So what do you do if you are a six-foot, one-inch, 200-pound linebacker rushing full speed at the quarterback? You break through the line with ease, as it's an all-out blitz on the first play of the scrimmage. The QB for the other team is a good friend. Do you hit him? 

(Read More...)

Rubber turf, state-of-the-art helmets and pads, and high-tech water machines on the field! What ever happened to grass, mud, leather helmets, and the good ole fashioned garden hose for water breaks?

 

(Read More...)

It's only the first half of the soccer game and your child is cramping up. They just downed both water bottles you sent with them, and are trying to massage their locked muscles.

It's too late. The key to surviving the summer heat on the athletic fields is to hydrate properly and follow a few common sense tips.

1) Hydrate the night before the game, not at the last minute. Drink plenty of fluids sooner to let the body absorb them for when you need it. If you send the sports drinks with them to the game, make sure they have water as well. That short-lasting sugar spike from the sports drinks is followed by a lack of energy. Stick with water and you won't go wrong. It's cheaper too!

2) Have your kids eat fruit during their meal before the event. Fruit has nature sugars and is processed by your body slower, so you get energy longer from them. Bananas help keep the muscle cramps away.

3) Eat a good meal the night before with all the food groups. They'll feel healthier the next day.

4) Bring a cooler to the game or practice, filled with water to drink, as well as wet wash clothes on ice to wrap around their necks during breaks. We used them a couple weeks ago during a hot tournament in St. Louis. I've also considered putting their hat in the cooler during breaks.

5) Keep the players in the shade until they are ready to warm up. They're no point to overheating them early.

6) They are expensive, but the pump water misters are an interesting way to keep the players cool when off the field.

7) Encourage the players to take off their hats or helmets when not playing. Their head is the chimney of their body. Let the heat out.

8) Consider purchasing a pop of sports tent. It's great for parents to take refuge under during the games, and a place for the players to find shade before and after their events.

9) Fill your cooler with popsicles and frozen treats. If the kids don't eat them, you can!

10) Keep the kids in the A/C before their games. They'll need all the energy they can get out in the heat.

Good luck. Stay cool!

-Bob Hammerstrom

 

 

(Read More...)

Do you wish you could take better photos of your child playing sports? Check out my tips on sports photography.

 

(Read More...)

Faster than a speeding bullet...Stronger than a freight train...Can leap tall buildings in a single bound! What if your child is taller than a flag pole...smarter than the average eighth-grader, and is struggling to single out just one sport to play? 

(Read More...)

I've photographed and read about people named #1 sports fans in their communities, but I have never met one who inspired so many people, lived to help others, and suffered through cancer so much, as my father, Duane Hammerstrom.

 

(Read More...)

Your child goes down on the playing field and does not get up. You break into a cold sweat and your stomach feels like it's stuck in your throat. How do you know if it's just a boo-boo, or if they're really hurt? The image on the next page will tell you, but don't look if you don't enjoy seeing pain. 

(Read More...)

Very seldom do I run into parents of athletes I've photographed while working here at The Telegraph. It's even more rare to meet the parent of a player who remembers my name 8 years later.

 

(Read More...)