Free and overpriced is my business plan for sports photos

Free and overpriced - I often describe the photography part of my life as free and overpriced. That is my economic master plan – never to be held to professional standards – because like a teacher without a plan book (me), each day I just make it up as I go. Field hockey coach Debbie Windett asked me before the Lake game if I could get a team photo afterwards. I said, “Only if you win, and only if it’s not raining.” The coach returned an icy glare but we were good. After the game, I trudged across to the post-game coach-to-team commentaries where sometimes coach Kate Austin will say, “Fredman, do you have anything to say?” and I never do because I do know Jack, he’s my son, but beyond that in regard to hockey, I don’t know Jack. “Fredman wants to take your picture," Debbie said to the team. “Where do you want them? Over by the cage?” I stood in front of the cage looking at 20 young women who just played a field hockey game. Seven women who coached them stayed on the sidelines. I said to the girls, “This is all wrong. Why am I in charge? Who am I, a professional photographer?” The athletes organized themselves in 20 seconds. I said, “On three, look at me.” And then I say three three times hoping one of the photos is in focus. They all look happy, and if you know teenage girls, they are never all and always happy. 

Sweet Baby James - James will crawl through an open car window to hug a grandparent. That is who he is. He asked for a camera after the 12-year-old boy was sentenced to watch a girls’ field hockey game. James has taken a series of five-minute instructional classes from me. My only advice is, “Get close to people or get a longer lens.” Seriously, I’ve found that school-aged photographers snapping photos of their peers often get better photos because the interactions are more spontaneous and comfortable.  

WC Clark - He was a student in my consumer economics class for 40 years, I mean 40 years ago. He’s so Sussex County that even Charlie Smith can’t understand what he’s saying. WC officiates basketball and even attends Mariner Middle School games. He was thrown out once. The official said, “I don’t even know what you're saying; I just know you got to go. “ And WC will ride a winning horse, which is why he likes Cape’s field hockey and girls’ lacrosse teams. On Tuesday, he told me that freshman Bree Terhune out of Mariner, now a Cape freshman, will be a cross country state champion before she graduates. WC has worked some football broadcasts with Anthony Joseph, now the sports director at WMDT. I’d imagine someone traveling in radio range picking up that broadcast by accident may wonder, “Are we in Georgia already?” The linguistic blend where Milton meets Redden Forest. Cape baseball player Dominic Mangini, a pitcher, first baseman and DH, is WC’s grandson. Life outside the fence is where you find the real color. WC and Anthony are both friends of mine, which is why I got jokes. 

Spew garbage, just don’t spit - I have never understood why talking trash is not considered classless and unsportsmanlike, while spitting is seen as sociopathic. The Eagles’ Jalen Carter spit on Dak Prescott's jersey and got tossed from the game before a play was run, and then the sports biosphere talked about it for a week. Jalen is a scary person. If he walked into a crowded bar, it wouldn't stay crowded. Big people who are also mean and have a shaky history don’t need to be spitting on people on national television. 

Snippets - There are sports options and choices once an athlete enters middle school. Basically there are three distinct seasons during the school year. There are still three-sport athletes, but there are more two-sport and single-sport athletes. In rare instances, an athlete plays two sports teams in the same season. There are strong arguments all the way around, but virtually none of them cite the word academics. Although, the data shows the most versatile athletes also have no problem excelling in academics. I ask casual contact people in my world, “Where did you go to high school?” I find it establishes someone in place and time. I’ve never followed with, “What were your SAT scores?” but I’m going to start just to see what type of reaction I get. Go on now, git!