When you’re photographing sports, what are you trying to achieve? What are you trying to capture in those photographs?
These are questions I don’t think many people ask themselves, and unfortunately that’s why there are so many ordinary sports photos out there. People simply get caught up in the sport itself. They simply try to capture the “big moments” (goals, finishes, catches, hits, etc) of a sport, or they try to capture everything in a single shot.
There is an (understandable) belief that the most exciting moments of a game will translate into the best photographs. This is rarely true.

My approach is a little different. My sports photography sets out to achieve three very simple goals:
1. To immerse the viewer in the action.
2. To connect the viewer with the athlete(s).
3. To communicate on an emotional level.

That’s all.
Sport is above all a very human activity, and people like it because it evokes emotions. I want my photographs to appeal to those same emotions. If a photograph achieves these three goals then it will be a good sports photo.
Many of those “big moments” which are so exciting to be a part of when watching live sport simply do not photograph well. But they are often catalysts for very “human” moments that happen just afterward. Look at the cycling photograph above of the English team pursuit team having just won a race. A photo of them crossing the finish line would have looked no different to any other photo of them riding during the race, but by capturing their cool-down after the win, the viewer gets an insight into the human aspect of cycling.
The two photos at the top (Waterpolo and Motocross) are all about capturing the feeling of being there. They are actually photographs of water and dust. The athletes are there to provide context, but the sport itself is kind of irrelevent.
The photos below attempt to communicate the pain and determination often associated with sport.

The one thing you will need to learn when shooting sports is to stay one step ahead of the action. You cannot be reacting to events after they happen. You need to have the right lens on, the right settings selected, the focus set, and the shutter button pressed BEFORE that critical moment, or you’ll just keep missing it again and again.
This means you need to know your gear inside-out and be able to change lenses and settings quickly without thinking about it or looking away from the action. It also means that any knowledge you have of the sport being played can be invaluable when it comes to anticipating the play and how it might lead to critical moments. If you can anticipate an ideal place or time for a photo, you can set up for it and just wait for the photo to arrive. Just don’t always equate “critical moments” with “big moments”.