It's DANGEROUS on the sidelines

[ac12]

I gave up. One warning, and after that is is the kids responsibility.
The wall just behind the end line has a thick foam padding for a reason.

Sadly, it's not the just the kid in danger. Most of the HS games I shot at didn't have much room around the court especially under the goal. If you have a guy running flat out he needs every inch of that space to decelerate, and will still likely bounce off the bumpers. I can assure you the only thing that player has his eye on is the goal. Surprised the Ref allowed him to stay, but then again the Ref's got his eyes and concentration on the players and the game.

Now that it is winter and basketball season, I should talk to the AD about that.
I can see that as a possible liability issue, if a student gets hurt taking pictures on the end line.

 

[ac12]

I looked at the link that @smoke665 posted.

That short video is even scarier.

The still image looks like the girl got hit at just below chest height. That explains how she was thrown backwards in the video.
The camera was between the runners leg and her head. Was the camera driven back into her head? She did have a SHORT time to get her face away from the camera.

 

[ronlane]

Thanks for sharing that photo @ac12. That shows a lot more detail to what happen. I say that because she was out cold before her head hit the ground.

I think the camera may have been driven into her head by his left thigh. Watching the video, I thought that the camera was to her face when she got hit. Might have been better if it would have been.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I think AC like your student who stepped/moved out of the way, it helps to trust your instincts (something must have been telling her she might soon be clobbered if she didn't move).

When I've had a pass I always felt like it was a privelege to be used responsibly. I learned to pay attention to what's going on in the game and off the ice. Even in hockey being behind glass where there won't be a direct collision so much as feeling the rattle of the boards, an occasional pane of glass could get broken/shattered, or a puck flip over the boards, etc. There also can be a good bit of off ice activity to keep an eye on, like avoiding the TV crews and watching out for other photographers to stay out of each others' way. Or the equipment staff may come thru with a jersey or a player needing a skate sharpened, etc. and they're hustling.

The closest I came to anything serious happening near me was one time when I was between the benches where a tunnel went to the home dressing room. A player got cut by a skate blade which obviously can cause a lot of rapid blood loss. I don't think I've ever seen them move so fast getting a player off the ice. And while that was happening to my right (and I'd already positioned myself along a wall), out of the corner of my eye to my left I saw the team doctor coming down the steps. He literally lept into the tunnel landing right in front of me instead of coming down the last few steps. Even though accidents may happen it helps to be aware of what's happening in the game as well as off the ice/field and stay out of the way as needed.

I think it would help if teams take a look at how they're issuing credentials, and make sure everyone along the sidelines is wearing a team issued vest. (I noticed there's another photographer to the right who is kneeling, but since she's wearing a light gray/white vest she's more noticeable; there's a photographer to the right of her who's wearing a gray sweater/sweatshirt and he's not very noticeable.) It would probably be preventive to make sure the players are able to see people on the sidelines, and 'thinning' the crowd along there might be a help.

 

[ronlane]

Honestly, I think people are making too much of this one situation. The risk is real on hundreds of fields each week and yet we don't see or hear of many of these types of incidences. Each one of us that step foot on a sideline, know that there is a risk and accept that risk to be there.

Yes, it was very unfortunate that she was hit and knocked out but if you have seen it, she got a heck of a photo and a story to tell for some time. I'm sure that she learned from it and will have her head on a swivel the next time she is back on the sideline.

The players aren't paying any attention to things outside the field of play and they shouldn't be paying attention to anything but what is going on on the field. (Which is far more dangerous than anything on the sideline.)

Accept the risk to be on the field and shoot, keep you eyes open, pay attention to what and who is around you and have fun.

 

[ac12]

Well I had the safety class today, and as I expected it was a couple of the boys that were the problems.
One had seen or heard about the "accident" and thought it was funny. He was quickly told otherwise by several of the girls.
Another after the video was played made light of the incident. He has to be told that it was SERIOUS.
Is it the "macho" genes that get in the way of clear thinking?

A vest would make little difference when kneeling.
I talked to one of our football players, and he said when he is running, his visibility in the football helmet is limited to level vision. He does not look down. He said he most likely would not have seen the girl, before plowing into her. That validates the theory that the player may have seen daylight at head/chest level, between the two guys, and headed for the daylight, not looking down at the girl.

Boys Lacrosse, with a helmet, has similar visual field restrictions as football.​

Having said that, anything to make yourself more visible to the player will help them avoid you, when they have only a second to make a decision.
At night, any DARK colors is HARD to see; black, navy blue, dark green, dark brown, etc.
I need to replace my dark jacket with a lighter/brighter jacket, for use on the field.
I will have a conversation with the AD about safety vest or high-visibility clothing.

Basketball is a FAST game in very close quarters, and I can see this happening there also.
Maybe it has happened.

 

[ac12]

Honestly, I think people are making too much of this one situation. The risk is real on hundreds of fields each week and yet we don't see or hear of many of these types of incidences. Each one of us that step foot on a sideline, know that there is a risk and accept that risk to be there.

Yes, it was very unfortunate that she was hit and knocked out but if you have seen it, she got a heck of a photo and a story to tell for some time. I'm sure that she learned from it and will have her head on a swivel the next time she is back on the sideline.

The players aren't paying any attention to things outside the field of play and they shouldn't be paying attention to anything but what is going on on the field. (Which is far more dangerous than anything on the sideline.)

Accept the risk to be on the field and shoot, keep you eyes open, pay attention to what and who is around you and have fun.

The problem is as an adult we understand and accept the risk.
At least we should.

Students who are not taught safety, or lack the common sense for self-preservation, may not realize and understand the dangers and risks involved in shooting sports or just being on the field/court.

BTW, TOO MANY high school students lack the common sense for self-preservation. I have had several of them step in front of my moving car, as if my car was parked. And I watch them do that in front of other moving cars. I now either leave school well before or after school lets out, to avoid those kids.
And they will be on their phone, and step into the street to cross, without looking to see if a car was coming. Although MANY adults are guilty of this as well. The problem is, this is California. There is something called the California stop. Drivers often don't stop at stop signs and sometime not at stop lights. That is a BAD combination.​

But as I've seen, there are adults who are just as oblivious to their own safety as high school students.
A painted line on the ground/floor won't give them any protection from being run over.

Agree about the players.
I tell my students, that it is NOT the players responsibility to avoid them (the students), it is their responsibility to avoid getting hit by the players.