Marching through the heat

LITTLE ROCK, AR - Another heat wave and it feels never ending but one group isn't letting the temperatures stop them from achieving their goals.

The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps are practicing in triple digit temperatures at War Memorial Stadium before heading to their Texas competition.

"We are all pretty dead from the hundred and ten degree weather," said 19-year-old Angel Nazario.

Multiple Bluecoats have dropped from heat exhaustion this summer and when you depend on every member to create a formation the group can't afford any heat related injuries.

"We need everyone out there to make sure we are as successful as we can be," said executive director David Glasgow.

Just standing in these temperatures is exhausting. Add lugging pounds of equipment around in a place with little to no shade and surprisingly the players say its worth it.

"It's more than worth it," said Nazario. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and you don't get much more fun than this."

These are national competitors and even race to be the first to finish and refill their water jugs.

"They're in great physical condition," said Glasgow. "They've been going through a program all summer that really prepares there bodies to be in peak physical shape."

Handling the heat like pros and happy to pass their best tips on to the rest of us.

"You do get beaten down but you've just got to find things that you look forward to," said Nazario.

The Bluecoats will be back at War Memorial one week from Thursday for another national competition. They say in the meantime they hope a cold front moves through.