Indiana University Athletics
Hometown Hoosiers: Carmel, Ind.
1/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Jan. 2, 2007
Story by Emily Hanover
As part of an ongoing series, IUHOOSIERS.com will take a look at the hometowns of Hoosier student-athletes throughout the year. The fifth in the series is Carmel, Ind.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Carmel, Ind., is a growing suburb of Indianapolis, which prides itself on cultural aspects and the overall family atmosphere it offers its residents. Known for such events as Carmelfest, the Carmel International Arts Festival and the newly created Monon Trail, Carmel continues to become a prime locale for visitors of Indiana. While Carmel might continue to grow in prominence, for student-athletes redshirt junior Patrick Oldham (football/Park Tudor HS), freshman Jessica Boots (women's soccer/Carmel HS), redshirt freshman Collin Taylor (football/Carmel HS), and senior Ali Brown (women's soccer/Carmel HS), along with seven other Hoosier student-athletes, Carmel will always be the place they call home.
Carmel is not the home to the professional sport franchises of Indianapolis, but Carmel residents are still true-blue to the Colts and are proud supporters of the Pacers. Oldham, a visitor to the yearly Indianapolis 500, distinctly remembers all the times he stood up and cheered for not only Indiana athletics, but also all of the times he attended Colts and Pacers games.
In a town devoted to high school, collegiate and professional athletics, many of the Hoosier student-athletes from Carmel began their playing careers at quite a young age. Learning their sports while either playing in the streets of their neighborhoods or in the organized leagues that Carmel offers was a rite of passage for any child growing up in this suburb.
"Almost everyone I know was a member of Carmel Dad's Club," Brown said. "It's a recreational sports league that has almost every sport you could think of playing. It was a huge part of my childhood."
Spending their weeknights and weekends participating in the various sport leagues, the growing Carmel life recently added a new place designed for play and spending time with the family. The Monon Trail, which starts at 146th Street at the edge of Carmel, travels through Broadripple to downtown Indianapolis. This trail includes shops, restaurants and on any given day is home to walkers, joggers and bicyclers.
"My favorite part of Carmel is probably the Monon Trail," Oldham said, who like fellow Carmel alum Boots, enjoys the variety of things a visitor can do while in Carmel.
"I love shopping at Clay Terrace and spending time on the new trail." Boots said. "I really enjoy hanging out in downtown Carmel; it's a great way to pass the time."
Downtown Carmel is continually growing and is home to many of the art festivals on which the suburb prides itself. The Fourth of July, in particular, is a huge event in Carmel as everyone congregates to celebrate Carmelfest. Located in the Carmel Civic Square, Carmelfest is an entertainment-driven event with crafts, bands, food and family fun. Brown remembers spending many July nights watching the sky illuminate with the firework extravaganza that concludes the festival.
While the fireworks might halt the fun of Carmelfest, the fun of competition is always on hand between the high school teams. Carmel High School, a perennial powerhouse for football, soccer and basketball, is home to more than 4,000 students, and in the near future, as Carmel continues to grow, might have to build a new building just for the incoming freshman.
Taylor believes "the atmosphere associated with all of the Carmel high school sports is important in shaping an athlete and prepares one for the competition the Big Ten encompasses." Fellow alum Brown agrees saying, "Carmel High School soccer allowed me the chance to follow my dream of becoming a Division I soccer player."
While many Hoosiers from the Carmel area hold a Carmel HS diploma, Park Tudor and Cathedral graduates also take the field in the Cream and Crimson. Oldham, a Park Tudor graduate faced off against Taylor on the high school football field, and they now share Memorial Stadium. Rivalry is an important part of Carmel high school sports, and both Taylor and Oldham recognize that the one-time rivalry only makes it more fun to now be teammates.
"We competed against different teams each week in high school, facing players from all over the Carmel area and the state of Indiana," Taylor said, "And now some of the guys from the rival high schools are actually on my team and we are great friends despite representing different sides in the past."
Carmel's proximity to Bloomington was a prime reason many student-athletes chose IU to continue their athletic endeavors. The chance to have family and friends in attendance proved to be very important to each, as the sense of family is an important part of the suburb, which is demonstrated through the combination of festivals and recreational leagues.
"I definitely believe I will raise my family in Carmel," Taylor said. " It's such a great place and I would love for my kids to grow up in a place that offers the best atmosphere all around."
Other Indiana student-athletes who call Carmel their hometown include:
Freshman Shanice Elder (women's swimming and diving/Park Tudor)
Freshman Alyssa Rosinko (women's swimming and diving/Carmel)
Freshman Brad Henke (baseball/Cathedral)
Sophomore Evan Bardach (men's track and field and men's cross country/Carmel)
Freshman Patrick Dalton (men's track and field/Carmel)
Senior Charlie Koeppen (men's track and field/Carmel)
Redshirt freshman Tom Martin (men's track and field and men's cross country/Carmel)
