Gotta tell ya ’bout this wild ride I went on last Tuesday. Woke up crazy early like 5am sharp ’cause my editor buddy texted me sayin’ “Dude you gotta cover that high school girls’ basketball championship”.
The Prep Work Sucked
Scrambled like mad tryin’ to find where this dang event even was. Website info was trash – ended up callin’ three different schools just to get directions. Grabbed my busted Nikon DSLR from 2021 that makes this weird clicking noise when you zoom. Threw in extra batteries ’cause last time I got burned at a volleyball game.
Getting There Was Half the Battle
Drove 40 minutes only to find parking backed up around the block. Some dad yelled at me ’cause I “took his spot” – like bruh, public lot? Finally sprinted inside while juggling camera bag & coffee. Security guy nearly made me toss my coffee till I flashed the press pass hangin’ lopsided off my neck.
The Actual Game Blew My Mind
Section C row 12 seat 4 – total nosebleed section. But man… those girls went OFF. Number 15 from Jefferson High? Absolute beast. Saw her do this insane behind-the-back pass while gettin’ double-teamed. Crowd went bananas. My camera nearly fell off the railing when everyone jumped up.
- Took 348 shots – my finger got numb from pressing shutter
- Spilled nacho cheese on my favorite hoodie trying to eat & shoot at same time
- Battery died right during overtime period – nearly cried
Post-Game Chaos
Tried talkin’ to number 15 post-game but like ten reporters mobbed her. Finally caught her coach lookin’ exhausted near the exit. He gave me gold: “These girls? They play like every game’s their last supper.” Quote of the dang year right there.
What I Learned
- ALWAYS bring backup charger brick thingies
- Press passes should come with elbow pads for crowd surges
- High schoolers ball harder than half the college games I cover
Got home at 1am stinkin’ like gym socks & adrenaline. Edited pics till sunrise while eatin’ cold pizza. Worth every second though – that game? Pure fire. Already marked my calendar for next year’s finals.