A volleyball player stands behind the line, holding the ball and preparing to serve. A few metres away, a young storyteller is watching just as closely. With a camera in hand, this person follows the player through the viewfinder, waits for the right moment and captures the ball leaving the player’s hand. Both young people are focused. Both are learning, and both are part of the game.
We often think that participating in sport means being the athlete on the court, ice, field or trail. Athletes are certainly at the centre of the action, but they are only one part of what makes sport possible. Every game also needs coaches, officials, volunteers, scorekeepers, organizers, administrators, board members, team managers, photographers and people willing to cheer from the sidelines. There is more than one way into the game.
The NT School Sports Youth Photographer Program is a wonderful example. The program gives young photographers an opportunity to attend school sport events, practise their skills and tell the stories unfolding around them. They capture the effort, emotion, friendships and special moments that might otherwise be missed.
One photograph might show an athlete preparing to serve. Another might capture the celebration after a point, the concentration before a race or the encouragement being offered between teammates.
A sport photographer must learn to understand the game. Photographers need to know where to stand safely, where the action is likely to happen and when an important moment is developing. They move around the venue, react quickly and adjust when the action changes. They communicate with athletes, coaches and organizers. They learn to be patient, confident and creative. They are not simply standing outside the game and watching it. They are helping to tell its story.
Physical Literacy is about developing the confidence, motivation, skills and understanding to participate in movement and physical activity throughout our lives. That participation can change over time.
A child might begin as an athlete and later become a coach. Someone who does not feel comfortable playing might discover that they enjoy officiating. A student who loves taking photographs might find a place in the gym that helps them connect with athletes, learn about sport and become part of a team. An athlete might later become an administrator, serve on a board of directors or help lead a sport organization. The lessons learned through sport can also be carried into school, work, family life and the wider community.
Sport teaches people how to communicate, prepare, solve problems and work with others. It can teach patience, responsibility and leadership. These lessons remain valuable long after the final game is over. One role can lead to another.
A young photographer might decide to try the sport being photographed. An athlete might discover an interest in coaching younger children. A volunteer may become an organizer. An official might continue developing and one day work at a territorial, national or international event. Someone may build a lifelong career in sport. Someone else may take everything learned through sport and use it to make a difference in another part of life. The important part is finding a way to begin. This is especially important in the North.
Our communities are different sizes and do not all have access to the same facilities, programs or number of participants. Sometimes we need to think creatively about how we invite young people into sport. If the only opportunity we offer is to become a player, some young people may never find their place.
What if we also asked them to take photographs, help with the scoresheet, make announcements, welcome visiting teams, lead a warm up, referee a game or assist a younger group? What if we showed them that all these roles matter? When young people are given meaningful responsibilities, they learn that they have something valuable to contribute. They develop confidence, build relationships and begin to see themselves as part of something larger. That feeling of belonging can help keep them connected to sport and physical activity for many years. This does not make the role of the athlete any less important. It simply opens more doors.
At the next practice, tournament or community event, take a moment to look around. How many different roles can you see? Could one of those opportunities be shared with a young person?
Hand someone a camera. Show someone how the scoreboard works. Invite someone to help set up equipment. Let someone shadow an official, assist a coach or sit in on an organizing meeting. Give young people support, allow them to make mistakes and help them discover what they enjoy.
One young person may find a place on the court. Another may find it behind the camera, in the boardroom or somewhere that we have not imagined yet. All of them are learning. All of them can contribute, and all of them belong. There is more than one way to play, more than one way to lead and more than one way into the game.