must have a physical exam before they can participate.
Marching band is now being recognized at the state level.
"Programs have gotten so much more competitive and so much more physical then they've been in the past ten, twenty, thirty years," said Liz Ortega-Ruiz, CCISD Fine Arts Specialist.
According to students who take part in the marching band, they are glad their effort is being taken seriously just like any other sport.
"We have the same exact thing we go through the same hours maybe even more sometimes," trumpet player Ariana Mendoza said.
Bailey Piour is the head drum major for Ray High School and said there is a lot more to marching band than people think.
"Playing on the horn is very demanding. It takes a lot of your breath away, so it gets more exhausting as you play and march," Piour said.
The band uniform is comprised of shoes, tall socks, and underclothes.
"And then this jacket and then this pants that go all the way up and then your hat. Oh my gosh, it's like a sauna in there," Piour said.
The deadline for the physical is Aug. 1, and the form can be found on the CCISD website.
Texas marching bands will be taking their talents to the field starting in August.
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