VOLLEYBALL NATIONALS BLOG: DAY TWO OF COMPETITION

Written by Leslie Murrell
Photo by Bob Safar

I hope each of you are having a wonderful experience at AAU Volleyball Nationals here in sunny Orlando, Florida. Yesterday, our team played pretty well. We are playing good competition, and I’m happy for the girls to see them working so hard on their game. Today, however, was a bit rough.

I had the opportunity to visit briefly with my coach and a teammate and am so honored that they made time to watch Lucy play. It is surreal to think that we’re able to watch each other’s daughters play the sport that brought us together 20 years ago.

While visiting with Wendy, she mentioned her husband’s hobby is photography. Wendy explained that it’s a love and a curse. He loves taking action shots, but feels compelled (and is sometimes expected) to take photos of the other girls on the team. It’s like when you’re the only one with a pick up truck – all of your friends want you to help them haul their stuff around.

We have a dad on our team whose hobby is photography as well. So, I was starting to feel a tinge of guilt, as I’ve grown a wee bit dependent on Bob to take pictures of my daughter. Perhaps you’ve recognized his name in the photo creds of my previous posts. Because he’s taken all of them. Every single one.

Then Wendy told me sometimes her husband leaves his camera at home so that he can just watch his daughter play. Again, I might have felt a bit guilty for razzing Bob when he didn’t bring his camera.

But if you’re not the team photographer with a cool zoom lens, a panache for angles, and you don’t know what aperture is, then what you do know is those gym lights make your daughter look like a blurry non-action picture in some kind of odd yellowish orange filter. With every attempt of a picture, you start to wonder how iphone technology can’t pick up gym lighting.

I looked around today to find that just about every team on any court has at least one photographer parent. We’ve even been able to assess Lucy’s skills progression from the beginning of the season to the end thanks to Bob’s photography hobby. Be sure to thank your team photographer. None of your club fees go to them. I suppose you could pay them in hugs, but I’m pretty sure Bob is due a six-pack and a gift card to his favorite camera store. And maybe a hug.

So, as we near the end of this club volleyball season, remember to thank your team photographer, and all the team parents who took good care of you, and gave a darn and supported your kid. Give them a hug. And maybe a six pack.