From the age of 6 to about 17, I probably spent more time on a swimming pool deck than I did almost anywhere except my own home. I’m pretty comfortable around water. But add hundreds of coaches, athletes and officials to a very narrow New Trier High School pool deck area, and I get a little nervous.
It might be because I have some pretty expensive cameras dangling from my shoulders and neck.
I think this year at the Illinois High School Association’s state swim meet in Winnetka, I had the most trepidation about teetering at the edge of the water, aiming my camera at the swimmers racing by, even though it’s probably my 20th time shooting a boys or girls state swim meet. Luckily, I stayed (mostly) dry and didn’t fall into the water.