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Andrea Adelson
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sydney Reeves recalls attending her initial Ohio State game as a young girl, primarily to see the band perform. Her parents were enthusiastic alumni of the marching band, and annually, they would march as part of the alumni game — when previous members reunite to perform alongside the current ensemble.
Sydney’s grandparents, who have held season tickets since 1964, would highlight the locations where her parents each made history. In 1992, Wendy Reeves dotted the i, and one year after, her husband, Chad, followed suit, making them the inaugural married couple to «dot the i» in Script Ohio, one of the most iconic traditions in college football.
Inspired as the band marched flawlessly to craft «Ohio» in script, Sydney eagerly awaited the individual designated to dot the i that day, anticipating their journey to the top of the letter, the removal of their hat, and a bow to the crowd’s cheers. She thought, «I don’t know when or how, but I’m going to make this happen.»
If anyone was meant to dot the i, it was Sydney Reeves. Her first exposure to music came when she was just 2 weeks old, as Wendy, a band director, placed her in her baby carrier during middle school band practice. By age 2, Reeves requested a small tuba to keep beneath her bed. At 8, she had already decided to follow her parents’ legacy as a sousaphone player for Ohio State.
Throughout the intervening years, her parents shared tales of their marching band adventures. Naturally, Chad and Wendy’s paths crossed in the band. He proposed during an Ohio State skull session, a term for the pre-game pep rally that the band hosts before every home game. Chad informed every band member, along with Wendy’s family, about his plans without disclosing the secret to her until he knelt down. Wendy, surprised, remembers turning to see family members holding signs saying, «Wendy, be my tuba for life!»
She accepted. They wed in December 1992 and played their sousaphones during the ceremony.
As youngsters, Sydney and her older sister, Samantha, would repeatedly watch the proposal on VHS. They also enjoyed the wedding video, particularly the segment where their parents performed Ohio State songs. On the anniversaries of the days each dotted the i, Chad and Wendy would bring out another set of VHS tapes to relive those moments.
Samantha wasn’t particularly keen on joining a band in college. However, Sydney had long been resolved to walk in her parents’ footsteps. So when she entered middle school and stepped into her mother’s band room, there was no debate about which instrument she would choose.
AT EVERY BUCKEYES home game since 1936, the Ohio State marching band, consisting of 225 members, has depicted «Ohio» in script. To complete the iconic tradition, a senior sousaphone player is chosen to march to the top of the i and dot it.
«A moment of glory,» says Wendy.
However, originally, the act of dotting the i wasn’t regarded as a notable honor, according to Christopher Hoch, the director of marching and athletic bands at Ohio State. The first individual to dot the i was merely «an afterthought.»
«It was a player on E-flat cornet — the smallest instrument among the band,» Hoch noted. «The following time they performed Script Ohio, the band director decided that they needed something more visible and striking. So, they transitioned from the smallest instrument to the largest instrument, resulting in the sousaphone’s massive bell being clearly noticeable every time the i dotter walks to the top of the i now.»
The sousaphone, a tuba variant, was created in the 1800s under the direction of John Philip Sousa. It is designed to wrap around the marcher, distributing the weight onto the player’s shoulder rather than their arms. However, prior to learning to march with the 35- to 40-pound instrument, individuals usually learn to play the tuba. This posed challenges for Sydney, who humorously remarked, «It took so much air.»
«It required considerable time, practice, and patience to get myself going in sixth grade.»
Fortunately for her, there were two experts available at home. Wendy instructed Sydney on playing the tuba, and upon entering high school, Chad assisted her in mastering the sousaphone marching technique. Marching in high school is one challenge, but securing a spot in the Ohio State marching band is another entirely.
Every year, around 400 candidates audition for the band. Yet, even if a player secures a place one year, there’s no assurance they will earn it again the following year. Sometimes, returning members lose their positions. The audition comprises a music evaluation along with a sequence of four marching auditions, in addition to 30 minutes of simultaneous playing and marching before the band staff.
«Students dedicate an entire summer to training, practicing, perfecting their marching fundamentals, and learning their music,» Hoch stated.
That’s precisely what Sydney committed to as she prepared for her freshman year in 2021. She attended all the summer practice sessions at Ohio State, with Chad and Wendy joining her to observe and provide feedback. Following that, Sydney would head home for additional practice with her parents.
Although Sydney believed she was adequately prepared for auditions, she unfortunately did not make the band. Heartbroken, she turned to her parents for support. Chad took her to the high school field whenever she returned home, so they could train.
«We marched back and forth on the field, honing all the fundamentals,» Sydney shared. «It was truly inspiring to see that he could still do everything and even do it better than I could.»
SYDNEY CALLS CHAD her «best friend» and her «rock.» During her childhood, they would sing «You are My Sunshine» together in the car on the way to school. Whenever she needed comfort, she would seek him out, as he provided the best hugs. However, the Reeves family also faced difficult times.
Chad had battles with addiction, and Sydney characterized their life as having «good days and bad days.»
«The good always surpassed the bad,» Sydney remarked. «No matter what was occurring, if he needed help, we offered it. It was crucial to us that he felt loved.»
Wendy added: «Every family encounters various challenges. It solely depends on which struggles become yours. It doesn’t define a person nor diminish their achievements.
«The true challenge for a family lies in wanting that individual to find their personal best and succeed in recovery. Chad worked exceedingly hard at his recovery, and we, as a family, supported that.»
In November 2021, while at Ohio Stadium for a sorority event, Sydney received a phone call informing her that her father was in the hospital. He had been found unresponsive at home. By the time she reached the hospital, Chad had passed away due to an accidental drug overdose. He was 51.
«It was devastating, because losing a parent is heartbreaking, especially at a young age,» Sydney said. «But we knew he was at peace, and everything would be alright.»
The funeral took place on a football Saturday. Wendy instructed everyone to wear scarlet and gray. Many attended to pay their respects, including friends from Chad and Wendy’s band days. During the reception, they streamed the Ohio State game, just as Chad would have wanted.
Sydney returned to school two weeks after his death, more determined than ever to join the band in her sophomore year. She intensified her efforts to enhance her physical fitness and polish her music and marching skills. In her mind, Sydney could hear her father reiterating his favorite saying:
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
«The memories and drive that he instilled in me during our practice sessions were invaluable,» Sydney said. «They would echo in my mind, pushing me to focus and excel. I would repeat his favorite quote before almost everything. That really calmed my nerves and readied me.»
All that dedication was fruitful. Sydney made the band. As long as she continued to improve and maintain her place in the band each year at Ohio State, she knew she would be eligible to dot the i one day. The honor is reserved for senior sousaphone players, so competition varies from year to year. Currently, there are 28 sousaphone players in the band — 24 marching and four alternates. In some years, there are enough home games for each senior to dot the i, while in others, some may be unable to. (There are seven senior sousaphone players this year.)
«The i dot selection process is somewhat intricate,» Hoch explained. «There’s a ranking system based on the number of performances that you’ve participated in as a regular band member.»
With that knowledge, Sydney geared up for her first game in 2022. During the skull session, Wendy gifted Sydney a Buckeye on a string that Chad had worn while in the band.
«This belongs to papa,» Wendy informed Sydney.
She tucked it under her uniform, and as she and her bandmates descended the ramp onto the field for their performance, she wept.
«Because I was doing the very thing I had always dreamed of, that my parents once did, and that I was making my entire family proud,» she expressed.
«To those outside the Ohio State community, it may seem trivial — just a nut on a string,» Wendy remarked. «But for her, it held deep significance as it connected back to his time in the band, making it profoundly meaningful, and she was overjoyed to possess it.»
The string began to fray as she wore it that year, so Sydney stored it away until later. She wanted to save it until her opportunity to dot the i arrived.
SYDNEY LEARNED LAST April that she would be dotting the i on October 4 against Minnesota. Consequently, she began practicing diligently, eager to perfect the tradition’s signature strut.
She rehearsed in her backyard while her mom recorded her, breaking down the footage step by step just like a football coach. In July, Sydney began training with the drum major, who guides the sousaphone player to the i.
«You kick your legs out in front of you while leaning back a bit, and perform about 16 of them to reach from the base of the O to the i,» Sydney explained. «This is the most challenging segment of the day, as it’s not a movement we’re accustomed to, and with the heavy instrument, you have to maintain controlled breathing to play effectively.»
Sydney discovered she would have a practice run when she learned that she would be one of several i dotters during the alumni game on September 6 against Grambling. The day was made even more special as her mom, aunt, and uncle — all band alumni — joined her on the field.
That occasion was memorable, but against Minnesota, she would have the spotlight solely to herself.
And now, Sydney Reeves from Dublin, Ohio, returns this 89-year tradition to halftime: The iconic Script Ohio.
Sydney and the band had just finished their halftime performance. The public address announcer informed the audience that she would be closing the show. Sydney needed to concentrate on each step, action, and fundamental she had been taught over the years.
Wendy observed from the stands, hands clasped, urging, «Come on, little one! Come on, little one!» counting down the actions Sydney needed to take and when.
As the band completed the final O, Sydney followed the drum major, executing one strut at a time. She dotted the i and bowed, revealing minimal emotion. However, tucked under her uniform, she could feel the buckeye, as well as her father’s embrace, support, encouragement, and courage, a legacy intertwined through generations on the Ohio Stadium turf.
«I truly believe it brought me closer to him,» Sydney said. «Being able to possess something that he also had is incredible. It would have been even more extraordinary with him present. Yet, having his buckeye and memories was profoundly special.
«And I knew he was watching over me.»
After years of aspiration and anticipation, it concluded swiftly. Wendy turned in the stands to a throng of high-fives and well-wishers who exclaimed, «You did it, mom!»
«I hadn’t accomplished anything besides standing there and witnessing her dot the i,» Wendy said.
But that, of course, wasn’t accurate. When Wendy made the choice at age 11 to play the tuba and dot the i in the Ohio State marching band, few women had that chance. That decision ultimately motivated her daughter to make history alongside both her parents.
With her i dot, Sydney became the first child of two individuals who had previously dotted the i at Ohio State to do so herself.
«It’s a dream you’ve held your entire life, so achieving that dream is surreal,» Sydney expressed. «At that moment, it’s like a fairy tale right out of movies, and those memories stick with you forever.»
Sydney enveloped her mom in a tight embrace upon returning to the stands. But Wendy had already sent her a text immediately after the halftime show concluded.
«Sweet dot, baby.»
