I have a pet peeve that I need to get off my chest.
Whenever I go to a high school sporting event, one of the first things I try to do is get a program.
For whatever reason, this is nearly impossible at times.
For one, I am not going to pay for a program. I refuse. I am there to do my job. In order to do my job, I need a program.
Why is that so hard?
I'm not going to spend a few hundred dollars a year of my own money to get names and numbers of kids I cover. It's just not going to happen.
Schools want coverage, but some aren't willing to give you a simple program to help you cover their kids.
Believe me, I've heard it all:
1. Programs are in the press box (usually not the case).
2. Programs are $3 (forget it).
3. We don't have a program, you'll have to get the information from the coach (while he/she is in the middle of preparing for a game?).
4. Why do you need a program?
It just gets old after a while.
I am not the only one who encounters this problem. My colleagues who cover high school athletics - including photographers - have this happen to them all the time.
So the next time a media member asks you for a program, please remember we are just trying to do our jobs.
We need a program to accomplish that.

-Theresa Neuhoff Audia