Drill team practices

[JROTCdudett]

How would you get more people to come to practices? I have tried talking to my team but yet nothing works. I could understand that they have other teams to be on but either way no one comes to practices. We have fixed our drill schedule three times and nothing works-personally I like my practice days but no one really comes. What should I do about this?
I try to be nice I tried going all D.I on them but nothing works. How should I approach this problem?

[Armed Drill Addict]

Well you can't force anyone to come what you should do is address the cadets and see why thye don't want to come and then see if there are adjustments for them . Personally I think trying to work around everyone degrades the team. If you want to be there then you should be doing anything you can to be there. It just sounds like they have a lack of commitment.

[AlphaNovember]

If they want to even have a chance at competing, then they'll show up. You're not going to risk getting last place because of your cadet's failures to attend a practice. If they're not competing, then they'll never have a chance at competing; If they are competing, then they can be easily removed from the competing team. Heck - why should you even bring your drill team to a competition if you know that you're going to be utterly and completely destroyed by every other school because of your lack of practice?

Drill that into their heads. Don't yell, don't "go all D.I. on them": just tell them while you have them all in a formation. If they still don't show up, AND they don't have a good execuse (I.E. family emergency, or they have other priorities, such as Varsity sports games), then you're safe to assume that they don't want to compete, and should treat it as such.

[JROTCdudett]

True, I have talked to the team and sadly enough it wasn't even a full team to talk to. We have competition Feburary 28th and I think I need a minimum of 12 cadets plus the CDR and I only have about 6 cadets going to competition. All of these people are being chosen for skill and attendance, alot of people on the team have the performance but attendance is very poor.

[Drill for life]

Than make some incentives, that is what they want, stuff on there uniforms. If attendeance is low tell them that that the week after Competition they don't have to wear there uniform. Think of something, exempt them from a JROTC test, give them a promotion. I don't know just do something so they can come.

[JROTCdudett]

Oh gee I wish I could do that, but everything is up to the instructors. I really have no say. I've gotten them their cords and I'm trying with the ribbons but it's not really working.

[Drill for life]

What we do in my unit is you get a ribbon fo going to competition but you get your cord,tab and beret if you compete(didn't get mine til LET 2 year) Talk to your instructors they are there to help, I haven't heard you talk about there opinions or suggestions yet.

[JROTCdudett]

Yea well we use our COC and sometimes they aren't available. We can't go straight to our instructors. We would be in trouble if we do. But otherwise our instructors are "good" they help us when we needed it and now everything is kind of going downhill and they are very lenient to the newer cadets. But that really has nothing to do with the matter.

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

You could do either of these things:

1. Call a mandatory meeting.
2. Offer incentives.
3. Use force.

[Drill for life]

3. Use force.

We all want to be this guy(Marine Drill instructor, they make Marines)

But you have to rember it is JROTC not the Military. Cadets(High School students) don't respond to yelling and verbal abuse. Look at your JROTC leaders who do the cadets(you like) like the most:
A. The in your face yelling Leader
B. The nice, I know what you are going through Leader.

The answer is most likely B. You think you can yell at someone in your unit just because of your stripes or your metal but you have to remeber they have the same problems as you and you should teach them instead of yelling.
They are going through the same stuff you areelatioship problems,graders, insecurity) and they joined JROTC to help find themselves. In JROTC we want to impress our instructors by getting trophies but most of the time we hurt new cadets feelings and jsut repeat the cycle over and over again. Be nice it's just High-School(wait until you have REAL RANK not RANK with C/ in front of it).

There lack of motivation is not a reflection of your leadership, it is a reflection of themselves. Just rember the Cadets under you where you once.

P.S. Buffa1oso1di3r not trying to be disrespectful just helping.