There is a great debate on whether marching band is a sport or not. In marching band the performers have to get a physical. Also there are competitions for marching. Another thing is that most people think that only nerds are in marching band, but most people don’t know that the people in marching band are actually using more energy than the football team. Marching band is a sport because of the Physical exertion, the mental fitness, and the time it takes to practice. One reason why marching band is a sport is physical exertion. Everyone has to run and walk on the field which uses a lot of physical exertion because a study in 2013 by Vallee and Leander shows “that at some points during the show the performer 's metabolic rate was up on par with that of a marathon runner and that his heart rate in particular stayed elevated for extended periods of time” (Criswell 1). This is because they have to use energy to keep up to the pace that they are supposed to be at. Another reason why there is physical exertion is needed for is that marching band requires a lot of air. This is because they need to use a lot of air because you are using air to play the instrument and using air while you are marching. The final reason why there is physical exertion needed for marching band is that some people have to carry a 15-65 pound instrument. This is because they have to use more energy to carry some of the instrument such as a tuba/sousaphone can weigh up to 50 pounds also most of