You’re at home watching your favorite WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) team on TV. The score is tied with 10 seconds left. The other team has the ball . . . but a player steals it. She scores! The crowd cheers! You almost feel like you’re there. And you can thank people like Eileen Eidelberg for that.

    Eileen, 25, is a sports camera operator. She films live sports games. This includes everything from big plays to fan reactions to interviews with the team. Over the past three years, she’s shot the WNBA, MLB (Major League Baseball), NHL (National Hockey League), and more. We talked to her about her exciting job. 

What’s a typical day like for you?

    It all depends on the game. I always have to arrive several hours ahead of time to help set up. The camera crew makes sure every camera is in place. We check cables and test all audio. Once the game starts, we need everything to be running smoothly.

How is your work different from filming, say, a movie? 

    With live events, you only get one chance to get the perfect shot. If you miss it, you can’t stop the game or redo it. You have to keep going! When you do get a great shot, it feels amazing.

What would you consider a “great shot”? 

    A great shot captures more than just the game! It gets the big play plus the reaction of the player, their teammates, and the crowd.

What do you love about your job? 

    I love scrolling social media and seeing a clip of something I filmed. I feel so accomplished. I think, “Wow, I shot that!”