Unfortunately, it's how many small stores end.

Welcome. Nice photo

If the subject was the bird, then yes.

The best time of day to photograph is (early morning and late afternoon to dusk) when the light is best. Also, pick subjects that don't have things surrounding them or standing out in the background. Depth of field is also important. You need a small enough depth of field to get the entire subject to be in focus (sharp), unless the subject is only part of the image (like only the eyes).

If you re-post your images and use the store original option, we can see what settings you used and advise from that info.

Very nice, is that with natural light?

Nice. If you were able to "fix" the eyes, the face would look out of place (though you could make the eyes stand out and look really creepy...).

(Download)

Before making any commitment, download the trial version and see what you think.

With what you have, I'd suggest the Tamron and if it doesn't have VR, it would be better with a tripod or monopod to get the fastest shutter speeds. Experiment with aperture and shutter and manual settings, post results and ask for advice. It's always easier to give advice after seeing photos posted.

To freeze action in hockey, white balance will be important and you'll need to use faster shutter speeds, 1/1000 of a second or faster at f4 to f8 so you'll have the entire player in focus. Keep an eye on ISO though, if it gets above 1000 the result may be grainy. If you want to show a little blur, try1/500 or 1/320 at f4 to f8. Be prepared to move around to get the best views.

The other sports you mentioned are a bit slower for the most part and those played outdoors may be somewhat easier to photograph but a 70-200 or 55-250 may not have the reach you'll need. Shutter speeds of between 1/500 and 1/2000 at f8 to f16 would be good to experiment with and again keep an eye on white balance and ISO (for indoor and outdoor, auto ISO is usually ok, just keep an eye on it so you know if you have to set it manually and if you do, be prepared to adjust shutter speed).

What kind and model camera and lenses do you have to work with?

A jpeg is a jpeg and raw is raw. You can't turn a jpeg into a raw file. You could open a jpeg and save it as raw but it still won't be a raw file, as a lot of raw data was lost when it was made into a jpeg by the camera. To use a raw file, your camera has to produce raw images, which can be opened in LR or PS.

Even if the lens hood doesn't screw on in the inverted position, you can invert it and store it in your bag till you're ready to use it. Is your lens hood the one made for your lens? Maybe there's an aftermarket hood that does invert and screw on?

A quick web search gave me this - Taking Photographs at Victoria Falls

https://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/taking-photographs-at-victoria-falls.html

Have fun