The Soccer Life - Robyn McCarthy

Photo Credit: Robbie Mehling for SocTakes

Robyn McCarthy becomes just the fourth woman to participate in this series, but I'm trying to change that. She follows Gwendolyn Oxenham (author, and where the name of this blog originated); Tammy Haley (one of my coaches from Ben Davis High School); and current BYB President Katherine Reed. Each woman is distinct in their own way, and each is making their mark on soccer; three of whom made or are making that mark in Indianapolis. I had the pleasure of interviewing and talking to Robyn during the inaugural USL W-League season, and then again after the season following an Indy Eleven men's game because she has decided, at least for now, to stay in Indianapolis. I still hope that she finds a professional team (maybe that will be here...) and is able to terrorize opposing teams' forwards with her defending for a living. Until that happens, Indy gets to know that we made enough of an impression on yet another player to keep them hanging around here for a bit. 

Without further ado, here is Robyn McCarthy telling you about her Soccer Life.

1. Name:
- Robyn McCarthy

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Player, Coach, Referee
(Editor's note: Robyn indicates she did some refereeing and some coaching a little bit later, and I know she's a spectator...  We'll chalk it up to a few too many defensive headers...)

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- “Omaha” - Related to having a very long throw in. Started in high school soccer.

That feels like a Peyton Manning reference. For a site dedicated to Indy sports, Robyn knows how to further endear herself to the fans. 😀

4. Age started playing:
- 3 years old. Started playing with my older sister while having my dad coach us at a young age. Having a very big soccer family where everyone played soccer, it was easy to want to love playing it. 

Robyn has four siblings and nearly all of them played soccer at a high level; Timmy (went into the Army), Rebekah (played for BYU-Hawaii before transferring to Grambling State University), Rachel (we all know Rachel as she played with Robyn for Indy Eleven and is currently back at BYU), and Tyler (yet to graduate high school, but has committed to play in college).

5. First recollection of the game:
- Playing recreational soccer with my dad being the coach.

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- Pre-Professional 

(Indy Eleven USL W-League)

7. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play:
- Indy Eleven vs Minnesota (First round playoffs USL W-League)

By my records, Robyn was one of just 3 Indy Eleven players to play in every single game in the inaugural season (Rogers and Williams were the others), one of 4 Indy Eleven players to start 12 of the 13 games (Bahr, Rogers, and Williams were the others), and was the team's leader in minutes, outpacing Rogers. 

8. Position:
- Center Back or Right/Left Back

9. Jersey number:

• Indy Eleven
• #23 
• Fresno State
• #22

10. Most memorable moment(s):

Robyn & Rachel after Rachel's last game
with Indy Eleven (vs Kalamazoo)
Photo Credit: Matt Edwards

- Getting to play with both of my sisters in high school and my younger sister at a pre-professional level

- First [Conference] Championship for the first season of USL W-League

11. Least memorable moment(s):
- Losing first round of USL W-League playoffs by a PK

12. Favorite team:
- 

13. Favorite player:
-  

14. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor 

15. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

16. Coaching experience:

• 2011-2017 - Ajax East Bay Assistant Coach
• 2020 - Cencal Cosmos Assistant Coach
• 2022 - Fresno State Volunteer Assistant Coach

17. Refereeing experience:
- 5 years in California

18. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- Carli Lloyd scoring from half field

19. Honors/Awards:

• Indy Eleven 
• W-League First Team of the Year (2022)
• D1 College
• Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
• All-Pacific Region Team (2021)
• MW First Team of the Year (2020, 2021)

Robyn also won two North Coast Section Division I championships with Liberty High School in California. 

20. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Track - Hurdles (High school) 

21. Other Comments:

I found an article about Robyn that was interesting part of her (soccer) life story and wanted to share an excerpt of it here:

Leading up to her freshman year of college, McCarthy’s biological family decided to relocate to Utah. McCarthy — a talented soccer player out of Liberty High School in Brentwood— was gearing up to start her collegiate career at Fresno State. 

Instead of her family just two and a half hours away, they were now a couple of states over. While McCarthy remains very close with her family, she depended on the help of her friends when it came to living arrangements, but there wasn’t always a guaranteed place for her to stay.

That’s when Karla and her husband, Jorge Villaseñor, stepped in. Along with their children, Jorge Jr., 15, and Eliana, 10, the Villaseñors opened their door for McCarthy to stay with them whenever she needed.

The family said it was an easy decision to make.

“She really needed the stability of a home,” Karla Villaseñor said. “This is her home. If she needed to come home for the weekend or take some time off, she was more than welcome to. I’m glad she took us up on that.”

McCarthy said she felt comfortable and relieved knowing she had somewhere to stay.

“It was hard, because I didn’t want to go back to Brentwood often…I didn’t want to be a burden,” McCarthy said. “It was such a relief when they said I could stay with them.

... 

Having McCarthy in the family has been described as a blessing by Karla Villaseñor, as she said she went through a rough phase of depression over a year ago, struggling to get out of bed and live life. But knowing McCarthy was coming over kept her spirit up because of the positivity she always brings with her.

“She’s just such a good-hearted happy person,” Karla Villaseñor said. “She’s never mad or upset. She’s just one joyful human being that always finds the good in everything.”

McCarthy said her relationship with the Villaseñor family has provided her with fond memories and life lessons she’ll forever hold on to, but there will always be one that she finds the most valuable.

“Family doesn’t always have to be about blood,” McCarthy said.  

The Soccer Life - Katherine Reed

Sometimes I need to try and figure out how to fill in some blanks for people after they fill out this series of questions. Katherine's response is not like that. So instead of me rambling on, I'll let Katherine do all the talking about The Soccer Life for her:

1. Name:
- Katherine Reed

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Soccer Mom (a pretty cool one, according to Elliott), Brickyard Battalion Vice President, proud member of Slaughterhouse-19, and in a previous life: coach, ref, player.

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- Kat (because sometimes Katherine has too many syllables).
Valdy/Valderrama (My bestie and I usually played center-mid together. We both have brown, poofy, curly hair. In the 80s, I'd sometimes use a crimper...brilliant.)

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- I've been surrounded by soccer since birth. If you know my Dad, you know that's true. I've been interested in soccer forever. I didn't agree to start actually playing, though, until I was....9? 10? And I did so because the persuading coach promised that the team had lots of parties. 

5. First recollection of the game:
- The years and years I spent watching my older brother play, before I started playing. The hours spent in the back of my parents' car, sharing a walkman while listening to English Beat, to and from games.

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- High School; decided not to pursue college after an injury.

7. Honors/Awards
- Some typical Athlete/Academics awards in High School. Mom of the Year award, by Elliott.

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- Do practices with Elliott count?

9. Position:
- Center-mid, sometimes right-mid

10. Jersey number:
- 10

11. Coaching experience:
- Coached some local youth teams while I was a college student.
Rec Coached Elliott and Annabelle. Stopped when my dramatic daughter would hide behind my legs during a game if she didn't get the ball.

12. Refereeing experience:
- Way back in the day.... when I was a middle school student, I worked youth games. Best part was telling loud parents to HUSH.

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- Most memorable moments as a player? Soccer camps were the best...loved going away to camp. NC State was my favorite - their fields were like carpet. Camps pushed you physically and emotionally. I loved the bonds that were strengthened when you were on your own with your teammates.

As the Mom of Elliott: legit, every game he plays.

As a Supporter? Too many to count or rank. Some highlights:
-The first pre-season game at The Mike with my Dad. Just me and him went from the family because it was so darn cold outside. It was special - knowing that we now had a team to support together in Indy.
-The Miracle at The Mike. Duh.
-The first big away day for Elliott in Nashville. Uncle Peter taught him how to properly fly a flag. His happiness from the away day carried over to the next home game when he *finally* agreed to stand in the BYB (he'd been a bit intimidated for years). Follow this up with last year's playoff games when Elliott then persuaded his two red-headed brothers-from-another-Momma to stand in the BYB for the first time. Watching him now mentor his younger besties in the same way that Uncle Peter had mentored him..... melted my heart. (Psss.... we love you Dunmores!).

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- For a couple years I helped start the VArmy, the first official supporters group of the Columbus Crew. This was way back in the day of Coach Andrulis. Things had started to go downhill and all supporters wanted to see him sacked. When the atmosphere had reached the bottom, I brought dozens and dozens of brown paper grocery bags to a game and people cut eye-holes out of the bags and wrote SACK ANDRULIS on the backside of the bags. Supporters then wore the bags in the stadium during his introduction and at various times during the game.
It's a little bit cheesy.

The moment I wish I could forget in USMNT history  - the '02 US/Germany game. Specifically the 50th minute or so. Cheaters.

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- I measure my life in World Cups. I remember during Italia '90 when games were interrupted and goals missed due to commercials. There's a lot wrong in this world...but at least we now have uninterrupted soccer on tv.

I was living in Chicago during the '94 World Cup. That entire summer was magic. My team walked in the opening parade - the whole weekend was an insane, international party.  The German National Team was headquartered not too far from my house; my family was invited to join the team for dinners on non-game days - that was incredible. I was taller than Voller. I was awe-struck by Klinsmann (who knew that he'd become so frustrating to an American supporter years later). Watching all the games at Soldier Field. Traveling to the Silverdome to watch Wynalda score that goal.

Last summer on 7/7/19, "Finals Day." We had a massive party in the parking lot of Union Jack (love you, Jay + Chelsey). We started the day off watching the USWNT with 700+ of our best friends. Sharing in that moment with friends and my kids was unforgettable.

16. Favorite team(s)
- Indy Eleven, USWNT, USMNT, France, Manchester United, Dortmund

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Ryan Giggs. While all my friends had posters of Boy George and Robert Smith hanging on their walls, I used posters of Ryan Giggs as wallpaper. Nothing against Smith. Love him.
But GIGGS. Giggs will tear you apart.

Carin "Crazy Legs" Jennings. Really, pick a player from the USWNT in the 90s, and I loved them. Akers Stahl? Incredible. But Jennings..... she was spectacular with the ball at her feet. I wanted to be her. And thanks to some dear friends, I have some irreplaceable souvenirs from her world cup collection that I will cherish as reminders of how amazed I was watching these women, as a young girl.

18. Favorite Current Player
- Elliott.
Oh. You meant like a professional?
Hmmm....
Indy: the combination of Ayoze, Ironman Gibson, and Drew "Tuck it In" Conner.
ManU: Rashford.
USWNT: toss up between Rapinoe and Heath.
USMNT: anyone who will take shots on net....and better yet, score a damn goal.

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- I'm pretty strong at Looping Louie. Gotta work on my soccer tennis game now that Elliott is older.

22. Other Comments:
- It's always been more than a game.
If you haven't watched a game from behind the goal in the Brickyard Battalion - please do. We want you with us.

23. Other Information:
- Get involved at brickyardbattalion.com
Follow us at @the_byb
Follow me at @kchreed
Buy tickets at bybtix.com

The Soccer Life - Peter Evans

Photo credit: Trevor Ruszkowski/Indy Eleven
Photo credit 2: SocTakes article

With somebody as ubiquitous to the history of the Indy Eleven as Peter Evans, it feels a little weird providing any kind of introduction of him that hasn't already been said before. Peter is one of the founders of Slaughterhouse-19 and the former head of game day operations for the Brickyard Battalion.

As he conveyed to the American Pyramid in June 2017, "I spoke to the BYB board and basically offered to head up our tifo, capo, and other game day-related things. No one else really wanted to take on the role, so I was given it by default." As a reward for his long-standing dedication to the team and his constant presence in the capo stand, Peter was the club's inaugural recipient of the XI Century Award, presented to Indy Eleven fans who have attended 100 games (Peter currently stands at 103 home games and 125 total games). 

For someone so involved in all of our experiences with Indy Eleven games, it surprises me that it took me so long to get his input in The Soccer Life:

1. Name:
- Peter Evans

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- BYB President Emeritus

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- None.

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 5

5. First recollection of the game:
- 1994 World Cup

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- Rec Soccer

7. Honors/Awards
- BYB Supporter of the Year

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- About a year ago.

9. Position:
- Keeper

10. Jersey number:
- 39, 0

11. Coaching experience:
- None

12. Refereeing experience:
- None

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- 4-1
Editor's note: For the uninformed, that's the score of the Indy Eleven vs Carolina Railhawks game on June 11, 2016 to secure the NASL Spring Championship.

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- I do not recall it.

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- Lighting off smoke in Union Jack during the 2014 World Cup

16. Favorite team(s)
- Indy Eleven

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Cobi Jones

18. Favorite Current Player
- Kyle Beckerman

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Indoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Hockey (house and rec), golf (competitive until high school, now mainly just focus on my handicap), basketball (rec)

22. Other Comments:
-

The Soccer Life - Michael Carney

You may know Mike from his back-and-forth Twitter exchanges with Jon Busch about hockey. Or his discussions about Varmint Trace Farms and his chickens. Or his experiences as a head soccer coach for Bishop Chatard High School.

Or you might know him as one of the contributors of the grassroots media site Lady Victory & Her Quest for Glory. In his words, "His motivation for the blog was simple; for every Indy Eleven home game during their inaugural season, Carney created his own scouting reports and took notes during the games. He now shares these scouting reports prior to each game in Lady Victory and Her Quest for Glory." Mike used to write and contribute to Total NASL, as well.

And now he's a contributor to this site as he provided his responses to my questions about The Soccer Life:

1. Name:
- Michael Carney

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Coach, player, fan

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
-

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 14

5. First recollection of the game:
-

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- High school

7. Honors/Awards
-

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
-

9. Position:
- Outside mid

10. Jersey number:
- 11

11. Coaching experience:
- High school head coach for 3 years.

Editor's note: Mike is the head coach of the Bishop Chatard High School boys team for the past three years and spent time before that as a coach at Cardinal Ritter HS, Martinsville HS, and Guerin Catholic High School.

12. Refereeing experience:
-

13. Most memorable moment(s):
-

14. Least memorable moment(s):
-

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
-

16. Favorite team(s)
- HI HO SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

17. Favorite Historical player:
- RYAN GIGGS

18. Favorite Current Player
-

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Baseball (high school) and track (high school)

22. Other Comments:
- USSF National D License

The Soccer Life - Jon Busch

There's been one player in the history of the team that I have related to the most. It's not because I ever played soccer professionally, nor even because I played goalkeeper (short of one season in my youth, which was nerve-wrecking for my mother). No, it's because he was born in the same year as me and we married our wives in the same year (if Wikipedia is to be believed). 

He was an "old" guy.

Of the 121 players that the Indy Eleven have signed in their history, Jon Busch is the oldest player to have ever been signed. When Jon was announced by the team in January 2016, John was 39 years, 5 months, and 4 days old. For reference, the only other players to be signed to the team after their 35th birthday were Gerrado Torrado (37 years, 1 month, 9 days) and Kim Do-Heon (36 years, 7 months, 19 days).

Yet, Jon was a leader and still not past his playing days even when his playing days ended. I believe (I know) Jon had at least one more season in him. However, Jon has continued to train young goalkeepers and pass along the lessons he has learned over the years. As a consultant, Jon routinely trains goalkeepers at all levels, including the Indy Eleven players, as Jon and Nikki have decided to make Indianapolis their home now, even after his role with Indy Eleven has ended. 

Jon also routinely helps me in understanding the business side of the sport, goalkeeper tactics, and general soccer discussions. He and I regularly engage in conversations about the state of Indy Eleven, the USL/MLS, and what he is doing to help grow the goalkeeper union. So I was glad he was finally convinced to answer my questions about The Soccer Life. 

Without further ado, here is The Soccer Life of Jon Bush.

1. Name:
- Jon Busch

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Dabbles in goalkeeping

That's an understatement.

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- Buschy (wife started calling me that many years ago)

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 6 - 7 years old

5. First recollection of the game:
- Playing youth ball with my dad and brother coaching me.

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- MLS and US National Team

Jon was originally brought into the league and played for the Columbus Crew in 2002 before signing with the Chicago Fire in 2007. Jon was with the San Jose Earthquakes from 2010 to 2014, but finishing his MLS career with a season with the Chicago Fire in 2015.. 
- Jon won Supporter's Shield in 2004 during his time with Columbus, and finished as 2nd all-time in Columbus for shutouts. 

- He is currently 3rd all-time in Chicago for nearly all GK stats, but first in save percentage and 2nd in goals against average.

- With San Jose, Busch recorded a league best and franchise record 138 saves during the 2014 season, finishing as 2nd all-time in shutouts.

"Busch finishes fourth all-time in MLS history in regular-season appearances (309); fourth in minutes (27,725); third in shots faced (1,577); fourth in saves (1,151); fifth in wins (113); and fourth in shutouts (83)." - from the MLS announcement of his one-day contract with Columbus Crew where Jon officially retired from soccer on May 12, 2018 as the Crew took on one of his other former clubs, the Chicago Fire.

Jon played in the FIFA U-17 World Championships in Japan in 1993, starting all four games the team played (3 group stage + quarterfinal game), where the team finished with a 1W - 1D - 2L record. More on his full national team experience below...

7. Honors/Awards
- MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and Best 11

Both of these awards happened for Jon during the 2008 season with the Chicago Fire.

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- 2017

Jon's last competitive match (not counting the above mentioned "retirement" match) was a 2 - 2 draw with the Indy Eleven against North Carolina FC.

9. Position:
- Goalkeeper

10. Jersey number:
- 18 or 1

11. Coaching experience:
- US Youth National Teams, IUPUI Men's and Women's, and Indy Fire Juniors

In the past year, Jon has been asked to help the USMNT U-20 with Tab Ramos and the USMNT U-23 with Jason Kreis. Jon also routinely helps out with the national team youth team camps (think U-14, U-17, etc.). 

12. Refereeing experience:
- Zero

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- Winning the Open Cup in Columbus.  First MLS start.  First US National Team start.

- Winning the Open Cup in Columbus - Jon won the 2002 U.S. Open Cup in a 1 - 0 win against the L.A. Galaxy.

- First MLS start - April 27, 2002, a 1 - 0 win against D.C. United. Jon came on in the 59th minute in the previous game on April 20, 2002, in a 0 - 2 loss against New England. Jon split time with Tom Presthus throughout the season. However, according to the Columbus Crew's website for the 2002 season, here are the team's results during Jon's starts:
June 12 - 2 - 1 WIN vs New England
July 13 - 3 - 1 WIN vs D.C. United
July 20 - 1 - 1 DRAW vs Colorado Rapids
July 24 - 1 - 0 WIN vs D.C. United
July 27 - 2 - 1 WIN vs L.A. Galaxy
July 31 - 3 - 2 WIN vs Metro Stars
Aug 14 - 3 - 2 WIN vs L.A. Galaxy
Aug 18 - 4 - 0 WIN vs Kansas City Wizards
Aug 31 - 0 - 0 DRAW vs New England
Sept  7 - 3 - 4 LOSS vs San Jose
Sept 14 - 2 - 0 WIN vs Chicago Fire
Sept 22 - 1 - 2 LOSS vs Chicago Fire

That's a 9 W - 2 D - 2 L record if you weren't keeping track. Then the Crew won the Open Cup game against L.A. and that's how you become the starter going into the 2003 season.

- First USMNT start - Busch's first USMNT start also took place during his only cap for the United States, when the men's nationtal team, lead by Bruce Arena, defeated Colombia 3 -0 in a friendly on March 9, 2005. 

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- Tearing my ACL twice.

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- Simply watching good goalkeeping at the highest level.

16. Favorite team(s)
- Liverpool ( trained there while in college)

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Peter Shilton or Shay Given

18. Favorite Current Player
- Ben Foster or Hugo Lloris

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Hockey ( club )

22. Other Comments:
-

The Soccer Life - Owain Fôn Williams

I don't remember how many times I was in the press room with Owain, but there was at least once where a couple of questions were asked, one by me and one by Rebecca Townsend, where he was very detailed in his thought process for an on-field exchange and became very philosophical in his responses to us. Given his passion for art, it was one of those moments where I saw a glimpse of how he approaches life and the role that soccer plays in it. So before we get to Owain's responses to The Soccer Life, I thought I would pass along his entire answers to those press conference questions after a 1-1 draw to Bethlehem late in the 2018 season: 

"Being a goalkeeper in that situation, you've got to put yourself as much in the attackers mind as possible. Because at the end of the day, I don't know whether you've ever stood in goal, but it's pretty big behind you. You've got to fill the goal as much as you can. In that scenario, you've got to realize, what's the percentage. Is he going to take the shot early? In that case, you got to hold back. Or is he going to take his touch. In that moment, you got a decision to make on whether you can go close him down and go for the percentage ball with your body spread or whether you hang back and maybe make a reaction save. You hold your ground and make the save that way. Goalkeeping is all about position decision making and it's all a learning curve. So yeah. You win some, you lose some.

You know, soccer, things don't happen overnight and when something goes wrong, it's easy to change. We had a plan in place at the start of the season before all of this happened and we've tried to stick with that. Things aren't going to be perfect all the time. In any walks to life. Whether it's a game of soccer or whether it's your family or whatever it is. Things are going to happen. But if you believe in what you do and keep doing it, hopefully you'll come out the better end, rather than the worst of it. It's just, keep believing, keep working hard, stick together and we need as many people buying into this sport here in Indiana and Indianapolis. If we can get more people, get more people cheering us on, then that would be fantastic. But the gang we have here of support has been phenomenal, but if we can get more and galvanize everything, then it will be fantastic. It will be even better. And with that, as loud as they can be, if they can get louder, then that can only get better on the pitch itself. So that would be fantastic." 

Now for Owain's responses to The Soccer Life:

1. Name:
- Owain Fôn Williams

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Player

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- The Fonz, Fonners because people couldn’t pronounce my 1st name!!

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- Since walking!

5. First recollection of the game:
- My dad’s under 7 team

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- International

Owain has also played for clubs in the English Football League, as well as the Scottish Premier League, including Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who loaned him to Indy Eleven in 2018. He currently plays for Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Championship.

7. Honors/Awards
- Semifinal of UEFA Euro 2016

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- Today

As has happened a few time with these surveys, by the time I post them, the person has likely played at least one more game. In this case, since Owain is still playing professionally for Dunfermline Athletic Football Club, he's played a few games, the last being a 1-1 draw against Partick Thistle. If seasons hadn't been postponed/suspended due to COVID-19, he would have played several with just four games remaining in the season. If only...

9. Position:
- Goalkeeper

10. Jersey number:
- 1

11. Coaching experience:
- Some

12. Refereeing experience:
- None

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- Earning my first international cap

Owain's first international cap came in November 2015 in a friendly against the Netherlands. 

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- Relegated

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- Too many to choose


16. Favorite team(s)
- I don’t have one!

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Peter Schmeichel

18. Favorite Current Player
- Gigi Buffon

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- No

22. Other Comments:
- Hope you’re well brother

Thanks Owain! You too.

The Soccer Life - Brad Ring

There are players that come to be synonymous with one team, no matter how many other teams that they played on before or after that team.

Michael Jordan - Bulls
Peyton Manning - Colts
Ken Griffey Jr. - Mariners
Landon Donovan - L.A. Galaxy

Many times those players are liked because of their on-field performances. Sometimes, though, it's not just because of what they do on the field, but rather what they do off the field and their interactions that endear themselves to fans. 

Brad Ring didn't always light up the stat sheet, but there's not a single Indy Eleven fan who will tell you that they thought that Ring didn't give his all every minute of every game he played. Then the game would end and he would go thank the fans for being there. Then he would play a little soccer with his kids on the field before heading to the locker room. Class act, through and through.

At some point, the Indy Eleven will create a Ring of Honor type award (no pun intended). There have been some great players to go through this club that could be deserving. Historically significant players. Fan favorites. Peter Wilt will be in it.

Brad Ring should be the first player. 

He means so much to the history of the team that when it looked like he might not be returning for the 2018 season, the fans nearly rioted. He (or his likeness) has been featured in 8 of the team's game day posters and nobody else is even close [#1 (May 6, 2017), #2 (August 26, 2017), #3 (October 4, 2017), #4 (March 31, 2018), #5 (April 14, 2018), #6 (May 19, 2018), #7 (October 6, 2018), #8 (May 4, 2019)]. He is one of only two players to reach the 100 games played milestone for the club and the other one is nicknamed, "Mr. Indy."

There's only one "Legend" though and these are his responses to The Soccer Life:

1. Name:
- Brad Ring

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- 9 year professional player who is currently retired.

2025 EDIT:

- Parent

- Coach

- Indy Eleven Broadcast Color Commentator

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- "Legend". We had 1 game left in the Spring NASL season in 2016 where we needed to win by 3 goals; we did the unthinkable and won 4-1. I chugged a beer on the field seconds after the final whistle blew while celebrating.

I was going to place a GIF of the beer chug here, but that game deserves to be immortalized in Indy Eleven history as many times as possible. Brad's beer chug was captured by the live television broadcast and can be found at the 5:39 mark of the video, surrounded by fans.



4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 5

5. First recollection of the game:
- 5, AYSO with my dad coaching me. Looking forward to halftime so I could eat oranges.

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- 9 year professional career

San Jose Earthquakes
2010  - 2013 (League stats)
- 37 games played
- 25 games started
- 2,381 minutes

Portland Timbers
2013 (League stats)
- 1 games played 
- 0 games started 
- 1 min

Indy Eleven
2014 - 2018 (stats across all competitions)
- 115 games played (#1 in club history) 
- 95 games started (#1 in club history) 
- 8,525 minutes (#1 in club history) 
- 4 goals 

• May 24, 2014 at New York Cosmos - 76th minute (1 - 1 draw - game tying goal)
• October 17, 2015 vs Minnesota United - 82nd minute (3 - 1 win - 3rd goal) - I believe it's also the start of the Eleven Leap.
• August 28, 2016 vs Ottawa Fury -  64th minute (1 - 1 draw - game tying goal)
• June 3, 2017 vs San Francisco Deltas - 79th minute (2 - 2 draw - Indy's 2nd. Indy gave up two late goals.)

- 2 assists 
- 28 yellow cards (Most in club history) 
- 2 red cards (6 way tie for most in club history)

7. Honors/Awards
- 2x H.S. All American, 2x Collegiate All - American at Indiana University, 17th Draft pick in the 2009 MLS Draft.

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- Oct. 2018

Last game where he had minutes was with 81 minutes of action in a 2 - 3 loss at Pittsburgh Riverhounds on September 28, 2018. Brad was on the game day roster for 4 of the 5 final games of the season, but did not see minutes. 

9. Position:
- Central Defensive Midfielder

I once wrote of Brad Ring in a June 2017 game recap against NCFC: 
"Brad Ring has become a defensive midfielder from hell. That ninja kick clearance of his is a sight to behold and he just seems to have a way of keeping guys from doing what they want to do. He had 6 clearances, 3 interceptions, 2 of 2 tackles won, was 90% accurate on his passes, and was the guy who got the NCFC defense to shift to the middle by faking a shot before passing out to Speas on the cross that ultimately led to Braun's goal. With Franco and Vuko pushing forward into the offense, Ring perfectly served as the shield in front of Keller and Falvey, helping keep guys like Laing and Fondy in check." 

10. Jersey number:
- 5 at IU and 4 while with Indy Eleven

11. Coaching experience:
- IU soccer camps, personal ran soccer camps and individual training sessions, U10 coach in Santa Clara, CA

12. Refereeing experience:
- none

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- Having my family on the game field after home game wins.

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- High School State Finals losses in 2003 & 2004

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
-

16. Favorite team(s):
- Indy Eleven

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Zinedine Zidane

18. Favorite Current Player:
-

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
-

22. Other Comments:
-

The Soccer Life - Josh Mason

He's your president. 

He's your vice president.

He's rumored to be insanely rich.

He likes to work for beverage companies.

He's Joshua D. Mason.

Josh is one of the founding members of the Brickyard Battalion and the group's president from January 2015 to July 2018, when he became full narc and joined the Indy Eleven as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Josh is an all-around good dude, full of energy and passion for the Indy Eleven and I have enjoyed having conversations with Josh and his dad on the sidelines during Indy Eleven games over the years.

Josh once described himself this way - "I'd like to note that I'm a more than average over-30 indoors soccer player who's never played college soccer. I love the sport and that's why I'm involved in the team."

This is how he answered my questions about The Soccer Life:

Photo credit: Don Thompson (@DLTPhotog)

1. Name:
- Josh Mason

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Vice President of Sales & Marketing of Indy Eleven
Editor's Note: and coach and parent and referee...

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- Scooter. Thanks Dad.

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 4

5. First recollection of the game:
- Playing my first game at ESSA on the far east side of Indy.

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- College Club

7. Honors/Awards
-

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- Last night (I am still sore).
Editor's Note: The holidays took my attention so "last night" was November 20th of last year. I'm assuming Josh has played since then.

9. Position:
- Defense preferred

Josh presenting Braden Tamosaitis with Captain's armband
and BYB brick surrounding Brandon's signing with the team.
Photo credit: Don Thompson (@DLTPhotog)

10. Jersey number:
-

11. Coaching experience:
- Carmel FC (current U-11 Boys Travel Coach); total of 6 years.

12. Refereeing experience:
- Refereed all my childhood from like 12 years old on, and all 4 years of college.

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- The first Indy Eleven home game at Carroll Stadium. Surreal.

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- The moments I have already forgotten.

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- USA vs England 1-1 draw, June 12, 2010. I was surrounded by all the Brits I played indoor with; new and old friends alike packing out a room and the energy was incredible.
- All USA vs Mexico games in Columbus, Ohio and the bus trips

16. Favorite team(s)
- Indy Eleven
- Manchester United

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Paul Scholes
- Ryan Giggs

18. Favorite Current Player
- Ayoze
- Juan Mata

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Nothing well enough to mention!

22. Other Comments:
- Very excited to get this 2019 Campaign started. It's going to be a memorable year for sure for fans and players alike.

The Soccer Life - Kevin Johnston

Unlike many of the Indy Eleven grassroots media who have chosen to write about the team as part of their fandom and have a relatively minor reach (or no reach in my case), today's interviewee started a site that has quickly reached a national audience. Like the rest of us though, at this point he still has to have a day job and Kevin Johnston's day job is being an accountant for a hotel company accounting department. However, Kevin is equally qualified to run a soccer related website since he studied Sports Communication from Indiana University in Bloomington, as well as New Media at IUPUI. Kevin has translated that education into being a Freelance Correspondent for the Indy Star, covering the Indy Eleven and boxing (those are the ones I know about, but there could be more), resulting in a much better, and much appreciated, coverage of the Indy Eleven compared to their initial seasons. Additionally, as mentioned above, Kevin has to put up with fellow friends of the site Nipun and Aaron, since Kevin is the Founder and Managing Editor (and rumored $hill) for the soccer news outlet SocTakes.com, of which all three are a part.

Kevin recently sat down to provide his own answers to my standard Soccer Life questions, but before we get into those responses, I wanted to talk about a subject much more important than my survey. Earlier this year, Kevin posted the below tweet about his wife kicking cancers ass. If you're so inclined, I thought I would provide a link to the Young Survival Coalition so that you can make a donation in Chrissy's name. I've never met her, but if she kicked cancers ass, she has my respect and I this post is a way to ask other people to celebrate her life. Way to go Chrissy!

Dear cancer,

Eff you. We outchea.

Sincerely,
The Johnstons

Just months after our marriage, my wife @crlevere was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 30. After thoroughly kicking its ass, we're honored to attend @YSCBuzz's #YSCSummit18 this weekend with fellow young survivors. pic.twitter.com/1g3Knutn7z

— Kevin Johnston (@KJboxing) February 23, 2018

Kevin also requested that I mention Indiana Futsal as SocTakes' official nonprofit partner.

One last piece of bookkeeping (see what I did there in my intro for an accountant), I found some of the above in Kevin's day job bio, but I liked the closing lines of that bio so I'm including it here: 

Born and raised in the Circle City, the Indy lifer has never met a breaded tenderloin he didn’t like. He often wakes up in cold sweats from recurring nightmares of debits and credits, but satisfies his massive OCD with dreams of perfect accordion folds and balanced bank reconciliations by day.

With that, I give you Kevin's responses to his Soccer Life...

1. Name:
- Kevin Johnston

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Soccer Journalist and former player

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- Just plain ol' boring KJ.

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 7

5. First recollection of the game:
- In my first year of rec, I remember our GK punted the ball over his head for an own goal.

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- High school varsity

7. Honors/Awards
- What are those? ;-)

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- My last match with any real meaning was probably in 2001 at age 18 with my youth club. I played a season or two in the men's open league at Off the Wall in my 20s, but I was more washed up than a whale carcass.

9. Position:
- Center back

10. Jersey number:
- #8

11. Coaching experience:
- None.

12. Refereeing experience:
- None.

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- My youth club was invited to be guinea pigs at a coaching seminar at the Indiana Convention Center, and we ended up doing a full training session led by former Brazil national team manager Carlos Alberto Parreira.

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- Coming up short twice in the club state finals -- two runner-up finishes and zero state titles.

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- The most indelible moments in my memory are probably: Baggio's missed penalty, Chastain's converted penalty, and Zidane's Panenka/head-butt.

16. Favorite team(s)
- Indy Eleven

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Chris Wondolowski

18. Favorite Current Player
- Chris Wondolowski
Editor's Note: That's a first for this survey...historical and current player being the same guy.

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- High school freshman basketball and JV cross country

22. Other Comments:
- I've always been a huge fan of The Game Beckons and I'd like to say thank you to Drew and Don for the exceptional Indy Eleven coverage they provide.
Editor's Note: I hate including something that praises me, but they're his words so I felt I should honor them. Thanks for the kind words Kevin.

The Soccer Life - James Cormack

Much like Wednesday's Soccer Life entry, Brandon Cockrum, today's participant is also part the Indy Eleven blogging community. However, James is not just a writer in the Bloody Shambles stable, but the founder of the group after spending some time contributing to other blogging and podcasting groups. James has also been a periodic contributor to your gameday poster collection, having provided the design for the RailHawks game in the Fall Season of 2014, the Open Cup game against Louisville FC in 2015, and the Jacksonville game in the Fall Season of 2015. Oh, and that tat on the left is believed to be the first of its kind, inked shortly after the team announced their official name and crest? That's Cormack's.

Those are some of the details I knew of him beforehand. Now let James give you his responses to my general Soccer Life questions. Thanks for participating James!

Photo: Doug McSchooler/ The Star

1. Name:
- James Cormack

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Football blogger/podcast

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- None.

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 5

5. First recollection of the game:
- Listening to BBC Scotland on Saturday afternoons to get updates from all the games as none were broadcast live back then.

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- County Level League and Highland Amateur Cup, Scotland

7. Honors/Awards
- Got my name in national newspapers after my team got beat 15-1.

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- Fall 2016 CIASA Over 45 league.

9. Position:
- Right back

10. Jersey number:
- #3

11. Coaching experience:
- Player/Coach Men's Team, County Divisions Scotland. Scottish Football Association First lvl coaching certificate. (mentor Ross Jack)

12. Refereeing experience:
- If I ever become a referee, I will probably be the most hated.

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- May 5 1998, Celtic defeating St Johnstone 2-0 and stopping Rangers FC from winning ten straight league championships.

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- 2003 Celtic defeat in the UEFA Cup Final against Porto in Seville.

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- 1978 World Cup Final, and the whole competition itself, it was my first one and it pretty much changed the rest of my life. The final and the atmosphere was the most spectacular thing I had ever seen.

16. Favorite team(s)
- Celtic FC, Indy Eleven

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Henrik Larsson

18. Favorite Current Player
- Scott Sinclair

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Rugby, High School

22. Other Comments:
- If you have ever worried that football may have taken over your life, it probably already has.

The Soccer Life - Brandon Cockrum

It's time, once again, to ask some folks the basic questions about their Soccer Life and this week's responses come from some of my fellow Indy Eleven bloggers from Bloody Shambles. First up is Brandon Cockrum, also known as the former writer of Brew Wallace. Like some of the other Soccer Life participants (I'm looking at you Brad Hauter), soccer isn't the only thing in Brandon's life that is interesting. Turns out that Brandon helped generate the Bringin' Home the Bacon scratch-off ticket for the Indiana Lottery, which "was chosen as a nominee for the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries' 2015 Scratch-Off Game of the Year." It never ceases to amaze me on the things that people do when they're not watching or playing soccer.

Thanks for participating Brandon!

1. Name:
- Brandon Cockrum

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Player, Parent, Coach, Spectator

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- Cock. First part of last name. One of my coaches called me that because it gave him an excuse to yell an obscenity.

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 6

5. First recollection of the game:
- Playing in neighborhood with friends

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- High School

7. Honors/Awards
- IU Soccer Camp All-Star (x2). Lol

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- Indy City Futbol Canal Derby on May 24, 2017
Editor's note: in what has become a bad trend for me, it has taken me two months to post Brandon's responses. I'm sure he's played a game since May...

9. Position:
- Right Mid or anywhere needed

10. Jersey number:
- #8

11. Coaching experience:
- High school and U6

12. Refereeing experience:
- 1 season, terrible

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- Run to IHSAA state finals; Scoring 2 goals in final 5 minutes of club tournament game to get win; Scoring 4 goals in a soggy club tournament game

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- Skying first ever PK shootout attempt; quitting competitive soccer in teens

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- Watching Spain vs Bolivia at Soldier Field, US late goals in 2012, Germany stomping Brazil 7-0

16. Favorite team(s)
- USMNT, Indy Eleven

17. Favorite Historical player:
- David Weir

18. Favorite Current Player
- Don Smart

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Indoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
-

22. Other Comments:
-

The Soccer Life - Scott Stewart

For the second Indy Eleven Front Office Soccer Life response this week, Scott Stewart fills us in on the basics of his soccer life. Scott has only been with the Indy Eleven as a full-time employee since March of 2016, but as I found out while reading through his weebly page (which I suggest you do as well), he has a long history of being involved with sports. Writing and broadcasting extensively during his time at IU. He's officially the "Web Content & Social Media Coordinator," but now I know how he got the gig doing some of the broadcasting of the Indy Eleven games. Thanks for answering the questions Scott!     

1. Name:
Scott Stewart

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Content & Social Media - Indy Eleven

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
- Sniper - I *used* to be able to hit a ball quite well!

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 15

5. First recollection of the game:
- Playing rec soccer when I was five and absolutely hating it

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- Recreational

7. Honors/Awards
- 3x Off the Wall Indoor Champion ;)

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- Last weekend - W 10-2
Editor's note: it took me awhile to get this written. "Last weekend" was the end of November...

9. Position:
- Centre-back

10. Jersey number:
- #5

11. Coaching experience:
- U8-9

12. Refereeing experience:
- Two years sideline

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- Phil Coutinho's stunner against City to make it 3-2 in 2014


14. Least memorable moment(s):
- Steven Gerrard's error against Chelsea that effectively lost Liverpool the title


15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- No question - Landon Donovan's 2010 WC goal v. Algeria to send us through at the top of the group.
Editor's note: Told you there's a trend...


16. Favorite team(s)
- Liverpool FC

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Steven Gerrard/Jamie Carragher

18. Favorite Current Player
- Phil Coutinho

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Basketball - club

22. Other Comments:
-

The Soccer Life - Andrew Piggush

Awhile back, Indy Eleven's Public Relations Director John Koluder participated in my Soccer Life series and agreed to pass the survey around to others in the Front Office. Today, and another this week, we get a little look at the folks that make our favorite team run. Andrew Piggush was the first to respond to the request and I appreciate him taking the time. 

1. Name:
Andrew Piggush

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
- Team Operations Manager / Former Equipment Manager at Indy Eleven

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):
-

4. Age became interested in soccer:
- 5

5. First recollection of the game:
- Playing rec soccer at about 5

6. Highest level of play achieved:
- Freshman High School

7. Honors/Awards
- Worst Player Ever ;)

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play
- 9th Grade - 2002

9. Position:
- Defensive Midfielder

10. Jersey number:
- #13

11. Coaching experience:
- N/A

12. Refereeing experience:
- N/A

13. Most memorable moment(s):
- 3-0 victory over FC Edmonton in Tim Regan's first home game as interim head coach

14. Least memorable moment(s):
- 7-1 loss in Fort Lauderdale

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):
- Landon Donovan versus Algeria
Editor's note: I'm starting to notice a trend with this response... :-)

16. Favorite team(s)
- Indy Eleven, Real Salt Lake, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid

17. Favorite Historical player:
- Brian McBride

18. Favorite Current Player
- Aaron Ramsey

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:
- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:
- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):
- Rugby (College), Basketball (Junior High)

22. Other Comments:
-

The Soccer Life - Aaron Gunyon

He's a fan of Coach Hankinson...

The Permanent Relegation podcast picked up a new member this year to be the written "voice of the BYB" and he's done an excellent job. He's optimistic when it's appropriate, but also tries to be equally realistic on the team's play. I like to read the posts that he writes and have tried to provide a spotlight on some of the fans (Nipun Chopra), writers, and commentators (Brad Hauter), as well as players (Estridge, Dawson) and front office staff (John Koluder) who make the Indy Eleven such a great team to support so I asked him once while we were hanging out in the press box to participate. He agreed to take part in my Soccer Life series and the following are his responses to my standard questions.

Thanks for your time Aaron!

1. Name:

Aaron Gunyon

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):

- Retired Player, Occasional Sports Writer, Recreational Coach

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):

-   

4. Age started playing:

- 8

5. First recollection of the game:

- My Dad used to "help out" during the early days in my YMCA program. I remember him running with us for about 30 seconds before he gave up and admitted that soccer was a real sport. He grew up playing baseball.

6. Highest level of play achieved:

- Carthage College Div III

Editor's note: I tried to contact the school to get some information, but didn't get any response. Either there isn't much to say about Aaron's career (see response to #7 below), those statistics were lost in a fire (see previous survey), or they make it a point to not give information to lowly blogs with a very limited following. I'm going with the last one...

7. Honors/Awards:

- I have a box full of runner-up trophies and sportsmanship awards if that is any indication how anonymous I was on the field.

8. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play

- Summer 2001

9. Position:

- Left Back

10. Jersey number:

- 18

11. Coaching experience:

- I have coached 100's of kids in a variety of programs.  All of it at the Rec level, but its a lot of fun.

Editor's note: As a fellow coach of rec level soccer teams, I'll agree that it can be lots of fun, but I will also pat Aaron on the back because it is often a thankless task occasionally with families that treat it like it's something to do if they don't have something else going on. So Thank You Aaron for your dedication to today's youth and growing the Beautiful Game.

 

12. Refereeing experience:

- Refereeing is the least appreciated activity a human can do.  I will not subject myself to that type of cruelty.

13. Most memorable moment(s):

- I once scored unassisted from a corner kick.

Olimpico!

14. Least memorable moment(s):

- I got sent off for shouting at the ref "Try not sucking".  I was young.  It was an out of town tournament.  Coach was pissed.

15. Favorite World Cup moment(s):

- 2010 watching USA VS England in a casino with my friends.  Landon's group stage goal against Algeria was pandemonium though.

16. Favorite team(s):

- Indy Eleven and the USMNT.  Wolverhampton Wanderers is the greatest name in all of professional sports.

17. Favorite Historical Player:

- 

18. Favorite Current Player:

- None better than Messi.

19. Indoor vs Outdoor:

- Outdoor

20. Grass vs Turf:

- Grass

21. Other sports played (and to what level):

- 

22. Other Comments:

- 

The Soccer Life - Tammy Haley

This was going to be just like every other survey on this site, but as I got into it, I realized that it needed to be more than that. I had some great coaches during my playing career. Looking back, though, I don't remember having that many of them. I was with the same coaches during my club days from the time I was about 11 to until I started playing for the high school in 9th grade and then there were a couple of coaches during my time in high school. This edition of the Soccer Life highlights my JV coach during my freshman year. That year, I played on both the JV and Varsity squads. However, it was my JV coach who seemed to really value my abilities and had faith in me to make the right decisions on the field. So while some people may have disliked being on the JV team, I saw it as a way to get more games and learn. Coach Tammy Haley was a coach and administrator during my time at Ben Davis, went to school with my Dad, and I value my time playing for her. However, her soccer playing days are just the surface of what she has meant to Ben Davis High School. So interspersed with the normal soccer survey questions, I'm going to give you some other details of her time at Ben Davis. I want to thank Coach Haley for being willing to fill out my questionnaire, but I also need to thank Sandra Squire (Principal of Ben Davis); John Clark (BD Athletic Director) and staff; Megan Kramper (Assistant Director of Media Relations for Indiana State University); and the internet for helping me find the information and photos used below.

1. Name:
Tammy Haley

2. Role (Player, Parent, Coach, Referee, General Spectator, All of the Above, None of the Above, Other):
Player, coach, administrator, team captain, team manager, fan

3. Soccer-specific Nickname (and any story behind it):

4. Age started playing:
Started at 24 yrs. and played to 48 ½.  Came out of retirement to play in the over 50 national cup at 50 years old.

5. First recollection of the game:
Over 30 indoor national champs

6. Highest level of play achieved:
Played in over 30, over 40, and over 50 national cups

7. Last competitive match – Date (if known) & Level of Play

8. Position:
Played many positions but usually stopper and center mid.

9. Jersey number:
24 & 18

10. Most memorable moment(s):
[Winning the 2000] Indoor national championship

11. Least memorable moment(s):
Same game [indoor national championship], a girl and I collided and she had a severely broken leg. I was badly bruised and sore through GK long pants, socks, and the shin guards made of plaster and another pair of socks.

12. Favorite team:
Any US World Cup Men’s or Women’s teams

13. Favorite player:
Historical: Pele
Current:

14. Indoor vs Outdoor:

15. Grass vs Turf:

16. Coaching experience:
Here's a good place to interject since Coach Haley didn't provide anything here, but she, obviously, was my coach so she had coaching experience. I'm also going to combine this with the "Other sports played" question below.

Coach Haley was my soccer coach in the early 90's, but she began her coaching career in the late 70's. For basketball... Coach Haley was the Ben Davis High School girl's head basketball coach from 1978 - 1984, compiling a 67-52 record and winning a sectional and regional title along the way, and making it to semi-state in 1981. That's her on the far left with her 1979 team.

As if being the Head Coach of the girl's basketball team wasn't enough, during that same timeframe, she was also the assistant coach for the girl's volleyball team in 1978 and 1979. A team that just happened to be the 1979 girl's volleyball state champions. 

Apparently not one to sit around and twiddle her thumbs, not long after leaving her duties as the assistant volleyball coach, but while she was still coaching the girl's basketball team, Coach Haley became the girl's softball coach for their inaugural season. She was not only coaching the team, but she also helped with the design of the field AND the uniforms. 

All of this while being in her mid- to late-twenties. Tamara Haley was a 1973 graduate of Ben Davis High School, went away to college at Indiana State University where she was a three year letterwinner in volleyball (unfortunately, I couldn't get any stats of her college volleyball career because ISU lost a lot of data in a fire), and came back and spent her entire career teaching students at Ben Davis HS. I personally knew her because of her involvement with the soccer team, but even during that time of her career, she was involved in multiple things. She was a coach, the coordinator for both boys and girls' teams, and the event manager. 

She was also heavily involved with the Special Olympics during my time at the school. 

Now she's the contact person for the Ben Davis Former Athletes and Coaches Club.

A person with this much dedication to the school couldn't have always been that way, could they? Yes. Yes they could. Let me recap her senior picture activities listing: 

• Americanism (yeah, I don't know either)
• Ecology Club
• President
• Pep Band
• Symphonic Band
• FTA,
• YFC,
• Junior Classical League
• Lettermens,
• GAA
• Vice-President
• Yardleys, and
• Student Council Representative.

That's a lot of things to do to fill your time.

"In 1971, we weren't in the yearbook or newspaper. I guess we were just happy for any opportunities. We were called the Girl's Athletic Association. We were encouraged to do as many sports as possible even if they overlapped. I played every sport. My most memorable was going to the first ever IHSAA sponsored state volleyball championship game. Now girl's sports are considered newsworthy. Girls who play sports have more opportunities like better coaches, facilities, uniforms, referees, scholarships, and recognition," said Haley.

I would argue that it is because of women like Coach Haley, who not only participated in playing the sports, but also took a significant leadership role in helping the next generation of women athletes that helped create those opportunities. 

17. Refereeing experience:

18. Favorite World Cup moment(s):

19. Honors/Awards:

20. Other sports played (and to what level):

21. Other Comments:
Extra:  It is cool to know one of the women’s premier players, Lauren Cheney, [is] from Ben Davis. She has been fun to follow while at UCLA and now on the world stage.

Lauren [Cheney] Holiday, another one of those females who went through Ben Davis athletics that were helped by the women like Tammy Haley who helped paved the way.

Some additional photos of Tammy Haley's time at Ben Davis and ISU: