No Luck Needed Here!

Another season covering a local powerhouse

Any opportunity I have to work within the local community is always something I value deeply as it helps strengthen the bonds I have with those in it and I get to meet more and more new people each time it happens. Working with the Rosemount boys lacrosse program is no exception as it's proven to be one of my favorite and most valued relationships I've made in recent years.

My first season with the Irish program was a huge learning curve. I knew next to nothing about lacrosse and obviously had never covered a game either. I never felt unwanted on the sidelines by the players or coaches because they were all very welcoming and friendly, but I definitely felt out of place likely due to my own inexperience and constant second guessing of myself. That changed of course with time and the quality of my images improved as well as time went on because I had a better idea of what was going on.

Heading into my second season with the team, I was excited and ready to try a few new things along the way! I had new lenses to try out and different ideas I'd picked up from watching other photographers and the professional league social media content. I had also been in contact with the head coach of the varsity squad who was excited for another season working together and had a few ideas of his own.

Working with the Irish program has been great because I get to cover both the JV and varsity programs, so I get to meet a lot of the players and get to know them as the season goes on. A good chunk of the players will come up and ask for certain shots or a quick pic with one of their friends on the team, which as a photographer I love because it's always great to see those photos get shared and the goofing off that usually follows them as the players joke around with one another.

Both JV and varsity had great seasons with lots of high scoring contests. I got to see a lot of incredible plays made by a lot of the big scorers from the previous season as their seniors years came to a close. I also got to watch players develop and grow their confidence as the games went on and become more and more dangerous with the ball in their hands. With each game covered, there was always different angles to their same set plays and varied breakdowns in opposing defenders that lead to new and interesting shots and celebrations for each goal in a sport that never seems to get stale or boring.

While the ending of the season is always bitter sweet, one of the things I've come to enjoy is watching all the players pick and share their favorite shots from the season as well as the seniors doing their recaps before they head off to college to continue their playing careers. It's a little odd to say, but the end of the season is always one of my favorites for that exact reason, a sort of culmination of all the effort up to then and seeing what people like best.

Currently Listening To: Never Going Back by Hot Water Music