Last Monday I drove out to Highland, Ill., to photograph Jon Basden for our Healthy & Fit section. His photo ran today as part of a follow on his New Year’s resolution in a section we call “Health and Fitness Challenge.” Jon’s goal was and still is to finish his dissertation at UMSL. What makes finishing the dissertation a challenge for Jon is his committment to his family, role on the school board and job in St. Louis. Needless to say, his plate is full. I went to Highland to show one small part of his busy life - his daughter’s softball game. He helps coach the team.

I love the feel of the ballpark in the summer. I coached t-ball for two summers while I was in high school. I get nostalgic any time I see youngsters on a field, wearing helmets that always look too big for the bodies they are on. Makes me want to spit some seeds and get out on the field and coach. But this time, I was there to take photos so I kept my mouth shut. After shooting several frames of Jon, I enjoyed photographing Jon’s daughter Caitlin. The girls on the team had such energy and kept screaming little cheers about how their team was the best. I loved the confidence and pride they exhuberated.