Warren ... Asher said something very important .....
These pictures are wonderful and the children are precious.
Consider trying to capture that ... instead of the trying to capture the intense competition and athletic ability.
Its ok to keep the shot count up but keep both eyes open and be aware of the emotion that is displayed so easily at this age ... just watch the kids come off the field and into there parents arms ... at this stage there KIDS first players second
Looking your version of Nill's picture ... i noticed how clean the background was compared to others ... I have not been at your local field ... but I have been there ! ... they can really pack a bunch of soccer pitches on top of each other when the kids are this small ... it makes clean background REALLY tough to get.
Looks like in # 2 you were standing up ... don't over look that technique ... it will help get rid of the clutter in the background if you shoot down on the players ... just stand on something very solid ... not the teams drink cooler : ) Remember you said it you can make the film guys jealous ... stand for some shots and sit for some experiment try different shots ... like the coach \ ref \ parent tieing the kids shoe on the field or the kid taking the shoe off ...
BTW did you get a good shot of the niece ?
Warren - are the players U9 ?
Aaron your players look maybe U12 ?
Nill just told us in not so many words "What a Long Strange Trip its been " ever wonder what kind of pic's Nill has of his kids from 8 years ago ? Maybe after couple glasses of water and a good nights rest we just might find out how good Nill's archive solution really is and how accessible that stuff is ...
Jim