Ripple Effect Sports Photography: Blog

I Wanna Be Like Him!

(Ripple Effect Sports Photography) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:33:04 GMT

Well the Super Bowl Sunday Hang Over is Over... Things are Back to Normal - If you consider about ten inches of snow in KC today normal.

Most of the country thought the game was a Super Bust!

I have to admit, I lost interest in the game pretty quick. I really didn't have a vested interest in the winner one way or another - I was just hoping for a Good Game.

It would be neat to see a team from the AFC West (Chiefs Division) win it. But you gotta Love the story of the Seahawks season.

As I watched, I kept feeling sorry for Denver, especially Peyton Manning. It was just one of those days where Nothing Seemed to go Right.

We all have those days - But most of us do NOT have over 100 Million of our closest friends watching our every move.

As we show up for work, get dressed, what we eat & drink, stretch for the game, sit on the bench, and as we leave for home after being grilled with questions about "That Day Things Just Didn't Go Right"

Monday morning I stumbled across an article by Dan Wetzel on Yahoo Sports that really made me think differently about Peyton Manning. Article: Peyton Manning and the Beer Vendor

What a Guy, What a Leader, What a Role Model!

I hope the next really Bad Day I have, I can be like Peyton!

#PeytonManningFan

LKMS Try Outs

(Ripple Effect Sports Photography) — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 13:53:09 GMT

Lakewood Middle School is located in Overland Park, Kansas in the Blue Valley School District. After Winter Break the 8th Grade Boys try outs were held. Three grueling days, two and a half hours, over 80 boys ages 13 and 14 in one Middle School Gym. That alone is a story!

As you can imagine, Try Outs for any sport are stressful. But when it is your School Team, there is added pressure. Heck, you are gonna see these guys the rest of your life. Ok, at least for the next few months until 8th Grade Farewell, which seems like a lifetime away.

The third and final day after Try Outs Coach Harvey stood in front of the mob of sweaty and exhausted boys to read off the A Team roster.

As Coach set the stage to read off the Highly Coveted A Team, I crept closer to see how this would unfold. Remember, 80 plus tired, hungry and sticky boys all anticipating the list lucky enough to be the A Team. Several different scenarios raced thru my mind how this would play out... Some Good, some Not so Good.

Coach Harvey started his list - "Jackson Forsythe". Jackson stood up and the boys erupted in cheer with "Way to Go's", High Fives and Whistles.

"Keaton Goodale" again the TEAM let out their whoops, hollers and whistles!

Coach Harvey continued thru the list, "Brady Vaughan, Ben Sherwood, Jack Michelson, Jake Larson..." as each boy stood and jogged to the next room for their meeting the TEAM roared with enthusiasm for the A Team selection.

I'm sure there was some disappointment sprinkled in the crowd of teenagers - BUT you sure didn't see it. I spoke with one parent who put it into perspective. "Yea, he didn't make the A team, and he is disappointed. But I spoke with him and he is using it as motivation for Freshman year. He realizes the boys didn't choose the team they are on."

"He is Happy he is playing Basketball for LKMS!"

After the last name was read the remaining 60 boys stood up gathered in a huddle bouncing and chanting "B TEAM, B TEAM, B TEAM..." As they passed by me on their way to the locker room I saw smiles. One after another, after another.

It made me feel good.

Then as I was waiting for my son to gather his things from his locker, Brady Vaughan, a member of the A Team came up to me and said, "Mr Sasenick, Tait (my son) looked really good out there, he is a good player!"

My good feeling went to GREAT. Not hearing that Tait played well, which did make me happy, but that we are surrounded by 13 and 14 year old boys who really care so much about each others Self Esteem, Feelings.

I know this is just one experience, and is just my perception, But, I feel GREAT about our Blue Valley Education experience, the Lakewood Middle School staff, and the fine young men my son Tait is classmates with at LKMS.

Go Cougars!

Country Club Plaza Lights / 2014

(Ripple Effect Sports Photography) — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 13:51:34 GMT

A strand of 16 colored lights was strung on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri 88 years ago to celebrate the Holiday Season. Five years later the First Official Plaza Lighting Ceremony took place in 1930.

Each year on Thanksgiving evening, the streets of the Country Club Plaza are packed with folks to take part in the count down for the lighting display and welcome the holiday season.

It has to be the Best Lighting Displays in the world with thousands of spectators and celebrities on hand for the celebration.

Right Here in Kansas City - Right Here in Our Back Yard! http://bit.ly/1cPqSK2

The lights are a photographers playground. So many options, from up high in the parking garages, in surrounding buildings down to the street level. Close Ups and Landscapes.

The City of Fountains, and the City of the Country Club Plaza Lights!

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving evening, November 27, 2014 - Mark Your Calendar

The Celtics Basketball TEAM Experience

(Ripple Effect Sports Photography) — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 14:32:48 GMT

The Celtics 6th Grade boys basketball TEAM kicked off their season Saturday, November 23rd. The First Question their Friends, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents - you get my drift, ask is, "Did You WIN?"

I'll answer that burning question, but not till the very end!

I have always liked the saying - There is no "I" in "TEAM" Celtics Greats

The Celtics have had South of a handful of practices to prepare for this opening game. They are in a lower recreation division. But Expectations for the TEAM are very high

The TEAM arrived 40 minutes early to discuss game strategy, assignments, and playing time. At this TEAM meeting Coach Stephen & Coach Sam had a few surprises for the TEAM.

A Boston Celtics Warm Up Top and Boston Celtics Game Socks. - It was like Christmas morning

Part of the Pre-Game Meeting was TEAM Expectations - We will Run, Run, Run. And then Run some more. We are going to Shoot a lot. As long as we are in position there are No Bad Shots. We expect Great Sportsmanship from the entire TEAM.

The Expectation & Experience Table was set. The ball was tossed in the air and the 2013 / 2014 Celtics Experience began.

The Coaches and Parents are all part of this Experience and the TEAM. Everyone Played their Role perfectly. There were no bad shots - from our TEAM perspective! A lot of positive encouragement, even after a few "not bad shots".

At the end of the game the Celtics TEAM got in the "Good Job Line" with the other team. As they slapped hands with the last T-Wolves player they rolled off in unison and went to center court to Fist Bump, High Five, and Thank the two Officials! It may have been just me, but I felt a little awkward as the other team went back to their bench to collect their belongings and left the Refs hanging...

Early this morning I went into my 6th grade sons room to check on him and I noticed his Celtics uniform, Warm Up Top and Socks neatly folded at the foot of his bed. This is the ONLY neat thing about his room!

Yes - WE WON!

I have no idea what the score was, but - WE WON! http://bit.ly/I8pfeK

Coaches Make it FUN

(Ripple Effect Sports Photography) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:45:34 GMT

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of shooting the Blue Diamonds Soccer Club at the OP Soccer Complex. The team is made of Fourth Grade girls from Overland Park coached by Kevin Kirchmer & James Nordstrom.

First let me set the stage – the game was held at Overland Park’s multimillion-dollar Soccer Only Complex, which hosted the US Youth Soccer National Championships a few weeks ago. In fact, Fox Sports Soccer televised the U19 Men’s National Championship Match live.

The Blue Diamonds game was at 3:00, the hottest part of the day, on what seemed to be the hottest day of the year. The temperature on the turf is even hotter.

As I took my photos in the blazing sun I thought to myself these poor girls have GOT to be miserable out here.

BUT – as I watched their smiling faces dripping with sweat, heard giggling when they swung and missed the ball, sincere apologies for hitting the opposing team, or enemy, with the ball on an errant shot, and even the Goalkeeper singing while the ball was on the other end of the field – I REALIZED – these Kids are having FUN!

How could this be?

At Half Time the coaches had the players water up and rest. But the girls seemed more interested in playing a game of Duck, Duck, Goose and chasing each other around in circles.

I begun to wonder if any of them knew the score of the game, what this game meant to their chances of winning the League Championship, the IMPACT it has on their Scholarship opportunity to a D1 University…

This past weekend made me reminiscent of the youth teams I played on. The Rustoleum Pirates with our Red and White Stripped uniforms; the Metropolitan Life Meteors with Nick Naggy who I swore would be a Pro Soccer Player; Coach Turner who always showed up late and farmed the field after one practice; and the Parents versus the Kids Game at the end of the season.

What I can’t remember is how many Games, or even Championships we won. But I do Remember it was FUN!

The FUN these 4th Grade Girls were having on this HOT day is a tribute to Coach Kirchmer and Coach Nordstrom!

University of Saint Mary Soccer Teams

(Ripple Effect Sports Photography) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 19:31:40 GMT

Spent part of the Labor Day Weekend watching & shooting some GREAT NAIA Soccer on the campus of The University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas. The Varisty Teams hosted Mount Marty College out of Yankton, SD.

Both Spires teams looked great, the Women tied 1 - 1 but created several great scoring opportunities. The Men dominated ball possession as well, winning with a final score of 5 - 1.

I hope to catch another game real soon

Good Luck this Season Spires

GoSpires.com