Recently at North Atlanta, we have seen our athletic programs break many records across several sports. However, a lot of the love and praise goes to the athletes and coaches who make our Dubs’ squads so strong. While this is rightfully and completely deserved, we often neglect the behind-the-scenes heroes that make our teams so known on the public stage. Of those often forgotten individuals includes the talented photographer Keeva Linton, who actively runs the Dubs fan-loved “Warr.fam” Instagram page. Linton, the mother of star senior defensive end Chase Linton, is a key cog in the football team’s successful season and first-ever region championship in school history. Linton, who has been a sideline photography fixture at North Atlanta for many seasons now, this year got the special thrill of photographing her renowned son who is on the cusp of a football career at a top Division One program.
Linton’s impact on North Atlanta athletics extends far beyond her lens. Through her social media handling and fundraising efforts, she has worked tirelessly as a supporter of every sport. She currently serves as the vice president of the North Atlanta Communications, a task she took on during the 2020 school year. She has also been a vital bridge between Warrior teams and the community, ensuring that the hard work of players and coaches does not go unnoticed. Now that her son is soon to graduate, she’s reflective of all that she’s seen and witnessed as Dubs sports lead photographer. “It’s a parent support and investment of time, knowledge, and resources that elevates a school community and separates schools like North Atlanta from other APS schools,” she said.
Her arrival to Dubs Sports as a contribution photographer during the 2021-22 school year nicely synched up with the recent resurgence in the fortunes of the Warrior sports program. Over the last four years, North Atlanta has netted state championships in girls’ tennis and cross country, along with boys’ cross country. Football has become a power. And other standout programs have been boys and girls soccer with the boys program seeing two state semifinal playoff runs within four years. Softball won a succession of region championships. Baseball has created MLB prospects. Warrior track and field, where several of Linton’s children have participated – including Chase Linton – has won many successive state championships and has been a perennial region powerhouse. All these seasons, Linton’s photographic eye has chronicled it all and her images regularly are seen in school publications like the Warrior Wire and the school yearbook, Invictus. “I’ve sent three kids through North Atlanta so you just know I’m a fan of this school and all it offers,” Linton said. “But you have to know that to have the perspective I’ve had as a lead school photographer has been even more awesome.”
Through her photography, she has played a pivotal role in capturing these historic moments and showcasing them to the broader community, ensuring that the hard work and achievements of our schools’ athletes and coaches are celebrated and remembered. “Volleyball, one of my favorite sports, had one of the best years I’ve seen this year in terms of preparedness and competitiveness,” said Linton.
Linton’s photographic contributions have been particularly appreciated by school yearbook staffers, who have frequently relied upon her capable and expansive photographic coverage to ensure that bold and highly professional photography has been in each year’s annual. “I say with no exaggeration that Keeva Linton has been a consistent sent-from-heaven godsend to our publication,” said North Atlanta yearbook adviser Jack Stenger. “I tell her this every year and I hope she knows I mean it: ‘You have saved us Keeva! And we are eternally grateful to you.”
Linton’s dedication to North Atlanta athletics goes beyond her role as the “Warr.fam” photographer and football team manager. It has become a personal mission to ensure that athletes and coaches receive the recognition they deserve for their accomplishments outside the classroom. Her efforts have shined a spotlight on the incredible talent and hard work within the school’s programs, helping to elevate their visibility and exposure for their futures. “We have great athletes and some of the best coaches in the Atlanta area, if not the state at North Atlanta, and it shouldn’t be a secret,” said Linton.
Keeva Linton’s unwavering dedication has left a lasting impact on North Atlanta athletics, helping to foster a sense of pride and community around the school’s sports programs. Her efforts serve as a reminder of the crucial role parents play in supporting and uplifting student-athletes. Thanks to her commitments, North Atlanta’s success in athletics is anything but unnoticed.
