Our town. Our teams.

Living in Glen Ellyn has taught me a lot about local sports. 

Having grown up in St. Louis, Missouri (yes I remain a Cardinal fan) I didn’t feel or experience the level of enthusiasm as I do here; especially in local high school sports. For example, when Glenbard West has a football game, it’s exactly what I would expect from a community---support, camaraderie, and history.

We didn’t have a downtown where people hung flyers or displayed any type of support behind our local team like we do here---but we did have a nice football field. However, by today’s standards it would be as contemporary as a Chevy Nova. (Don’t laugh; we had one of those too!).

This past season, and part of the 2009 season, I was fortunate to photograph on the playing field. No it is not like being at Soldier Field, the United Center, Wrigley or U.S. Cellular Field---I have shot at all but Soldier Field---it’s much better.

I am serious.

The players and coaches work hard; they are passionate and they are respectful. Even to photographers. I tend to break a lot of rules when I am on the field---this will probably hurt my chances for next year. I talk to the players when they are hurt, have made a great play, or one that was not so great, and everything in between.  We are human after all. I also talk with the coaches---except the head coach. I am smart enough to know he or she is focused on winning the game, and you do not want to fool with that.

Often I am asked why I don’t hear people yelling my name when I am on the field. It’s really quite simple…I can’t hear them. When you are on the field, it is all muffled and I tend to move around a lot. If you were at the final game of the season at the Wheaton-Warrenville game, I was the photographer in the shorts; I heard from a number of people about that move since it was below freezing. Most questioned my intellect.

Glen Ellyn loves its sports, and this year in “Our Town” I will be writing about them. Let’s face it, I have more than 360 more entries to complete, I will need some good material.

The photo above was taken during a playoff game. Similar to the Chicago Bears, we are hoping their playoff run ends with wins like the Hilltoppers had when they played Lincoln-Way East. 

Thanks for stopping by.