Sports Photography is Really Hard - You need more technical skill than any other type of photographer.
Why?
Bad lighting (quantity, direction, color balance, quality), fast action, no control of the subject, limited access
Know thy camera
Why? See above.
Read the manual, experiment, take an advanced photo class, practice smart (work on one concept at a time). You need to understand every option on the camera. That's what makes the camera a creative tool. If not, you're not controlling the camera, the camera is controlling you. You're not getting the picture you want, you are getting the picture the camera wants to give you.
Camera Gear
There's an old saying that good pictures are made by good photographers, not good cameras. In sports photography that's a lie. It really helps to have good gear - a digital SLR with interchangeable lenses (fast long and short lenses, quick shutter response time, big sensors with low noise, fast frame rates, good auto focus, larger ISO range, water resistance). You can take good pictures with lesser gear, but it's a lot harder.
Point and Shoot Cameras - Point and shoot cameras can work but you've got to know their limitations: shutter delay, small noisy sensor (photosites, micro lenses and noise), can't adjust many parameters, can't get narrow depth of field easily, delicate, bad viewfinder, viewing screen washes out in bright light, small ISO range.
Things that are important in creating good pictures
Exposure - It doesn't matter how good the picture is if it is too dark or too light you can't use it.
Know how your camera meter works. Know when it won't work. Know its metering pattern (center weighted, bottom weighted, matrix, etc.) Know how to use exposure compensation. Know when you have correct exposure. Learn how to read the histogram. Don't trust the viewing screen.
Know what aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual mode are and when you would use each.
ISO - Know what ISO options you have and how they look. High ISO can be your friend is sports photography. How noisy is ISO 400, 800,1600 etc. How high can you go and still have a usable picture? Experiment in different locations with different lighting conditions. ISO 1600 in bright light looks a lot better than ISO 1600 in low light. Use the lowest ISO that gives you a fast enough shutterspeed to stop the action.
Use Photoshop to keep track of your exposures. File>Get info>Camera data 1
Not Enough Light Tricks - Take pictures of people running toward you, not at right angles. Try panning shots. Try blurry shots. Use a tri or mono pod. Take reaction shots.
Focus - The same goes for focus, if it is out of focus or blurry you have to throw it away.
Know how your camera focuses, know where the focus points are, know how to control them if you can, know which are cross type and single line.Know what your focus mode options are and how they work (servo or one shot). Know how to focus lock.Know how to pre focus. Use a tripod or mono pod. Press the shutter release slowly and smoothly. Know how to take panning shots.
Lenses - Know how lenses work. What is its maximum aperture? Why is it important? Use the fastest lens you can get (largest maximum aperture).If it is a zoom lens does it have a fixed maximum aperture or variable maximum aperture? What is the focal length of the lens?
Try Shooting Raw - Jpegs are lossy Raw files aren't. You get about an extra stop at each end of a raw file. The down side is they're are about 5 times bigger than jpegs.
Be Prepared
In video they call this preproduction. Do everything you can to be ready to get the good shot.
One definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity.The more prepared you are, the better your pictures will be.
Go to the location ahead of time with your camera if you can. Measure light and look for good locations. Plan your shots before the event if you can. Know what lenses you will use, know what your exposure and ISO will be. Anticipate where the peak action will be. Decide where you will stand.
Wedding picture story.
The Shot
What is the story you are trying to tell? What will you use to tell the story?
Watch what's going on. Be ready for "The shot".
Keep your eye on the ball - try to get the ball in the picture.
Position
Know where you can go.
Anticipate peak action.
Don't be afraid to get in close
KIS Rule (keep it simple)
Try to include just the elements that tell the story.
White board illustration ( do illustration on white board).
Bad example (too much clutter in background. Should has been wider aperture).
Good example
Use narrow depth of field to isolate your subject.
Look for reaction shots. They tell the story from a different angle.
Art Stuff
Crop with the camera. Don't waist your resolution.
Experiment with interesting composition (balanced, unbalanced, rule of thirds, leading lines, interesting negative space, repetition with variation,etc.).
Look at what's out there-copy it.
Learn from the best.
Tony Robbins story. Tony made a career of helping people be successful by emulating other suddessful people.
Repetition with variation:
Silhouettes (by underexposing foreground).
Post Production
Sports photography is a form of photojournalism. Don't interfere with what you see, just record it.- remember Star Treks Prime Directive
Crop creatively.
Know how to dodge and burn.
Try a vignette
Know how to color correct and sharpen.
Closing
If you want to be good:
Leave yourself room to grow.
The more you know, the better your pictures will be.
The only thing worse than a sharp picture of a fuzzy concept, is a fuzzy picture of a sharp concept : )
Mr.P.