This is the motto of a local sports organization here in Portland, Maine.  Started by two great people, Morgan and Dave. I met them playing in one of their leagues and we have been close ever sense. Their idea for an organization really struck me as something unique and I knew I wanted to be apart of it some how, even if it was just playing in the leagues; although I knew I would be involved much deeper. A major part of their philosophy is to give back to the community through donating money to local charities. Read on after the jump to hear more about this great organization and I have been involved. Click their logo below to get to their site.

Here is what they have to say about the leagues on their website.

We are a locally owned and operated company based in Portland Maine that provides Sports Leagues and Social Events with a focus on meeting new friends, having fun, and giving back to the community. We offer an online social network similar to Facebook or MySpace that allows our members to interact online as well as in person.

The giving back to the community is what drew me in, not many other organizations like this were doing that. Why not, it is a great way to give back. They say “Each team in our Sports Leagues chooses a non-profit to compete for. We want our participants to play for something they care about.” The emphasis on giving back and being a “Social Club” attracts some great people, welcoming everyone to join to have a good time, and they have done that. From ski trips to Bar olympics, the events and activities are endless. Its still a relatively small organization but it is very close knit. Having an interest in this quickly turned into an investment.

Like many of my deep investments I tend to devote a lot of time and energy to and this is no exception. Once they found out I was a photographer ideas started pouring in and I was glad to do some shooting for them. This has helped me in a number of ways and has also provided me with some great connections and some great friends. Morgan and Dave also have been very helpful in my decision to begin the process of starting my business, with the lending of Purple Cow(affiliate link) by Seth Godin. I am now a true fan of Godin’s work, after reading three of his books now, with thanks to those two. I am still working on exactly what I would like to do, photographically, with the organization but I know good things will come out of it.

As a member I play in several leagues and bring my camera on occasion for some fun shooting. There is never a dull moment. To get a sense of the atmosphere of PortSports you need to whitness a bring-a-friend/theme night. Prom, 80′s, Halloween are the favorites, bringing out some great costumes. Who doesn’t want an excuse to play kickball in a tux or prom dress. Above is a shot from the Volley-Prom and more can be found in this gallery. The fun continues at a local sports bar after games have finished and all members receive a 10% discount and 10% of sales go into the charity pot; a win-win. With 4-5 different leagues a week that adds up.

I knew this would be a great place for me to grow and get better working with people. As an introvert, I tend to hid in the corner in when in large groups but I know that I have to get some shots, so my photographer hat needs to be snug so it doesn’t fly away. Having multiple hats helps. As a fairly new organization Morgan and Dave needed some promotional shots to use on their website and other areas places, such as twitter and facebook. We talked and set up a shoot and it went very well, here are a couple:

As my business and skills progress I knew I wanted to give back some how. In addition to my Life is good® Kids Foundation promotion, I am working on doing something with PortSports. Having this as a side job, for now, allows me to give back with a portion of profits going to great organizations. Another shoot is also in the works but mother nature has blessed us with 3 feet of snow and we probably wont see the green grass until July.

If you are in the Portland, Maine area and are looking for something fun to get involved in, especially during the winter months, check out PortSports.  Also, some of my images are up on their facebook page.

I have just been told that the photo you see above will officially be on the label of a wine only available at the Old Port Wine Merchants in Portland. Jacques and Erin are good friends of mine, you might remember Erin from this post. The wine is not yet ready but it feels great to know that this photo was thought of for the making of the label. Once I get more information about it and some samples on the bottles I will post them. Looking forward to having one of my photos grace a custom wine for two great friends and a great local business.