Training Day

My goal has always been to lead the league in assists, it’s not about how much I can score — the goal is to enable everyone around me to put points on the board.

There’s a certain type of optimism that only exists in student athletes, it’s a mixture of passion and curiosity. The passion is the driving force, it’s what fuels them to push themselves beyond what’s normal. The curiosity keeps them engaged, the wonder of what will happen if they try a bit harder, apply an ounce more focus.

When you’re a student athlete there’s a mental calculus that says hard work unlocks new opportunities — going the extra mile will in fact take you further.

I spent about 20-30 minutes observing these athletes with coaches before I started to take pictures, to really appreciate the story of the moment. Immediately I realized that these weren’t casual players, these were kids who understood the opportunities that sports can offer them. This wasn’t just about dribbling and player coordination, these young people were looking to develop the mental fortitude that will enable them to do well on and off the court.

My reason for being at this training session was to work with a small group of art students, alongside the program leader. As I spoke with the art students I quickly realized how the fundamentals of basketball overlap with the concept of documentary photography. The primary overlapping concept is to be methodical about when to take the shot, specifically learning to process the dynamics of moment to understand when the moment is right for the big move.

Overall , working alongside both the student athletes and artists was energizing — positive attitudes and determination. Both sports and art allow people to immediately see the fruits of their labor via noticeable progress.

Hope you enjoyed these photographs.

Peace ✌🏾