Tips for Being a Maching Band Section Leader?

Start the marching season tough, and then relax later. If you're soft in the beginning, your section will walk all over you. Be a section leader first, and a friend second. If someone talks out of place, call the person out on it, and tell him or her to stop. One of the biggest causes for poor behavior is the lack of anyone doing anything about it. Don't say anything about inappropriate talking, and there's no reason for them to stop. You have to be able to speak out when someone does something they're not supposed to do. As for bossy underclassmen, again, it's often an issue of no one telling them to stop. Tell them to come to you with concerns instead.