By Joseph Beidler ’25, staff writer
Those familiar with LVC football know that on game day, there is usually someone on the sidelines ready to capture key moments of the game.
Julie Beidler, LVC alum, teacher and former journalist, has been taking photos in some capacity for LVC football for the last ten years, but in more recent years, the number of photos increased.
“I started out as a writer for La Vie Collegienne when I was a student at LVC. That experience led to two stints with The Lebanon Daily News, the second of which sports reporters were asked to film and take photos as well as write game stories,” Beidler said.
The pressure of all of those responsibilities led Beidler down a different road: writing and photographing for Inside AHL Hockey. Working primarily with the Hershey Bears, the experience shooting a fast-moving live sport helped with positioning, shooting settings, and even storage.
After the popularity of the first game album of senior day in April of 2021 during the COVID-19 spring season, Beidler expanded to include photos of every home and away game that fall. Last year, LVC’s Director of Athletic Communications, Vincent Pecora, asked for coverage of some senior nights for winter and spring sports as well as playoff photos for baseball and softball.
“For LVC, it’s important to me to get photos to the student athletes and their families without charging them to download, so all photos I take at any event are compiled into Flickr albums and the links are sent out via X, or Twitter,” Beidler said.
“Being in the exact right place at the exact right time is hard,” Beidler said. “Typically, I find a place where I can try to get a clear angle for the entire field, but it’s hard when players and officials are constantly moving in and out of the frame. Sometimes you get that great shot and other times they aren’t, but there is someone in that photo who is going to be happy you got that shot.”
She got one of those great shots this past weekend, James Jackson, sophomore, one of LVC’s football players, walked off the field at halftime and mentioned wanting to get an interception, Beidler commented back that she wanted to get a picture of that. Strangely enough, after halftime, Jackson got his interception, and Beidler captured a clear shot from the endzone. The photo along with the story made its way around social media this past week.
“Our student athletes work hard in the classroom and on the field, so it’s all about trying to preserve those memories for them,” Beidler said.
Julie Beidler has been helping out the football team not just with taking pictures but has been helping the team with organization and recruiting on Saturdays and senior day recognition. Jack Beidler, Julie Beidler’s husband and LVC assistant football coach, played a key role in allowing Julie to pick up these new roles.
“Basically, the school sells itself. The academics and job placement rating are top notch, and our athletic programs, coaches, and support staff are some of the best people, so once we get them here, if a picture of a key highlight from their athletic career makes them smile or makes their families proud, it’s the least I can do to give back,” Beidler said.