Maplewood Football Poster Shoot

My close friend, Kevin Grawer is the new Head Principal at Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School.  He's doing an amazing job and I believe he will help Maplewood become one of the bright and shining examples of a school that pushes for excellence in all areas.  Last year, he was the Dean of Students, and through him I met Coach Frazier (Boy's Basketball), and Coach Gregory (Track and Football).  I did posters for their basketball and track teams, and was thrilled when Coach Gregory invited me out to shoot the football team.  (Coach Gregory is a no-nonsense guy, and does an amazing job coaching these kids.  They don't even have a real field to practice on, yet they are expecting to contend for a state title.  I'm a big fan of his!)  The kids were great and we had a blast.  We were lucky when clouds rolled in, cooling off the heat, and evening out the light.  Maplewood has a great school building, so we wanted to use that in the poster.  

We shot each player individually, then combined them to make the poster.  I stole the "Life is Black and Blue" idea from the University of Tennessee, so thanks for the idea.

When we finished with all the "formal stuff", I took a few shots of the guys just having fun and being silly.  These are always my favorites. . . just kids being kids.  

Pep Rally

The inaugural Fall Sports Pep Rally took place tonight, and once again, the gym was Rockin'!!  I love the spirit of our high school, and no one leads a pep assembly like our very own Dr. Holley.  I snuck into the band section and I gotta tell ya, our band RULES!!  My goal is to become an honorary band member somehow so I can just wallow in the splendor. . .

The Pommies and Cheerleaders looked to be in mid-season form and really got the crowd pumped up.  Ladies, you were on fire!

The Boy's Cross Country , Girls Lacrosse, and Girl's Basketball Teams took home the "Art Stout Award" given to the teams with the highest grade point average last year.  All were in the 3.7 range.  OUTSTANDING!

Every pep assembly closes with the Alma Mater, and I still get chills seeing high school kids of every size and color, arm-in-arm, belting out "Hail Kirkwood High School unto Thee we sing. . . "

Don't forget to go see the Football team in action Saturday at Ladue High School at 11:00am.  Go Pioneers!!

Opening Day "World Cup"

"World Cup" was the opening day theme for the great class of 2011.  The energy level was high and freshmen were welcomed with vuvuzelas, whistles, medals, suckers, and red cards.  It was great to see familiar faces and mixed with new faces;  the pride of the seniors and the wonder of the freshmen.  I don't know how the first day is at other high schools, but I can't imagine it can top what happens here.  (Yea, I might be a little biased, I suppose).

Congrats class of 2011!  You got things of to a great start!

KHS Football Scrimmage

After a week of battling extreme heat, there was a slight break this morning, and it was enough time for the Pioneers to get in some good scrimmage work.  School begins next week, and the jamboree is a week away and approaching fast.  It will be good for the team to test itself against live competition.  

In an effort to teach the rules and to teach sportsmanship, players were given the opportunity to show the coaching staff that they understood, by breaking as many of those rules as possible.  It was a one-day-only proposition, so players were allowed to wear whatever "individual" items they wanted, and were expected to taunt and excessively celebrate.  In fact, they were penalized if they DIDN'T!  The coaches joined in a played along and it made for a particularly entertaining portion of the practice.  The best taunt of the day was when Coach Irvin (who was with the offense) told Coach Brown (who was running the defense) "We're going to score a touchdown for every foot you are tall. . . and that's TEN!"  

Coach Stevener and Coach Irvin also combined for the most original TD celebration, when Stevener used the red jacket as a matador's cape and lured the Bull, Irvin, into the attack.

See more photos at www.kriewallphotography.com 

More HEAT!

Day 3 of Fall sports brought more heat and humidity.  I went back to the pool to shoot some more swimming pictures.  The light is great in the morning, and it's much easier than shooting once they head inside to Meramec.  Then I headed over to Kirkwood Park to try to find the Cross Country runners. . . if the swimmers are the smartest athletes in this heat, then cross country may be the toughest.  Some of the freshmen appeared to be overwhelmed with the combination of running and heat, but if they just hang in there, they will see tremendous growth and improvement in the coming months.  I think running teaches you so much about yourself and what you're capable of. . .

Next, I headed back to the tennis courts, but time there was brief as the call came in to "Shut it Down".  The heat index exceeded the designated level and Coach Townsend sent the word to get inside.  I've been shooting KHS sports for many years, and this morning was the hottest I can ever remember!

FYI  There are more pictures at the website.  Just go to www.kriewallphotography.com, or click on the link on the top right of this page.  Enjoy!

Best Day of the Year (afternoon)

GIRL'S VOLLEYBALL:  Things are looking up with girls volleyball!  It's easy to smile and be excited about the year when you combine talent, hard work, and just plain great kids!  Add to that summer club volleyball and lots of individual improvement. . . There'll be no sneaking up on anyone this year, as expectations are high, and local volleyball experts know Kirkwood has something special.  

Softball:  The heat this afternoon was unbelievable, and softball was forced inside.  I had a chance to hang around the batting cage and was encouraged by what I saw (and heard).  What I heard was the ball booming off the bat as line drive shots were being ripped left and right.  New talent mixed with returning players has me picking softball as the breakout team for the fall season.  The coaching staff is really excited, so plan on making it out to the softball field to cheer on the Pioneers! 

Best Day of the Year!

Don't get me wrong, the summer is great. . . but the first day of Fall Sports Practices may, in fact, be the most exciting and fun day of the year for me.  What beats the fun of seeing familiar faces working hard at their chosen sport, combined with the nervous new faces of incoming freshmen?!  Who's put in the time over the summer to get better?  Which new kid is going to make an impact?  Can the freshmen find the gym?

BOY'S SWIMMING:  I started lap swimming about 3 weeks ago, and have a new-found appreciation for these athletes.  Not only is it physically demanding, but psychologically as well. I'm constantly fighting panic and the desire to breathe while my head's still underwater!  (In case you're wondering, you shouldn't).  And these must be the smartest athletes in the school. . . it's 100 degrees and they're in the nice cool water. . .

FOOTBALL: New coach, Matt Irvin, returns to KHS after stints at MICDS and New Trier High School (Chicago), and brings an enthusiasm and energy that is second-to-none.  The challenge for this year's players is can they outwork the coach?  If they can, there will be much success down the road, you can count on that. . . and apparently, football knowledge is not all Coach Irvin brings to the table as evidenced by that awesome hat. . . Very Nice.

Doc Holley made the rounds today, checking on the teams.  Here, he takes in some offensive drills.  Hey, did you know?  We have the best Principal in the World!!  

OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Jeff Townsend begins his second year as Kirkwood's A.D.  I was lucky enough to coach basketball with Jeff, and know not only how knowledgeable he is about all sports, but what a great and caring person he is.  Our athletes are extremely fortunate to have Coach Townsend running the athletic program.  He loves our kids and will work to make sure their experience is the best it can possibly be.  

FIELD HOCKEY: Coach Woodard is fired up about this year's team.  It should be a nice mix of returning players and new talent.  This is a tough sport, and I'm not sure I'd have the patience to play it.  The blade of the stick is so short and the players are allowed to hit the ball with the flat side only.  I admire these girls for sticking with it (no pun intended), and working tirelessly on their skills.  I hope they practice taking the ball out of the net after scoring (one of the cool traditions in high school sports) so they're ready when they start scoring in bunches this year. . .

BOY'S SOCCER:  The World Cup has everyone excited about soccer, and it's no different at KHS.  Another mix of returning players and new talent, the boys should be fun to watch this year.  

GIRL'S TENNIS:  Is there Life After Art?  Art Stout has retired, but that won't stop these girls from working hard to keep up the winning tradition of Kirkwood Tennis.  Here, Amelia and Ashby work on their strokes in the early morning heat.  You're not going to find two better kids than these, so I know Kirkwood Tennis is in good hands.