Saturday was the end of a couple things. It was the end of the Wyoming state soccer tournament, and it was supposed to be the end of the world. The world didn’t end, but luckily the soccer tournament did. I shot four games on Saturday including both of the Class 4A championship games for our sister paper in Laramie. Unfortunately for the folks in Laramie, both of their teams lost in the finals. The girl’s game was especially painful because it came down to penalty kicks after 90 minutes of regulation and an additional 20 minutes of overtime left the game tied at 1-1. I’m not a fan of shooting crying kids, but it’s part of the job I guess. Believe me, I’d much rather shoot a celebration photo than a dejection photo. I’m disappointed in my overall take from the tournament because I didn’t get any good features away from the games. I was so miserable with the cold and rain that I was in survival mode the entire weekend.
![Laramie Gillette Girl's Soccer Laramie keeper Rachel Rettinger reacts after allowing a goal during penalty kicks overtime in the Class 4A girl's state soccer championship game against Gillette on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo. Laramie lost in a shootout 2-1 (3-1).](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieGillette0733-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Cheyenne Central Girl's Soccer Cheyenne Central's Makena Cameron, right, hugs teammate Halee Moore (10) as Cheyenne East's Victoria Arenas walks back towards the bench following a goal from Cameron during a Class 4A girl's state soccer third place game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-CentralEast0695-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Sheridan Boy's Soccer Laramie's Vitor Nazareth, Brock Mosier (16) and Arlo Stansbury celebrate a Laramie goal during the Class 4A boy's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieSheridan0096-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Sheridan Boy's Soccer Laramie's Jimi Gomez (23) slides in to knock the ball away from Sheridan's Braydon Drell during the Class 4A boy's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieSheridan0633-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Cheyenne Central Girl's Soccer Cheyenne East's Sara Erickson, right, reacts after colliding with a Cheyenne Central player while competing for a header during a Class 4A girl's state soccer third place game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-CentralEast0723-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Gillette Girl's Soccer Laramie keeper Rachel Rettinger lies on the soggy pitch after allowing a goal during penalty kicks overtime in the Class 4A girl's state soccer championship game against Gillette on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo. Laramie lost in a shootout 2-1 (3-1).](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieGillette0709-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Sheridan Boy's Soccer Sheridan's Zack Will (20) plays the ball in front of Laramie's Brock Mosier during the Class 4A boy's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieSheridan0450-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Cheyenne Central Girl's Soccer Cheyenne East keeper Shayne Carter, right, grabs the ball away from Cheyenne Central's Makena Cameron as Cameron slid in to kick the ball into the goal during a Class 4A girl's state soccer third place game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-CentralEast0689-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Cheyenne Central Girl's Soccer An official takes a break from watching the action to high five a fan on the sidelines during a Class 4A girl's state soccer third place between Cheyenne East and Cheyenne Central on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-CentralEast0720-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Gillette Girl's Soccer Gillette players storm the pitch after a 2-1 (3-1) shootout win against Laramie in the Class 4A girl's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieGillette0751-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Sheridan Boy's Soccer Laramie keeper Andrew Amen makes a save in front of Sheridan's Andrew Slikker (36) during the Class 4A boy's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieSheridan0380-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Gillette Girl's Soccer Laramie's Megan Dooley, left, falls to the pitch after drawing contact from Gillette's Michelle McGeary during the Class 4A girl's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieGillette0113-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Green River Boy's Soccer Cheyenne East's Trey Herrera (11) slides in to put a shot on goal as Green Rivers keeper Kenyon Baker dives to make the save during a Class 4A boy's state soccer fifth place game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-EastGreenRiver0409-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Cheyenne Central Girl's Soccer Cheyenne Central's Christie Schiel hugs teammate Makena Cameron after Cameron scored a goal during a Class 4A girl's state soccer third place game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-CentralEast0717-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Cheyenne Central Girl's Soccer Cheyenne East's Brittney Rexius (22) celebrates with her teammates after she scored a goal against Cheyenne Central during a Class 4A girl's state soccer third place game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-CentralEast0703-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Gillette Girl's Soccer Laramie's Katie Kuhn, left, hugs teammate Haley Moon after a shootout loss to Gillette in the Class 4A girl's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieGillette0775-jb.jpg)
![Laramie Sheridan Boy's Soccer Laramie's Ian Muller (3) shares a moment with a teammate after a 2-1 loss to Sheridan in the Class 4A boy's state soccer championship game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-LaramieSheridan0693-jb.jpg)
![Cheyenne East Green River Boy's Soccer Cheyenne East's Trey Herrera (11) pats teammate Jalen Willet (5) on the back of the head after Willet scored a goal during a Class 4A boy's state soccer fifth place game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Sheridan, Wyo.](https://www.brosher.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/20110521-EastGreenRiver0315-jb.jpg)
Ryan says
You know James, your sister paper might have only used the dejection shots because their stories were targeted at readers who only are concerned for the teams and kids they know. But as someone who has a great passion for sports, the emotion emitting from them and with no ties to Wyoming other than I once saw a rodeo, you are telling a wonderful story in the way you’ve composed the order of these photos. You say you are upset because you didn’t walk away with feature-y photos, but the tournament and the experiences of these young athletes is a feature. You’ve told this — the whole — story of this rainy, emotionally charged weekend for these kids. To someone with no particular interest in high school soccer in Wyoming, I think this is gripping stuff. For every game there is a winner and loser, and both have a lot invested into what is ultimately a title, “State champs.” The second photo in your post … damn, you have a great eye. I’m very happy you’ve found such a great paper to display your talent, but I’ll always be a little upset Decatur, Ill. wasn’t a fit for you. Working with you in the past was always a blast, and as an editor I always knew you’d deliver whatever shot I needed. Keep up the great stuff.
Oh, and dry off,
Ryan