Sometimes a picture gets legs

A few weeks back Rocky Grove basketball player Alex Zinz took this photograph.

It was at the very end of team introductions and, for fun, the team took a brief couple of seconds to  pose for a picture and create a memory.

"Honestly, we watched a TikTok [where] a team did this, so we thought it would be a fun thing to try to do, and also something for me to have a memory of the great team I am a part of," Zinz said."I don't even think coach knew we took the picture, I think he was just worrying about the game."

​Zinz said they didn't really plan the picture out and he laments that not all the starters are in the frame, but, he said, hopes to take at least one more - possibly during their last game next week against Lakeview.

This may be the first time many of you have seen this image.When it was taken Eight & 322 happened to be at the game across the gym when photographer Richard Sayer saw the team huddle around Zinz holding up the phone. He took a photo of the photo being taken and used it as the lead photo of the next day's blog post.

After it was published, retired long-time sports editor for The Derrick, Penny Weichel, seemed to get a kick out of it. She made the following post on her great website about local sports route8rivalry.com with a fun reflection about sports, photographic and cultural history.

"I love this photo, Find it amusing," she said  on our Eight & 322 Facebook page.

Weichel has also drawn other stories and observations out from photos we've made and posted.

She recently did a short feature on the growing need for more officials in youth sports. Scheduling for athletic directors have become somewhat nightmarish with the shortage of officials in nearly all sports across the Commonwealth. Weichel is trying to spread the word to help this issue.

She also, this past weekend took note of a few photos we've grabbed of students singing the national anthem prior to games.  She noted a line from our post about Rocky Grove's Dustin McMullen saving the day when the PR system failed prior to the girls  

game. Weichel sees the importance of recognizing all the components that make up why youth sports is important beyondd just a game.

​Thank you Penny. We enjoy taking note of and documenting all life in the community of high youth sports and it is fun for us when people take notice and share.

​And thank you Alex and the Rocky Grove basketball team for sharing this fun with us. Maybe coach will even join in on the final selfie?