Time out
High school basketball offers nearly unparalleled access to the game. All tickets are general admission, so if you can find a seat right behind the bench, it’s yours for the taking. Usually, I will not sit in this area because it’s rather difficult to see the game with the coach pacing back and forth along the sidelines and the players going on and coming of the court.
However, on Friday, I decided to sit with my wife for a bit. Usually, I’m hanging out underneath the basket for a couple of quarters, but decided to keep my seat for the duration. I arrived just before the tip-off and my wife had secured a seat right behind the bench. I was one row behind the players. This photo, barely cropped, was taken with a 50mm lens. I was just that close!
As I’m constantly on the lookout on new areas to photograph, I thought that I’d pay attention to the goings on on the bench. From my view, I could see, and hear, everything that happened during a time out. I could also see and hear the ‘words’ being dispensed by both coaches and players alike when things turned sour. 
It was quite entertaining. At one point, I saw our coach, pictured here, take of his jacket, slam it on the seat, and resume pacing. I wish that I had been expecting that. It would have been a great shot. He’s normally such a mild-mannered man. I would have never expected, but that just shows what a rookie I am in this regard.
I was actually splitting my attention between the game and the sidelines, but more focused on the game, so I missed some of the sideline action. I would guess that I could get better shots of the sideline when Tony is not in the game. It’s a parent thing! Parent first, photographer second.
It was, though, very interesting to see Tony sitting on the sideline, waiting to get in. I could tell that he was ‘chomping at the bit’ because, he had his jacket off, was leaning forward, his legs were shaking, and he kept fidgeting in the chair.
Interesting views from behind the bench! I keep coming up with these interesting SoFoBoMo ideas. I must be ready to go! I need to write this stuff down!
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6 Responses to “Behind the bench”
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I wish I had an idea half this interesting.
C’mon, Anita. Quit being so modest! I’m sure that you have plenty of ideas!
Hey, I have a lot to be modes about!
Honestly, I am running so hard, so fast that I haven’t had a moment to think about SoFoBoMo. I know that when the time comes, I will get fired up and something will come to me—well, I hope so, anyway. I especially like your idea, because it’s got a nice twist to it. The behind the scenes viewpoint is often an intriguing one and this is a good example.
But then, I almost always seem to like the ideas that you come up with. What can I say?
Excellent. Love the intensity shown on the coaches face in the first one, and the tension in his posture waiting to get in the game in the second.
Now these would be the only ones I could even hope to get at a sporting event since I am not good at predicting the action.
I will love to watch sidelines action – what coaches say etc. do they allow anyone to sit anywhere or only to parents and players?
@Raj: No, anyone can sit there. Most people don’t want to, and as a consequence, these are quite easy seats to have. I think that in coming games, I’ll sit here more often. It makes for good photography, I think.