In Ohio, high school sports can feel like life or death. And just like the journey from our beginning to our end, in basketball, “the little things” in-between makeup much of a larger picture when the clock, and ourselves, lay to rest.

This photo essay was taken during the 2017-2018 high school basketball season in Columbus, Ohio following around Coach Ryan Grashel’s Groveport Madison varsity basketball team. I was given full access to practices, coaches meetings, locker rooms, away game bus rides, sideline and huddle moments during the game and more.

As I was spending time with the team, Coach Grashel would always preach “the little things” matter most in a game. I began to mirror this mindset when taking photos, focusing more on the human aspect of high school basketball, rather than the athletic feats. I chose to make all of the final images in black and white, to strip away the glitz and the glamor from the game, to help the audience focus more closely on the emotion held by not only players but members within the community, water boys, coaches, and more that kept the heart of this team pumping.

Previous
Previous

Living and Dying in Pryor, Montana

Next
Next

Riding With Donnie Bair