As a momarrazi, I watch my boys sports events through my lens. It's just a habit, one I have difficulty breaking. I have found it completely relaxing and enjoyable to photograph my boys playing football, hockey and baseball--but more so when I get to do the photo editing afterwards. I am by no means a professional at this--hence the term "momarazzi", which was given to me by a "professional" sports photographer at a hockey tournament a few years ago.
My oldest son just ended his July baseball tournament season winning the championship game in their final tournament. It was a very exciting game, with both sides keeping the score close in each and every inning! And there I was, in my usual position, behind my lens...until the 6th inning when our team was down by two runs and there were two outs, and my son was up to bat. At that point, I put the camera down and sat. For the first time in a long time, I watched and began my superstitious ritual which I have not used in baseball at all this season...the secret good luck prayer to the Virgin Mary. My husband would say this was probably not appropriate, combining prayer with good luck superstitions, but it is something I've done in dire circumstances since my freshman year in high school. And...I know for a fact that his high school hockey team would pray to the Virgin Mary for a victory before every hockey game--so I have to be on the right track!
And so it began...as my son went up to the plate, I began my ritual. He had a full count. His batting average is average. He walks, he hits, he pops out. He does boast the most "hit by balls" on his team! But on this night, in this inning, he hit the hardest line drive I've seen all season! He brought in two RBI's! You would think I would have brought the lens up to start getting those Hallmark moments now...but no, I now had to continue my good luck prayer ritual for every batter down the line, to ensure that he would be able to steal the bases he needed to steal and make it home to score that extra point, and get his team ahead--which he did indeed!
In the end, his team did win. It was a very exciting game and a tough-fought battle! After the game, after taking team photos, photos with other players, photos with the trophies, etc., my son asked me if I got the photo of him hitting that amazing line drive. I paused, and then told him "no, I was busy doing my good luck prayer," which he knows all about (and only he knows all about--I confided in him at our hockey championship game when we won our division this spring!). He looked at me with such a questioning look--"you prayed?" was all he could say. "Of course I prayed, you were up to bat with two outs and a full count...that's what mom's do...they pray that their son's make a great play of the night!" He smiled and said, "thanks mom". I think that satisfied him...but I still think he would have liked to see the photo for himself!
Watching that inning, even just the end of that inning, with my own eyes instead of through my lens, was the most exciting inning I've watched in a long time. It made me realize what I was missing by not fully participating in the games when I am behind my camera all the time. I love going through and catching those moments in action so I can keep them more permanently--but I must admit, the excitement I felt was something I wouldn't trade. And...I'm still superstitious...can't take photos while doing the special good luck prayer!
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