Getting the Game

I shot what was probably my favorite assignment for the Herald the other day: a youth basketball camp. Its hard not to feel joy when you're in a gym packed with thirty or so children innocently absorbing the fundamentals of basketball. Without an expectation or frustration in the world, they approach each drill bighearted and good humored. I left with the realization, or perhaps re-realization, that, yeah, 'it's just a game,' but games are amongst the best things we have. Games are neat little contained worlds, with finite and distinguishable rules, in which we get to pour our raw and unheralded resources into; and out of this magic formula, so many facets of the human character come out to play and interact. Such purity of effort without much thought or expectation of the outcome is, I think, I delightful way of being.

This purity of effort, specifically toward basketball, made up a great deal of my childhood, so hanging out at the camp was also very nostalgic for me. It was great to get my hands on a ball again too!
Anyway, if you'd like to take a look, you can check out a gallery of pictures from the camp here.

Cheers, and happy happy new year!