In a harmonious blend of rhythmic movements, colorful flags, and joyful spirits, the Blue Devils Special Needs Color Guard demonstrates a story of growth and inclusivity. 

Annette Odello, the team’s passionate coach, launched the Blue Devils special needs color guard program in Fremont, drawing inspiration from the Blue Devils youth performing arts organization. The South Bay (Fremont and Concord) group was added to the Blue Devil’s special needs color guard program in 2018, starting very small with eight students. Today, in the Fremont and Concord regions, the number of participants has grown from 30 to 42 members since 2022. The driving force behind this success is a team of genuine and exceptional instructors, including Annette Odello, Kathy Hebert, Melissa Jones Hockmen, Denise Miller, and Emily Gunn Gonzales. 

This year the California Color Guard Circuit Championships, which is hosted at Independence High School in San Jose, will feature captivating renditions of Beatles classics like “Drive My Car” and “All I Need is Love.” To prepare for it, the team engages in weekly practices that start with warmups, focusing on loosening and relaxing the body, followed by learning the choreography every Tuesday from 7PM to 8PM.

Annette has rich experience in leading the Blue Devils Special Needs Color Guard team on an international scale, having conducted classes in Japan, Europe, and as a first American in South Korea. Through her experience Annette notes that there is a diverse range of abilities among students: she recognizes some students may be more comfortable using their body, while others may need encouragement to take small, gradual steps, such as starting with picking up their flag (a key prop used for the performance). Despite the varying skill levels, Annette tries to have goals for everybody and encourages them to perform to their best ability. To overcome potential language barriers, she uses repetitive, concise instruction to ensure clarity, simplifying “let’s try this all over again two more times” to “Begin!” “Do it again!” “Again!”

During rehearsals, Annette often instills a positive mindset among her students, addressing their tendencies to apologize frequently and fear of making mistakes. 

Instead of “I am sorry”, she asks students to say “thank you” to her instead. Annette expresses a desire to address societal beliefs that may instill fear of mistakes. She advocates, “I believe that when you’re making mistakes, you’re actively engaged in learning. When you learned to walk, you didn’t just get up and walk; you took a step and you fell! It’s a process. You have to go through that journey. You have to experience failure to achieve the end result.” Emphasizing the importance of embracing failure as a part of the learning process, Annette highlights that setbacks are key to achieving success. 

Throughout Blue Devils Color Guard rehearsals, students are not only acquiring new skills but also learning a crucial life lesson, that making mistakes and attempting new things are key components of the learning journey. Annette feels proud witnessing her students’ growth and moments when the audience cheers and supports them, treating them like true rockstars. Additionally, Annette shared a heartfelt experience from last year when a parent came up to her, expressing gratitude saying,  “My kid was treated like a normal kid all day today.” These words resonated deeply with her as they spoke of the transformative experience that the Blue Devils Color Guard provided for special needs students, breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance.  

Looking forward to the fall of 2024, Annette is aspiring to start a special needs color guard in Southern California, and expand it to Las Vegas and Texas. Her vision is to cultivate and foster an inclusive performing community for special needs students nationwide, creating more opportunities for growth, acceptance, and celebration of their unique talents.