All Access with Flo State

In the last few years, a new uniform has popped up on the Daytona pads, more often than not in the medal round of the high school competition. A bold red accented with a bright white belt. We've all heard the name by now, Flo State Drill. We've seen their raw talent on full display. But who are they? And who do they want to be? We went to the source to discover independent drill's newest organization and sat down with FSD Commander, James Scala to find out.

1. What is Flo State Drill?
Flo State Drill is a drill team that originally was named DMV and founded in the Capital region. After a few years a majority of the members lived in Florida, leading to an overhaul of the brand and organization structure. At our core, we are just a group of guys that drill under the same name. We don’t want to over complicate the simple parts of the sport and hobby.

2. How did it begin? 
The original idea from the brand came from an idea of Ethan Burton. As mentioned above, the DMV name made no sense if everyone was located in Florida. After a few brainstorming sessions we developed the name and iconography that you see representing us now.

3. Would you describe Flo State as a team or an organization? Why?
We would describe ourselves as a team. While we are working towards developing large scale projects and branching out, we don't feel we quite meet the definition of "organization" as of yet. That is one of our long-term goals, as we build out multiple levels of structure and more defined leadership roles throughout the ranks. 

4. Does the team/group have a mission statement, and if so, what does it mean?
We currently do not have a written out, specific "mission statement", but we do believe that our goals become quite obvious once interacting with us. It's hard to develop a team that is taken seriously, and considering all of the dormant "teams" or groups that have come and gone, this isn't really a surprise. We want others to see that we are not just passing through, but here to stay as a force to be reckoned with on the competition floor, while also growing the activity in our area. 

5. What are the primary goals?
Other than the above, our next goal is to start dipping into team performances. Our first team performance at FLDC was a blast and hopefully, a launchpad for numerous other opportunities.. Scala, Burton, Garcia, and Smith made up this first group and made what we believe to be a successful first impression. We would like to escalate this group into bigger events and eventually entering a competitive WDC group team.

6. How will those goals be achieved?
The first, admittedly large, hurdle is to just be in the same place more often. Florida is a massive state and trying to get guys from Miami and Jacksonville into the same place is a difficult task, but we're learning what works and what doesn't. We have been reaching out to organizations to try and do more group performances. Scripting for WDC has begun, but there's no timetable for when we'll bring that out. It's important to us that when we do enter WDC, we do it right and show the world and ourselves what we can do.

7. What does a "a day in the life" of a member look like?
There's no one answer to this question. For high school members, FSD responsibilities are balanced with their school, JROTC team practice, and occasionally work as well. A number of different career and life paths are represented by our post-HS members. Some have entered college and others chose the military route. Some are on drill teams at their college like Waylon Smith is on University of Florida’s drill team. We do have some "inactive" members whose responsibilities preclude them from FSD, but are able to jump right back in when life allows. Long answer short, we have all walks of life on the team and a variety of experience.

8. What does the structure of Flo State look like?
FSD's structure is actively evolving as our needs change and the team matures into something more solidified. Recently, we stopped taking direct applications, adopting a more "appointment-like" approach. This requires a recommendation from a current member to come first, then the person is invited to apply. There is a chain-of-command internally, but we prefer to utilize a unified front approach for public facing ventures. Most decisions are therefore undertaken by a democratic process amongst all members or senior members, depending on the importance of the decisions.

9. If someone were interested, how would they join? Requirements?
As mentioned above, there is no longer an open application. The best advice we can give to someone interested is to be present around the team. Come hang out at competitions, engage online, and generally make an effort. We do require Florida residence for all. There are no skill requirements to enter into the trainee system, but to become a full member you must learn and demonstrate a sequence of moves from our team performance in front of our members. They then decide who gets promoted based on this "test-out".

10. Favorite part of being involved?
Waylon Smith: “My favorite part of being on the team is the friendships we’ve built. We all come from different parts of Florida, but we’re united by drill. I love everything we do outside of practice too, going to college football games together, hanging out at restaurants, and just spending time as a group. I also appreciate how much I learn from these incredibly talented individuals; every practice teaches me something new. Being part of this team has made me a better driller and a better person overall.” 

11. How can Flo State help a prospective member reach their personal and professional goals, both in rifle exhibition and in life?
Flo State Drill can help members in many ways. Members spread all across the state all going to different universities like USF, UF, UM, and FAU make networking a lot easier. Prospective drillers would get access to numerous networking and information sources. Traveling across the state also becomes less of a challenge, as members spread around the major cities regularly provide each other lodging for short term trips. Our members are all studying different fields, allowing people to access a diverse set of opinions and knowledge in whatever they might need. As for rifle exhibition, you gain the opportunity to train with us at closed sessions, and near instantaneous access for critique and instruction from others who share your same passions.


Answers edited for clarity.