EXCITEMENT for The Win!?
By: Branden Nall
Tags: High School, Photography, Sports, 2020, Mental Health

EXCITEMENT for The Win!?

A young fan celebrates a basket during a intercity rivalry game in Eau Claire, WI. (photo by Branden Nall)

I wrote in a previous column, Prep Sports and Mental Toughness, that I cover many sports as a photographer. Having covered hundreds of events from a non-bias spectator view, I feel emotion from both sides of the field.

This year the emotions have been very pronounced. Maybe it was the fact that sports were on hiatus from mid-March to mid-September? Maybe it was the fact that getting out of the house was just so dang exciting!?

Prior to March 2020

We took sports, at least I did, for granted. Teams — Spectators — Popcorn — Snacks — Camaraderie — Cheers — Excitement! The entire atmosphere of a Friday night at the field or Tuesday night battle on the court.

You would sit next to your family and friends and cheer, LOUD, for your team. You would SCREAM at the referees for that bad call — but just… once.

The stands that you sat in possibly shook when applause erupted and deafening screams filled the rafters or the cold air under moon light.

Standing room only. Tickets sold out. Rivalries a-blaze with passion.

So much exhilaration.

A full half of the gym closed during the start of the outbreak at what was the final game of the season in Osseo, Wisconsin. (photo by Branden Nall)

2020: March Madness….sadness

I remember being in my hotel room paging through the images taken that day, in downtown Chicago the last week of February. The news: SARS CARONAVIRUS-19 confirmed cases were the highlighted story.

No talk of sports cancellations at this point, but all signs were pointing toward the inevitable.

I remember being nervous to get on the plane in the coming days because of the death toll due to an invisible killer.

Just after the first week of March the meetings of game cancellations and postponements had begun. My press credentials were not just credentials for the game, but also approval and documented entry for contact tracing protocols that were now getting approval by state level officials.

50 people. I believe that was the last number I remember being allowed into my last play-off basketball of the season before the shut down on March 17.

2020: The next 6 months

Lock-down. The sound of silence.

Parents, spectators and kids up in arms about getting back to sports.

People sick.

High School Seniors losing the end of their seasons.

People very sick.

College scouts with their arms up due to stellar seasons and athletes at a stand still. Finalize recruiting?

People dead. Lots of people dead.

Sports practices and competitions happening on the down-low. Because…sports. Kids apparently don’t get CV-19. No photos to document because power.

Parents, spectators and kids up in arms about getting back to sports.

The Arcadia boys soccer team watch their teammates on the field while new regulations of mandatory masks is in place for all people at the soccer field. Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (photo by Branden Nall)

September 2020: Sports

Back. To. Sports. Back behind the camera. Less coverage amongst games being cancelled, postponed starts and shortened seasons.

Fewer spectators at many venues and schools. Much fewer. Admittance of 1 parent, in some cases, were the only fans allowed. Having to call the school and add your name to the spectator roster is still a thing as type this.

Then other schools — zero mandatory masks, Zero practiced new clean rules and few abided by changes for public/player health and safety. They are superhuman or alien, apparently.

Some schools felt the ramifications of this as top teams were pulling out and cancelling championship seasons due to several tested positive cases. But the band played on…. (the cliché — there were no bands)

This time, however, it would be different.

The Regis girls volleyball team comes together in celebration of an ace during an October match in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (photo by Branden Nall)

Winning in the Fall of 2020

…and as the band played, noticeable changes had been introduced. Not just the masks, ball washing, hand sanitizer…etc. The mentality.

I don’t know if it was because of this year’s events. The lack of spectators. The lack of stimulation for 6 months of not being around the chaos of sports. The lack of just never really paying ‘attention’ and being complacent.

On multiple occasions. Actually, a lot of the time, multiple times a week for many of the weeks; scores seemed to swap. I am not referring to the score board, but the team that was suppose to win — should have won — had the talent to win….didn’t.

Cheers and excitement in the exact way you see in the image above took precedence over the ‘better’ team.

I have seen this in bowling — many, many times! Excitement wins. Excitement and enthusiasm create talent and winners.

I’ll say that again. EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM CREATE TALENT AND WINNERS.

I started coaching in some capacity when I was in middle school. I have coached all ages, fitness levels and multiple sports. Excitement doesn’t just generate emotional connection between people. It creates better play. More increase in talent.

I have known this for as long as I can remember, but to see it front and center in very apparent fashion this year has been incredible.

Teams that had 1/2 the talent and twice the excitement as the other teams were winning. Jumping off the bench or chairs — high fives — hugs and overall celebration every time something good happened, has an absolute positive impact on the game.

This happened nearly every single game this year! Motion causes emotion! It was never more evident. The overwhelming calm and despair from the year’s events hadn’t really set the bar high, but wow!

The opposing side of this is when hum-drum hit a sideline, it hit with a vengeance. Teams would totally collapse under their mental state of shaking their head. Very seldom would I see just one person on the team trying to raise the Phoenix.

Moving Forward to 2021

I don’t think that we are going to see much change moving into next year — at least for 9 months and next Fall’s sports seasons start moving.

Are we going to see as much enthusiasm. Yes! I believe we will. This will go down in history as ‘the year they took our sports away’. Never to be taken for granted again.

The years ahead will also dictate as to which sports suffered the greatest and which gained the most. Either way — I am excited to capture it from behind the lens!