GA TICKET MEDIA

If you would’ve told me that I would be sitting on the field at a professional soccer game a couple of months ago I would’ve called you crazy. If you would’ve told me that it would lead me to work hard on editing, building a website, and potentially start a new expensive hobby I would have said not in a million years!! So here I am writing my first blog post about one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at a sporting event. I can tell you that not even my younger self could see this coming.

When I was growing up there was always the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I honestly changed my mind so many times that by the time I got to college I still didn’t have an answer. That was obvious from my multiple major changes and my eventual graduation with a bachelor’s degree in General Studies (Yes that’s a real thing), but on Sunday September 17th 2023 I had a vision of being a kid again.

As I walked up the media credentials window at City Park in Downtown St. Louis and handed over my driver’s license. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this night. I’ve never shot any professional sports before, so there I was with a camera I bought for my honeymoon and a borrowed lens from my dad, who is retired corporate photographer. Honestly walking around the beautiful stadium, going past security checkpoints, and even taking a stroll through the press box felt surreal. I honestly felt like I didn’t belong. I walked down to the north side of the field (where my season tickets are for St Louis City SC), I felt a sense of calmness that I still find hard to explain. I figured I would’ve been nervous or anxious from my experience just walking around a few minutes ago. I got out my camera and took a few test shots and everything felt right.

The game started and everything was moving so fast. City Park was filling in except for the west stands, which were closed for this game. There’s honestly a different feeling seeing the game from the field. Even 6 to 8 rows up in the stands I felt like the game moved at a normal speed, but when you’re right on the field looking through the lens of a camera everything was moving at light speed. The first few minutes were full of shutter clicks and some strong play up the wing by Ezra Armstrong (one of my favorite players to photograph) leading to an early goal just 8 minutes in by Wan Kuzain. It was definitely an adjustment to keep myself in the green stool I had picked out to sit on. All I wanted to do was jump up and celebrate with the team. St. Louis scored just 20 minutes later on another beautiful set up by Armstrong to connect to 16 year old Caden Glover. Then just 5 minutes later in the 33rd minute John Klein put a beautiful cross right on the foot of Faysal Bettache who put a strong strike off the crossbar then off the back of Galaxy 2 goalkeeper Simon Jillson for an Own Goal.

The second half started with me moving over the south side of the field from a vantage point I haven’t seen yet. It started with one of the best goals I’ve ever seen in person. After a save by Jillson a ball to Kuzain who centered it to a running Klein. Klein then proceeded to bicycle kick the ball low into the left corner. This is one of those learning moments for me as a sports photographer though. In the replay I caught myself looking to see if I got he shot of Klein in the air rather than seeing him run directly toward me to celebrate with the team. St. Louis keeper Christian Olivares wasn’t tested too many times throughout the 90 minutes but in the 75th minute Aaron Bibout put on a clinic with his first touch, beating 2 St. Louis defenders, and putting a beauty of a strike into the short side corner off his left foot. The game ended without any other incidents and a 4-1 victory for City 2. This mean that City 2 had clinched their playoff spot in front of a record crowd of 9,626.