Recently I was assigned to photograph the girls basketball clash between Esko and Pequot Lakes. A point of interest of that night was that Pequot Lakes Patriot Emily Lueck was poised to surpass her 2000 point in her high school basketball career. It was unknown if the game would be stopped when Lueck passed the mark or not. As it turned out the game was not stopped when Lueck hit the basket breaking the 2000 point mark. Many parents struggle with capturing their children on the field, court or pool during sporting events. 

In order to stop action, your shutter speed must be at least 1/250 a second or faster. With the advent of the new digital cameras you must set your ISO at 1600 or higher to allow you camera the ability to capture enough light for an exposure with a high shutter speed. 

Also, don't worry too much about white balance. Stick with Auto WB if you are dealing with a dark arena. The rationale is to capture something that is sharp. It may not be pretty but the capture has been made. 

In the computer, dial out the off color by using Adobe Photoshop or a similar program. 

What does Emily Lueck have to do with setting your camera. The Patriot gym is a bit dark and yellow. So in response, you must have the ability to set your ISO at at least 3200 or better yet 6400. Lueck moves fast in the dark gym and she is all over the court, never predictable.

I would suggest a 70-200 mm F 2.8 zoom so you are able to roam with Emily. We were looking for a clear feature type photo instead of a hard hitting action photo because of the 2000 point mark.