La Habra Boxing Club31 year-old Carlos Martin at La Habra Boxing Club in La Habra, California on April 10, 2009. Photo by Kelley Cox / SSAVI

I posted two weeks ago about how the Shoot Like Shirley Award came to be, then last week I received a message from Robert Hanashiro that he'd like to offer to cover tuition of Sports Shooter Academy for the award recipient. This is a HUGE contribution!

Matt ProsserAVP Beach Volleyball Player Matt Prosser in Long Beach, California on April 11, 2009. Photo by Kelley Cox / SSAVI

I attended Sports Shooter Academy in 2009 during the spring of my senior year at UC Berkeley and it changed everything for me. It was my first time lighting something beyond a basic headshot. It was my first time getting a real constructive critique of my sports photography. John DrakeCSU Fullerton Wrestler John Drake. Photo by Kelley Cox/ SSAVI

But more importantly for me at that time, it was the first time I found a community of people interested in what I was interested in: sports photography! And made me feel not only that I belonged, but there was a future for me. Sure the bay area had some photography icons that covered an occasional Cal games and I tried to befriend them and pick their brain, and Daily Cal had some student photographers who covered sports, but nothing compares to meeting fellow students (university enrolled or just student of SSA) who shares your passion and you collectively push each other to be better with the guidance from accomplished working photographers. Some SSA students came from photojournalism backgrounds, some came from a sports background, and then there was me! Though I lost touch with some of my fellow SSA alums, there are a handful who are still working professionals who I meet up with when I can, and even more folks who I've connected with years later, and we bond over our shared experience of being an SSA alum, even though they may have attended just last year.

Rod Mar, Jordan Murph, Robert HanashiroRod Mar, Jordan Murph and Robert Hanashiro become the new faces of AVP Beach Volleyball in Long Beach, California on April 11, 2009. Photo by Kelley Cox/ SSAVI

Now, in addition to the great prizes from Think Tank Photo, SanDisk, Camera Bits, and $1,000 from Shirley's family, the recipient will be able to attend Sports Shooter Academy with tuition covered.

Apply now!!

This blog post is all images I made at SSA in 2009 :)