A Few Volleyball

[DHMN]

The high school varsity hasn't had the most successful year due to a couple expected leaders being out for reasons of their own doing.. but they've won finally got their win total to 4 tonight (I had to choose, volleyball, or one of two soccer matches and chose volleyball because I didn't want to experiment with flash for soccer when so much of the action happens far away on the field.)

Maybe this is bad, but I don't mind the opposing player in the foreground for this one...
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/Volleyball/AtDuluthMarshall/VolleyballAtMarshall1.jpg

http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/Volleyball/AtDuluthMarshall/VolleyballAtMarshall18.jpg

This school has a balcony on the side and I wanted a couple shots from up there...

http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/Volleyball/AtDuluthMarshall/VolleyballAtMarshall16.jpg

This last one.. it's not exactly a level horizon, though I'm not sure it's as needed? If so, I've now learned more from POTN :)
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/Volleyball/AtDuluthMarshall/VolleyballAtMarshall9.jpg

[canonnoob]

really not bad at all... my suggestion is that #1 is a toss however, the hand in the face makes that image worthless IMO.. but the rest are great!

[DHMN]

I might have tossed it really.. but the mother of all people was giving me crap for not having much of her kid.. she (the mother) almost got kicked out of the place for bringing.. of all things..an air horn to a volleyball road game.

I'm starting to get used to the weight of the Sigma 70-200...since a monopod doesn't work for volleyball with so much going on up then down.. etc.. at least for volleyball I'm carrying it in hand with a double wrap of the strap around the wrist like I did the lighter Tokina 50-135

[canonnoob]

lol the sigma is wayyyy light... trust me on that... just wait until you get something like a 300/400 2.8 IS

[DHMN]

I did a few of the serves from up in the balcony (I used to coach middle school basketball there so I can get around at that school better than other away gyms, most don't have a balcony like this that views the whole length of the floor anyway)

http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/Volleyball/AtDuluthMarshall/VolleyballAtMarshall13.jpg

http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/Volleyball/AtDuluthMarshall/VolleyballAtMarshall14.jpg

The more I look at them the more I know I should go to bed, then get up in the morning and straighten at least a couple of them!

[DHMN]

If I get to a 300-400 prime status.. someone better be putting a LOT of money in my pocket! I've got permission for D1 women's college hockey (for photo galleries, not for sale of course) this year so my website traffic will triple if not more with a blog I keep, but I don't think it'll increase the side money enough to take that step up the ladder rung to the hefty lenses.

[24alpha]

Can someone tell me why the girls wear those ankle braces? Surely all of them can't have ankle injuries.

[carshop]

nice shots

[namasste]

I think you got some nice stuff with these. Clarity and color really stand out and thats tough in the gyms usually. The first would be much better without the opposing player for sure and because of that, its not going to be a portfolio image ever BUT, I'd never toss that since a parent would very likely buy that image.

[lespaulowner]

Good series.

[DHMN]

A lot of athletic trainers now preach to coaches in JV and Varsity to require the ankle braces in volleyball AND basketball because of all the stress and possibility of coming down on a teammates foot or just landing wrong happens in the sports. The players who don't do much jumping/spiking in volleyball don't seem to wear them usually.

[disneydork06]

Can someone tell me why the girls wear those ankle braces? Surely all of them can't have ankle injuries.

A lot of athletic trainers now preach to coaches in JV and Varsity to require the ankle braces in volleyball AND basketball because of all the stress and possibility of coming down on a teammates foot or just landing wrong happens in the sports. The players who don't do much jumping/spiking in volleyball don't seem to wear them usually.
preventative measures. players who tend to play in the front row (at the net) will have those one.

[bjoynes]

A lot of travel Volleyball players wear these ankle braces, and it seems to trickle down as a requirement to Varsity and Junior Varsity players. I have mixed feelings about these devices, and many sports medicine docs are divided over the use of them also. I know the mechanics of volleyball and the stress the hips, knees and ankles take but you don't see this type of device on a female dancer.

Proper training on landing techniques would remove a lot of the need for these ankle braces, as well and hip, knee and back injuries.

Bryn

[bjoynes]

Isolated pictures of players are great for the parents, or even the photographer, the perfect action shot gives you that wow effect, but they sometimes lose the story of what is happening. I have great pictures of blocks, and spikes, but to find two or three frames later you see the ball hit the net, or fall to the ground on the wrong side of the net.

For me a wide shot can draw me into the game, and for a moment I understand what is happening, that split second shot can tell me what happens in the next two or three seconds of the game without being there.

I like picture #1, yes the hand does distract, it could be a better picture, but if it was my daughter I would not care, I would smile and beam with joy.

Bryn

[disneydork06]

A lot of travel Volleyball players wear these ankle braces, and it seems to trickle down as a requirement to Varsity and Junior Varsity players. I have mixed feelings about these devices, and many sports medicine docs are divided over the use of them also. I know the mechanics of volleyball and the stress the hips, knees and ankles take but you don't see this type of device on a female dancer.

Proper training on landing techniques would remove a lot of the need for these ankle braces, as well and hip, knee and back injuries.

Bryn
I agree with this but again we are talking about high school girls listening to the coaches. they tend to be preoccupied with other stuff :-P i did hear that because of the ankle braces a player tore her acl and if she didn't have them then she would just have a sprained ankle, (but you not knowing the severity of that injury)

[DHMN]

I've talked to a lot of people in basketball over the years, having coached middle school and helped at higher levels and playing city league (ok, so it's only city league) but that's why a lot of people won't wear ankle braces.. they say knee injuries happen because of them.. but who knows what studies say.. I haven't looked!

[Drive4show]

Nice clear shots ... too bad about the first one , but if the parent liked it , that's all that counts. Second one tells a bit more of a story , but the action ..... or lack of a real dynamic technique of the 2 girls , takes away from the shot. Once again , the parent might not care.

The " Active Ankles " are a Godsend if you've had an ankle injury. Both of my boys played high level volleyball , and both had some ankle injuries. Only my youngest ended up with the Active Ankles , and usually only on the injured ankle. They have no effect on jumping or landing ...... the knees and hips take most of the abuse there , but they really help protect an injured ankle in lateral movements , and ESPECIALLY when landing on another player's foot .... which is where most VB injuries come from. Most trainers I talked to like the kids to use them if they are jumping close to other players , but if the drills are all backcourt stuff , take them off and strengthen the ankles with the movement. One I talked to doesn't mind the kids wearing them all the time when playing or practising .... they can strengthen the ankles when the walk or run all the other times of the day.

[Mil]

Nice photos.