MUSKEGON – There probably isn’t a sports photographer in Michigan who’s enjoying the high school winter season more than Jeremy Clark.

That’s because he didn’t see a lot of basketball, hockey, wrestling or any other winter sport last season, due to a freak illness that came out of nowhere and kept him sidelined for several months.

The situation was almost unbearable for Clark, the senior photographer for MuskegonSports.com, who lives and breathes high school sports.

“I hated it,” Clark said about sitting out last winter. “There were a few times that I begged my wife to bring me somewhere to a game, and when I finally got her to do that, I was there about 45 minutes and had to leave. I was extremely tired and had pain in my abdomen.”

Clark was just finishing the fall high school season in 2023 when the strange symptoms overwhelmed him.

‘The very first symptom was heartburn that wouldn’t go away, then it got painful,” Clark said. “I was extremely tired and felt pain in the abdomen.”

As it turned out, gall stones were blocking Clark’s bile duct, affecting the crucial function of his pancreas.

He was hospitalized for a week, including three days in intensive care.

“It turns out my pancreas was starting to shut down,” Clark said.

After his hospital stay, Clark spent weeks at home, battling pain and boredom as he struggled to recover. While he’s doing fine now, the situation will be monitored going forward.

“I have 20 percent pancreatic function now,” Clark said. “Time will tell.”

He didn’t eat anything while he was in the hospital, had to be very careful about his diet when he went home, and ended up losing about 60 pounds.

Now he realizes the weight loss might have been a positive thing.

“I see pictures of me from before and now,” he said. “Holy cow!”

Another plus was that Clark was able to break a longtime cigarette habit, and he’s happy to report that he has not smoked since he first went to the hospital.

“A lot of people said that probably made it all worth it,” he said.

Making friends along the way

Clark was able to shoot a few weeks of winter sports at the end of last season, then returned for the spring season and this year’s fall season.

Now he’s happy to be back for a full season of winter sports, because the indoor games provide great opportunities to meet and get to know players and their families.

For Clark, that is one of the best parts of his job. He is one of the most popular sports photographers in the area, because people pick up on his enthusiasm for the games and the kids he’s shooting.

“I love the friendships I make,” said Clark, who also works as warehouse supervisor at Watkins Pharmacy. “I love being able to get to know the kids and their families and learn about them. It’s fun to see how much the parents care about and support their children. Most of these parents are at every single game.”

Clark has shot good teams and bad teams, and doesn’t really care about the final scores, because he respects the effort the kids put forth, win or lose.

But he also knows how much fun it an be do follow and take photos of great teams as they work their way through championship seasons.

He formed some very close bonds last spring while shooting the Reeths-Puffer softball team in its run to an O-K Green conference title and district championship.

The same thing happened in the fall, when the Fruitport volleyball team made a run all the way to the state quarterfinals.

Near the end of the season last spring, the R-P softball parents had the PA announcer at a game thank Clark for his hard work and passion.

“That was a lot of fun,” Clark said about shooting the two championship teams. “It brought more to the experience than just taking photos. It almost made me feel like I was part of the ride, even though I was just taking photos. I was documenting something special.”

Clark’s familiarity with the players and families led to some happy surprises – parents seeking him out to do private photo shoots of their kids in action.

He is available for individual shoots of any area high school athlete. He spends most of his time shooting Reeths-Puffer and Fruitport teams, but will make time to go to any event or school where parents seek his services.

“It made me feel really good knowing I was sought out,” he said. “It kind of gave it a new meaning. I know how much the parents care about their kids’ high school sports experiences, which only last a few years, and I love creating memories for them that will last forever.”