Are you a mom (insert your favorite sport here)?
If so, you probably have tons of pictures of your kids waiting to be deleted. Or maybe you’ve been faithfully attending games / events for so long that you know you’re already carrying your camera. Either way, here are some ideas for you to ditch those sports memorabilia.
The first thing we tend to think of when it comes to scrapbooking sports is action shots. You want to capture the swing of the bat that caused the game-winning home run. Or the “shot score”. A word of caution for new moms, the first score / shot / spike / etc. priceless. You don’t want to get lost because you were waiting behind a camera lens. You don’t know how long you will wait, one game, one season, several seasons.
Most likely, once the first has occurred; They will have a new confidence to emerge many more to come! Be sure to capture other action shots along the way – dribbling, running, kicking, swimming, whatever. Just capture the “essence” of the sport. There are many things that lead to the final shot / moment, so be sure to capture those things as well.
Second, create a design based on the determination and practice required to get into the game. Often times, more hours are spent in preparation and practice than in play or sport. Capture these moments by doing drills, taking the same step over and over again. My niece is a cheerleader. One day she was practicing the back springs. Over and over with her mother’s spots, until she was finally able to do it and on her own! Imagine a page that captures the attempts and you can finally do it. A lesson learned! This is a powerful thing for a child’s self-esteem. You can come back to this design anytime your child needs to be sure they can!
Next, capture the excitement of the sport. There are many emotions involved: happy moments, low moments, a moment of sheer determination, frustration, and a myriad of other emotions. Forget about the body shot, get closer to her face and capture her emotion. Then ask them what they were thinking and feeling and include it in your journal.
Get inspired by the sports page of your local newspaper. Or better yet, if your gear showed up, cut it out, spray it with file-safe spray, and include it in your design. Use newspapers as headlines as titles for your page. “The Warriors beat the Panthers, 3-1” or “The Hawks soar to new heights.” Okay, these are out of my head, but I hope you get the idea.
Lastly, ask your child why he plays this sport. His answer may surprise you. Whatever your answer, play. If they answered, “competitive,” then find (or take) a photo of them actually fighting for the ball.
Or if they said, “style or elegance”, capture a beautiful plie. Use these individual words as headings and include the definition as a decoration.
Scrapbooking sports are about more than “official” team photos and pose shots. Get in the game, get creative! Capture some action, dedication, excitement, and the whys. What are you going to capture next?
