Sports have always
been a big part of my life. Soccer, basketball, baseball, and softball in high
school, college, and in adult leagues kept me active through most of my playing
life. Then there was distance running to stay fit. Along came children and with
it came years of coaching and refereeing soccer, watching swimming and
cheerleading. But the one sport I never participated in or watched was track and
field. My high school was too small to have a team. My children didn’t
participate in it. My wife ran track in high school, but that was long before I
met her. So, it was with some excitement that I jumped on a chance to
watch something new and take pictures of a track meet at our local high school.
The events themselves were not new to me, but
the sequence of events and where the athletes would be positioned were things I
needed to figure out. The shot put and discus area were roped off making it
hard for me to get into position so I headed to the long jump area and focused
on the jumps. The low sun behind the athletes made it hard to shoot but some
good shots came out. Once the hurdles were set up, I moved into position and
got some great shots. Relays and distance runs came next. All in all, I enjoyed
the day and captured some good images. I never did get the shot put or discus,
but there is always next year!
