Senior boys soccer, September 2007.
At this very game, I encountered one of those situations that requires a decision. While standing at the sidelines, a play started to come towards me. As I kept shooting, I realized I had to decide to assume they would be able to stop before they got to my location, or stop and step aside. I've had to deal with this countless times. This was the first time I chose poorly.
As the players came my way, I kept shooting. They got very close, and I then realized I was going to get hit. So I hid my camera and my face, and got a soccer ball in the shoulder at full force.
It wasn't even worth it... The pictures I got from that streak weren't in my final cut for what to run in the paper.
This one, however, was. And it was shot from a safe distance before that incident even happened.
© Katie Mulligan/Metroland - Ottawa Region