Eager to lead the enthusiastic and always intense Buff and Blue faithful, the GW band arrived late Saturday night at South Riding field to begin preparing for next season’s women’s soccer opener.

After fixing the clinks in the trumpets and trombones, the band began practicing the Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ The Impression That I Get for seven straight hours. Located directly behind one of the two soccer goals, band members feel they have positioned themselves in a perfect spot to harass the feared goalies of the Atlantic 10.

It’s our goal to be seen at every sporting event and make a difference in the game, said GW junior Rachel Gableman. And that means everyday, morning, noon and night. Also, our location is simply spectacular because it gives us easy access to our coach buses with a television and a working bathroom.

Gableman is one of almost 70 band cult members that will be immediately leaving the soccer opener for the anxious first minutes of the novice crew’s morning practice beginning the following morning.

Again, we’re there in support of George Washington athletics, Gabelman said. If that novice team needs us there at 6 a.m. for motivation, we’ll be there.

GW’s band has had a long tradition full of rich history forever connected to Colonial athletics and has experienced moments of great victory and defeat. It all began when the University lost its bobsledding team nine years, two months, eight weeks and 29 seconds ago. Band leader Freddie Ritz, formerly with his band The Crackers, told of the tragedy that hit the band after the bobsledding team was disbanded.

We were so very devastated, Ritz said. We bundled up like Eskimos, traveled to Antarctica with the team only to find out the team’s bobsledding funds were going to promote the deportation of those GW basketball fans that sit up front at the Smith Center wearing those goofy yellow shirts.

Ritz said seven band members were so saddened by the loss of the bobsled team that they proceeded to transfer to American University to start up a wall-ball team.

Oh, that was the worst, and it’s such a shame, Ritz said. Those poor kids were living their dream, to play the music of GW to the fine people of the South Pole. And to think of what they have now become.

Gableman redirected discussion to the positives of the GW band saying the 24-hour band uniform has saved lots of money that would have otherwise been spent on clothes and cummerbunds. The three-year music major with a minor in music also addressed other great music moments of her band career here at GW.

The time we performed at the Goldstein’s B’nai Mitzvah or at the Garter and Pogano wedding. That was so splendid. Gableman said.

The band also attended the ultimate Frisbee championships played a few years ago in Idaho just to lend their support to the small schools who thought they’d never get there.

We know the GW Frisbee team is up and coming, and we believe next year might be the year, said freshman Clark Klaplan. So in case GW makes it to the big dance of the flying discs, we wanted to be there ahead of time. If not, we can still say we met the ultimate Frisbee teams from all over the country. How cool is that!

But for now, South Riding field is the spot where the band will lead the cheers of truly outrageous fortune to inspire GW’s destined team onto further greatness.

We’re having the time of our lives right now, Gableman said. We’re only four months away from women’s soccer season, so I’ve got to run to go put up the tent and begin to cook the food. We don’t want to miss anything – as long as we don’t have to go back to Philadelphia.

Rabbi Walpy’s Notes:

o GW tells halftime kids with jump ropes to beat it.

o Basketball fans to win a million dollars if they can hit the backboard from half court.

o New law says that all those annoying poppy seeds must be taken out of Smith Center hot dog rolls.

o Tight on budget, WRGW sends play-by-play radio crew to Cincinnati via Tokyo.

o Attendance once again at volleyball match: 72.

o All GW teams to play games on campus. Haha.

o Danny Soares to return next season for annual Tex Silverman three-point shot.

o Men’s tennis team to be mentioned next issue.

o Gymnast, without GWorld card, told she cannot compete.

o For upcoming basketball season, a committed and hard-working student manager is told to take a hike in place of some 24-year old Texan. Oh wait.