If you are using a compact camera there might be several issues going on at once. One might be the flash is going off and is not strong enough to reach your subjects. The Flash on a Compact camera only has an effective range of about 6-9 feet. Also Compact cameras have a small sensor, a little bigger than the size of the eraser head on a pencil. These sensors are not very light sensitive and cannot be set to a very high ISO...1600 if your lucky a little more if your really lucky. The higher the ISO the less light you need for a picture, but also the more Noise you get in the photo, especially on a Compact camera.
To get get more control over these settings and have faster shutter speeds to catch the action and have sharper images a D-SLR is the best choice. It has a MUCH bigger sensor, almost the size of a Quarter. The ISO can bet set on some cameras up to 3200 and even higher. Most models come with noise reduction built into the camera. The Flash is much stronger on a D-SLR and you can add an external Flash with a range of 35 feet or more. Plus there are interchangeable lenses for almost unlimited zoom options.