(Youth baseball) Don't you hate it when...

...coaches and parents just have to stand in the way of your pictures?

Probably the biggest challenge to shooting the young ones are the 8 or 9 coaches who are on the field, and the 4 or 5 coaches who occupy the space between the dugout and the baselines. It's like trying to shoot rabbits amongst the trees in the forest.

Can you change your position?

Yes, I can change positions. Where do you think I could of stood to not get the coaches in these pictures?

caroleigh wrote in post #5584722
Yes, I can change positions. Where do you think I could of stood to not get the coaches in these pictures?

Umm, to where they're not in the background? Since I can't see much of the field, there's really no way I can tell you where to go. You can move closer to the plate, you can move closer to the foul line (if you have permission to be on the playing field AND have insurance to cover your being there AND you can position yourself in a SAFE place), you can move to the third base side, you can talk with the coaches, etc...

how about getting the coaches to move?

why do they have to stand there? giving directions to the players?

Aaagogo wrote in post #5585514
why do they have to stand there? giving directions to the players?

They don't.

Half the time I think they forget who this is all about. Uh, not them...

My son had a travel game this evening and the other team had five coaches in uniform and a scorekeeper. Gimme a break.

Your batters are nice and sharp BTW, and you'd have some nice isolation without the coaches there. Nice job.

JVolz wrote in post #5585698
They don't.

Half the time I think they forget who this is all about. Uh, not them...

My son had a travel game this evening and the other team had five coaches in uniform and a scorekeeper. Gimme a break.

Your batters are nice and sharp BTW, and you'd have some nice isolation without the coaches there. Nice job.

Speaking as a head coach of a team I'd kill for 4 assistants to get more one on one time with the kids - it's hard to do with only one/two coaches, 4-5 allows you to break down more and kids to get more learning/time in.

Pic wise just move around till they are not in the background or if you know them ask them to move. OR what we did was spray paint a line on the field and noone was allowed past it.

good colors and contrast. that's an interesting stance in image 1.

djthemac wrote in post #5589285
good colors and contrast. that's an interesting stance in image 1.

Thanks. He was getting out of the way of getting hit

JVolz wrote in post #5585698
They don't.

Half the time I think they forget who this is all about. Uh, not them...

My son had a travel game this evening and the other team had five coaches in uniform and a scorekeeper. Gimme a break.

Your batters are nice and sharp BTW, and you'd have some nice isolation without the coaches there. Nice job.

Thanks! Your absolutely right. My oldest is 13 , he has been playing since he was 3... my husband has always coached up until this year. Youth baseball is awful lol... it's usually about the coaches instead of the kids.

Carol - Plus, what aperture were these taken at? It looks like you could afford to open up a little more, too, which would minimize the impact of the coaches. I can't tell what your EXIF data shows since it's been stripped.

Mike, I shot some really little (T-ball) kids today, and there were NINE parents on the field with the defense and SIX parents between the dugout and the baselines for the team at bat. The biggest challenge by far was getting images withOUT an adult in frame.

Somehow when we were kids, we made it through little league without more parents on the field than kids, but maybe I'm wrong. The kids in Carol's shots look old enough that they don't need much on-field coaching, no?

Nice captures, agreed with the coaches. Why in the world are they standing that close to the plate during a game? I have never seen that in all my years of shooting Little League, Babe Ruth, Legion, middle school and high school. My only suggestion is get a longer lens, or a teleconverter and shoot from centerfield fence. Or get on top of the dugout and shoot down at them. Of course, then you don't see the face of the batter.

dmwierz wrote in post #5591556
Carol - Plus, what aperture were these taken at? It looks like you could afford to open up a little more, too, which would minimize the impact of the coaches. I can't tell what your EXIF data shows since it's been stripped.

Mike, I shot some really little (T-ball) kids today, and there were NINE parents on the field with the defense and SIX parents between the dugout and the baselines for the team at bat. The biggest challenge by far was getting images withOUT an adult in frame.

Somehow when we were kids, we made it through little league without more parents on the field than kids, but maybe I'm wrong. The kids in Carol's shots look old enough that they don't need much on-field coaching, no?

Yup, these guys were 11-12, tournament team. Coaches are always around, always more coaches then kids. Usually 2 in, the head coach and your pitching coach, then a 1st base coach and 3rd base coach....and these coaches here look like one just taking score and the other, who knows.

BTW~ My lens only opens up to F/4, which is what these were taken at. I didn't realize they were stripped, the EXIF is usually there, sorry.

dmwierz wrote in post #5591556
Mike, I shot some really little (T-ball) kids today, and there were NINE parents on the field with the defense and SIX parents between the dugout and the baselines for the team at bat. The biggest challenge by far was getting images withOUT an adult in frame.

Somehow when we were kids, we made it through little league without more parents on the field than kids, but maybe I'm wrong. The kids in Carol's shots look old enough that they don't need much on-field coaching, no?

Ok, nine is just INSANE! All in all I don't think there should be too many coaches on the field, lets teach a little independence people! In our local T-ball coaches are allowed at 1st/3rd like usual - but they are defensive coaches and not for the hitter. Then the hitting teams coach is the pitcher and that's it. It does no good to have that many coaches on the field, what one for every position? I know they're young and need guidance but 9? I'd just start walking around and slapping those parents.

What I meant about having a staff of coaches was that they'd of course be in uniform for the game but they wouldn't be on the field. Having more coaches allows for one on one time in PRACTICE, and if a situation comes up in the game you have a coach to take care of it. Really I dont think there's a need for coaches on the field, especially at the age of the kids in this thread. #1 safety, the coaches are in a danger zone of a flying ball or bat. #2, if you do your job as a coach in practice the game takes care of itself...

Taking care of itself I mean (and I'm speaking for high school, 7-12th grade so 11-18 years old) once we get to the game that's the kids time to do what we learned in practice and show how much they did/learned. I tell my teams every year we will try to play a game where I don't coach at all, that's one of our goals, I won't say a word, they work together because we did the work in practice enough that they should know what to do, all I'll make is substitutions. Some of my teams have done it, others have not even come close. Still remember the first team I had that did it (11-13 year old girls volleyball) and they were proud to be independent out there but still playing "our" game, heck, even they made the subs which was nice because they were thinking of there other teammates while playin (girls on the court took themselves out to get there teammates time).

Had a couple kids ask during a game this year for baseball...

Player: "why didn't you tell me to go or stop when rounding 3rd?"
Me: "well, what drill did we end practice with yesterday?
Player: "We did baserunning rounding the bag, picking up the ball and deciding to go or stay on our own"
Me: "and what did you just do?"
Player: "oh"

Having a staff of coaches = good; Having a staff that gets on the field and doesn't let the kids actually play with any independence = bad.

Joe Cyr wrote in post #5591853
Why in the world are they standing that close to the plate during a game?

Really now.....these aren't T-Ballers.....sooner or later they'll have a foul ball planted between the eyes. Around here, the player that runs out between batters to retrieve a bat isn't even aloud to do it without a helmet!....These guys must be on the Board...that makes it OK!...what was I thinking.