getting on the field for sports

<p>I'm setting up a new Photography Company. Youth & Pro sports, I want to get on the field. Does anyone know if its mandatory to get finger printed & registered so I have proof to enter? I'm independent..<br /></p>

<p>Which field? Are you talking about a high school lacrosse game, or a professional league's paid-admission, broadcast game?<br /><br />Who are you looking to sell to - parents of athletes, or the media? <br /><br />And, which country are you in?<br /><br />You'll get a lot more specific information from people experienced in different venues and markets and business models if you can be more specific about your business plan, and what you've observed your future competition to be already doing.</p>

<p>Yes, I was pretty vague... sorry. I am in NJ, USA.. I started doing pee wee to high school games but shot from the fence. I am just building my portfolio right now but most of the parents love my shots. Im not sure if I need a badge from the town or league for every game, also the finger printing being around kids. I am setting up a website as we speak with a shopping cart to buy my images & products. </p>

<p>The pro stadiums are a whole other ball game..</p>

 

<p>I would imagine you'd start by simply talking to whoever runs the league that organizes the events you're looking to shoot. They certainly have their own guidelines and understand what sort of credentials (if any) they'd expect someone to have in order to make the parents comfortable. I'm not sure why you expect fingerprinting to come into it - you're not running a daycare operation where you're taking custody of people's kids. </p>

<p>In NJ they require alot of finger printing if your around kids, not sure if this falls into that category... This is what I was told.</p>

<p>Ask the coaches at the events you want to shoot. There's ALWAYS an organizing body and their requirements will vary from league to league. The coaches can give you contact names and numbers. With luck, you might find sites online, if you just know the names of the sponsoring organizations. (Parents also know, because the write checks to the leagues).</p>

<p>awesome, thanks for the great responses...</p>

Around here (N Indiana), I've freely walked to the sidelines,

back of the end zone and periphery of any football / track /

soccer and also baseball field, never been asked a

question, even in high school. I've taken action shots of

most of my kids and their friends at high school game and

never even had anyone blink an eye. I am somewhat

known among the parents but certainly not with the refs and

administrators for the most part. As long as you know how

to stay out of the way (and don't use a flash), you'll be fine.

I've coached for years in grade and middle school and

played through high school, so I have a general idea how to

behave and what not to do.

Basketball ... That's a tough one, often you can't get court

side easily, but a simple explanation to a policeman on

security or a school admin always works.

 

In NJ, do they fingerprint the entire crowd each game? I

mean, you aren't much closer than the crowd at most

venues, even field-side. That is getting ridiculous, and I am

all for protecting kids.

 

You should have even better access if you have a working

relationship with the school for team photos.

<p>"finger printed and registered"? If that was a requirement, it's not someplace I would want to do business. Have never heard of such a thing outside of being a day care employee as others have noted.<br />If you want to shoot kid sports professionally, you need to make an arrangement with the leagues running the games. These are sometimes local government parks and recs departments, or they can be non profit groups. Access to the field is one of the requirements you spell out in your contract in order to be able to do your job. I think being someone known to the league as a professional there to do a job is all that matters in terms of people knowing you are not a threat to the children.</p>

<p>Gross breach of privacy to me.</p>

<p>But....</p>

<p>If its anything more than a school league, the answer will be NO. Usually only accredited photographers are allowed onto the sideline and even so, they are given a zone to stay in only. They don't want someone running up and down the sideline etc who is uninsured and a distraction to both the players and the crowd. Usually the organisers sell the rights to the on-field photographers and their publications, well in advance.</p>

<p>If you set up in a stand you will make a lot of people peeved as you bang away with a long lens. And then if the pro's see you doing it, you will be chucked out.</p>

<p>Sports photography is tightly controlled these days. I used to cover sports and getting that accreditation from the organisers is difficult, specially if your were not from a newspaper of sports publication. If you want to get to the sideline, take your photos and sell them from your website, that won't happen unless you get permission from the sporting body and organisers and pay them a royalty. For sure you will have to pay an access fee, and that won't be cheap. You will also have a problem shooting players without a signed release.</p>

<p>I'm sorry for being negative. but thats the way it is. You can't just turn up to a game, specially if its for under 18's, take your shots and sell them on the net. Apart from being unethical, its also illegal.</p>

<p>So unless you are prepared to jump through the same hoops as the pro's, forget it.</p>

<p>I am working on that as we speak. I'm fully insured so that helps, just learning the ins & outs of rights to sell & who takes care of what. I just made a connection with the local AAA baseball team, I dont like shooting baseball but I can start there to get my credentials.</p>

<p>Jeff - </p>

<p>To do youth sports - you'll probably need to go through a background check - and have that ready to show the league reps. Almost every league I've done T/I (Team and Individual) for have asked me to provide a copy or submit to theirs (Same as coaches and parent volunteers) </p>

<p>Youth and High School Leagues often tie sideline photography to team and individual photography. My kids HS for example has a long standing contract for t and i with a photographer who graduated from the school about 40 years ago - they also have an exclusive sideline deal with him for all sports except for football - which the ad for some reason allows another local to shoot and give away his photos. The guy they have the contract with shows up for 1 or 2 home games for each sport each season. </p>

<p>Leagues require permission to be on sidelines typically - since there are insurance, litigation, legal, privacy, etc... issues at play. My son was playing in a city run football league a few years ago and I asked the city league coordinator if I could shoot some of the games and sell prints to the parents. He responded with a firm NO because of privacy concerns. Apparently some parents had already called him to complain about a parent on the sidelines with a large zoom lens taking photos of what they thought were their kids. I told him (honestly) that I had only taken photos of plays with my son in them. He said as long as that was the case I was fine - but he didn't want any posted for sale. </p>

<p>I believe that there was a case in Colorado where an un-approved person was on a pool deck during a swim meet - they fell broke their neck and lost thousands in gear. They turned around and sued the meet host club for negligance and won. The risk of that happening in just too great for a club or league to allow un-approved people on the sidelines. </p>

<p>Pro sports are a different animal - most teams / leagues won't allow the sale or use of their images in an "unauthorized" manner, as they have trademarks in the names and logos. Most teams also have their own photographer or photostaff (especially at the major college and pro levels). </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

<p>Jeff,<br /> hi, it might not cover all you want to know, but I've recently published a sports photography book (free pdf download) of my experiences as a freelance sports photographer in the UK.....<br /> andyc</p>

<p>I'm not familiar with rules in NJ. I'm based south of you (Virginia). Let me tell you my experience.<br>

1. Most High Schools have issues around people taking pictures of athletes. Part of this is a privacy thing. Part of this is wondering if you're making money selling those photos or what they'll be used for. Part of this is state bureaucracy. I was at a competitive swim meet in Maryland a month ago. Two other photographers (one of them a parent) got kicked out of the pool complex b/c they hadn't filled out the form to be granted permission to shoot. The state if Illinois has a rule prohibiting the sale of any photos taken at HS sports events for instance. <br>

2. Most youth leagues will require all volunteers to go through a criminal background check. You say you're not a volunteer. Well, they may very well not be sure how to categorize you and insist you go through the same thing that the person who manages uniforms or assistant coaches has to go through. I know that the photographers for our all-star team tournaments always had to be registered with the league and go through the background check stuff.<br>

3. Best bet is to have a website, seed it with content (go to a private school and offer to shoot a game for them gratis) you've shot so you've got something to refer people to. Or get affiliated with a blogger/website for a specific sport (like a local HS soccer blogger). That allows you (at least at the beginning) to be affiliated with a "media outlet" and also be credible when you apply for credentials. And once you've got one set of credentials, it's easier to get others. None of this is a guarantee of getting access. But it will improve your chances.</p>

I have an arrangement with 2 of the local HS football teams (I'm in CO). I shoot the headshots for their football program and get a full

page color ad and shoot the games. I also donate a % of all sales to the booster club. This will be my 2nd year with this arrangement.

The school AD does not have any issues with this arrangement.