Teaching Marching

[Armed Drill Addict]

I have been working with the freshmen in my platoon for a couple of weeks now, and it seems like none of them have the ability to stay on step.

Do you have any advice on how I can help them correct this error, or should I just beat them? Kidding on that last part, but sometimes I just have that urge.

[AirForceAlways]

Don't expect them to be perfect the first few times. A few tips that might help are adding a clap to every step on the left foot, working with the platoon in smaller groups and then bringing it back together as a larger group, heck, even bringing in an electronic metronome has even proven to work with some of my cadets. Get creative, be helpful, but overall be patient with them.

[Armed Drill Addict]

Thank you, i'm going to try and break them up into smaller groups today at practice. The comments about beating them were just playful; I understand that the learning process is more complicted for some. Hopefully within the next week or so I will see some improvement.

[TruBlu]

A very simple way to help them out is to teach them what cadence and calling it is. Sometimes cadets don't know what it means when you are calling left, right, left... If you haven't taught them how to do that, you should, and I'm sure it will help, because they will have that auditory que like the hand clap, only a little more military lol.

[navytrooper]

I'm not sure if you are allowed to do this in JROTC (I'm in the USNSCC), but perhaps it would help if the freshmen could see your feet as they march? When I first joined the NSCC, I picked up marching right away from looking at my LPO marching next to us, not the "left, right, left."

[TruBlu]

Originally Posted by navytrooper

I'm not sure if you are allowed to do this in JROTC (I'm in the USNSCC), but perhaps it would help if the freshmen could see your feet as they march? When I first joined the NSCC, I picked up marching right away from looking at my LPO marching next to us, not the "left, right, left."

That could work also, I was just taking it from the auditory stand point, but visual cues are better for some, if not most, people. But they shouldn't make a habit of it. They shouldn't have to look after a few times or however long it takes them to get it down.

[flyBoy2010]

If you find a song with a good beat that can help initially. But after that they need to learn the cadence and the best way to do that is to call it.

[Delta Charlie]

When teaching drill to our C/ABs, we do something a little diferrent.

Get your cadets in groups of five or so, in a single column, then tie them together at the ankles. Start off with them taking a single step together, then build up slowly from there. Within a hour I had brand new cadets marching on step.

Make sure you do it on a soft surface though, if someone trips, everyone trips...

It sounds a little wierd, but it works.

[Armed Drill Addict]

Well I split them into squads yesterday, and that seemed to help the situation, but I really like the idea of tying the rope around their ankles. I think its also a good way to get them to take the same size steps. Did you use shoe string or something thicker?

[Billyd]

Please, do NOT tie cadets together. That is a good way for someone to get injured. That is a can of worms that you do not want to open.