We just got done shooting a crazy week of year end sports championships. In a weeks’ time we shot flag football, golf, lacrosse and baseball. I love doing it, but I was also glad when it was over. All told I shot roughly about 8000 images, which is less than I normally shoot. We try and get at least one pic of each kid that played.
But I really want to talk about the effort and desire that these kids put into this championship. Up until this point, this tournament is probably the biggest thing they have experienced in their lives. And believe me, they leave it all on the field.
Please click to enlarge the images…
The vast majority of these kids will never go any farther in their sports careers, and they know it. That’s not why they play. It’s for their teammates, and the chance to be part of something bigger than themselves. A chance to leave their mark, and forever remember the best of times.
Unfortunately, if these kids are lucky enough to maybe get a scholarship and move on to college ball, it will never be the same. Big money enters the picture and changes the game. Even if you are at a small school, it is no longer enough to give your very best. You must produce or else. And with the NCAA instituting a program to actually pay the student athletes, they are no longer amateur athletes. They are low level professionals. What was once an admirable endeavor turns into a cash transaction. The sporting ideal will slowly fade…
But my hope is that someday in distant future, 25 or so years down the road, these kids meet up again for a reunion or maybe just a quick visit. And one of them pulls out their phone and calls up one of these pics and says to the other “do you remember this?” And immediately they will be taken back to the exact time, remembering every sight, smell, and the sense of pure joy that playing for the love of the game can bring a person. Nobody can ever take that away from them. And for me, that will be my greatest reward…..