We instill in students and young adults an appreciation for the Performing Arts, and accomplish this by encouraging artistic expression through a blend of music, dance, precision drill work, and dramatic effect.

We use competition as the venue to build the values of teamwork and leadership in our student performers.

We create an environment where all students may excel and be recognized for their performance accomplishments without regard to gender, physical attributes, family economics, or previous experience.

We build character, social responsibility, and moral values by providing a structured, adult supervised environment, in which the parent-student-teacher relationship is prime.

We foster an environment where all students, regardless of skill level, bring value and appreciation to the performance floor, and are recognized for doing so by their peers.

We treat each student as a unique and valuable member of society, and seek to instill the skills, character, and values that will carry them into adulthood.

The SFWGA was established in 1980 by a several band directors who wanted to continue the marching band drill team experience into the winter months. The fledgling organization was aligned with and patterned after the newly formed Winter Guard International which had been created 3 years earlier.

Throughout the 1990's the association grew and embraced 25 to 40 color guard units in weekly competitions. During this time, South Florida became a respected name in Winter Guard International, producing medal winners such as Stoneman Douglas, Miramar HS, Alliance of Miami, J P Taravella, Coconut Creek, and Santaluces.

In 2002, the SFWGA Board of Directors were approached by two student performers who were volunteering with children and teenagers with Downs Syndrome. Their idea was to teach color guard technique as therapy and perform in SFWGA contests, bridging the gap between the special population and the general population. The SFWGA became the first color guard circuit in the world to host a full time, performing color unit dedicated to performers with disabilities. Then known as the Tamarac Bulldogs, the group grew over several years to almost 30 performers. Renaming themselves as the Special Needs Color Guard of America, they performed locally in contests from 2002 through 2009. Their heartwarming performances inspired numerous other special needs groups across the country, and included multiple performances in WGI World Championships in Dayton Ohio, two years as featured performers in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, and in 2007 were the subject of a full length documentary film entitled "Bridging the Gap."

Percussion competitions were added in 2003. Percussion performances rapidly became highly popular, and are now fully integrated into winter competitions, producing nationally acclaimed units like STRYKE, Cypress Bay, and Cooper City.

During 2010, our 30th Anniversary Season, we enjoyed performances from 77 different color guard and percussion ensembles from Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Collier, Okeechobee, and Indian River counties.

In 2011, SFWGA Color Guard and Percussion teams brought home FIVE MEDALS from WGI World Championships.

In 2012, Flanagan High School was named as the WGI Scholastic World Champion and Gold Medalist, and an additional five South Florida teams made WGI World Championship Finals, four attaining the Top 10 in their classes.

The SFWGA offers a full range of Color Guard and Percussion competitive classes, from Regional A to World in Color Guard, and from A Class through World Class in Marching and Concert Percussion.

The SFWGA also supports the development of our Instructors by providing a variety of uptraining seminars and clinics taught by some of the most respected WGI designers in the Country.