Photographed the @nashvillestars little league team for @nytimes. Read full story at @nytimes. •••• “Named after a team from the Negro leagues, the Nashville Stars are honoring the past by focusing on the future. It’s fitting that the Nashville Stars, a team for players ages 10 and under, are named in honor of an old Negro leagues team that played in Music City in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. From the aggressive base running to the all-Black coaching staff and the speaker blaring a mix of hip-hop and R&B from the bleachers, the Stars embody the energy and excitement that made pre-integration Black baseball a cultural phenomenon as much as a sporting attraction. The team also serves as a stark contradiction of the stereotypical image of American youth baseball. For the kids on the team, the majority of whom are Black, baseball isn’t a spring stopgap to hold them over until football season starts, or just a free activity sponsored by the community organization that may or may not receive financial support from Major League Baseball. For these kids, baseball is both passion and purpose. “There’s a community among the team, but it’s also about having this team be a reflection of the community,” said Kristen Menke, mother of infielder Max Goetz.”