photo model releases and high school sports

[andrew_morton2]

My daughter's teammates (a JV field hockey team, Vermont, USA) saw photos that I took of her at the last game and asked if I had taken photos of them too (I hadn't) and if I could in the future.  These are public school athletic fields open to the public. 

I've recently turned freelance, so I am open to the idea of taking photos for other kids and their parents, but would charge because it's a lot of work, and while I don't have to pay my mortgage by shooting, I'm not going to cheapen the profession either. Because it's paid work, I assume that it is commercial use, and that requires a model release from the parent, preferably prior to shooting, yes? If I'm getting paid, I have every intention to put the images on a future website or in a portfolio of work to attract future customers, or at least have the right to. If getting a release is all that is needed, that's straightforward enough, except that most of the photos I have taken have multiple faces in them (following the action) and so wouldn't that require a release from everyone else that is identifiable as well? If so, that seems unrealistic since there's no efficient way to track down the unnamed opposing team members' parents for releases.

I see some other local freelancers selling photos online with multiple faces in the frame so in my mind that means that 1). they've gotten photo releases from everyone, 2). they don't need them from everyone because I have misunderstood something or, 3). they don't care/don't know about model releases. 

Am I missing something?

[AJG]

I am not a lawyer, but my understanding is that any image of recognizable people that you use for commercial purposes (a business website, for example) will be considered advertising and you will need releases for those images. You can probably skate by without them as long as the pictures are flattering, but your definition of that word may not be the same as the parent of a child in your photo and you could then get sued successfully.  We live in a litigious society, unfortunately.