Happy People

The smiling face in the middle is QT.  She inspired this blog posting.

I like happy people.  People who smile.  People who laugh.

I was captivated by the photo above because of the big smile right in the center.  I don't know this player.   She was wearing a fancy name tag made of masking tape and I think her name is QT?  Every time I saw her during the tryouts she was smiling.  So I liked her.  Without knowing her.

This posting started as a search of Saturday's tryout photos looking for intensity.   I have lots of great shots of serious facial expressions as candidates went through the tests and focused on running faster, jumping farther, doing one more sit up.  They'll make a cool blog post.

But looking for serious I noticed happy.  

And switched the focus of this posting.  From serious to happy.

Don't know her name but love her smile.

Several of my happy shots are during breaks in the action.  Players and coaches just enjoying being a part of the Austin Outlaws experience. 

Malia

Didn't get either name but do love the smile.

Her name is Chantele, smiling during  a break.

It's easy to be smiling and happy when you're standing around, taking a break. But I noticed some of my happy people were even happy when they were working. In the last posting I observed how Tiffany James was smiling during her long jump test. 

These two shots (above and below) are Chantele - I don't know her either but that's the name printed in magic marker on her fancy name tag. She smiles a lot. Even when she's doing the long jump. She looks like she's having fun. I like Chantele.

Chantele again - smiling as she does the long jump. 
I love her smile. 

Following are a couple photos of another happy camper... or happy Outlaw. I didn't get her name though she was wearing a name tag. Every time I saw her - when she was jumping, when she was doing the running drill, she was smiling.  Or clowning. Having fun. Even without meeting her, I like her.  .

Didn't get her name, either, but she was always happy, always having fun.  Even during the long
jump - which looks like it is a belly-flop in the making here.  She did land on her feet.

Still happy.  She's matched with a very fast runner.  I think
she lost the "race" but this wasn't a race, just a time trial.

Situps are fun!

 Some players even smiled during the rigors of the sit ups exercise/drill.  How many sit ups can you do in two minutes?   I said "some" players but that suggests more than one smiled during sit ups.  There may have been more than one but I only caught one sitter-upper smiling.  And I didn't get her name because her arms are covering the name tag.

This is my friend QT (whom I haven't met yet).  This is a close as she comes to serious.  Still
smiling but stretching to catch that pass.  I like QT.

Through all the tryouts I most noticed QT's happy demeanor.  She seems to have a permanent smile.  If I ever interview her so I can profile her in this blog, I'm going to try to get a serious-look photo.  Just to see if she is capable of not being happy. 

 I hope not.

The Outlaws experience is fun.  It is sport and sport calls for concentration, extreme effort, bringing out your very best performance.  Lots of serious effort, which we'll feature in a coming blog post. 

But doing your best, extending yourself, is also fun.  And you can see that in some of the faces of Outlaws.