Sometimes we decide to change things up at the New Year and sometimes life changes things for us. That happened to me recently.
I am not a sports fan unless you count rodeo. But since we don’t have a designated sportswriter, I do my best to cover them. Our readers love to see what the teams are up to and how they are doing. Often, I rely on photos posted by parents or coaches. But I go to games when I can. Recently, I found myself having fun, especially watching girls’ basketball. For me, that is a revelation.
These young ladies are phenomenal players. I think ballers is the word. They have a skill and grace that is to be envied, and the composure they display is amazing. Watching Rosie Pineda sink a free throw or Randi Upchego driving downcourt is a thing of beauty.
At a recent game, a tossed ball bounced out of play and into the stands. Sandra Cleveland palmed the ball and sent it back to the referee without dropping a stitch on her crochet. It was funny, it was impossible and it was real.
It is much the same over at Watonga. I really enjoy seeing Riley Coleman score. It seems I have been photographing her since she was an infant, although it hasn’t been that long, but watching her grow and become a stellar athlete in multiple sports has been a privilege.
I don’t think the newfound enthusiasm for high school sports will morph over to college or pro basketball. I don’t think I will capture any award-winning photos. If I can stay out of the way and the pictures show faces and basketballs, I count that as a win.
But I do want to get better at sports reporting. I can study the jargon and do better by keeping up with the scores. Who knows? Maybe I will even learn the rules.