The Carmel Dads’ Club started in 1959, originating from a handful of fathers from the community getting together with administrators of the Carmel Clay school system. They made up a passionate group of individuals intent on providing a resource for young athletes. Today, the club offers programs for youth athletes ranging from preschool to high school seniors.
As a club environment, it offers 13 different sports, hosts over 4,000 volunteers and draws in nearly 15,000 participants. The mission is to foster the development of youth in sports-related programs, and to build self-esteem, physical fitness, respect and achievement.
As a multigenerational organization, many of these young athletes are children or grandchildren of participates from years past. A unique program for participants with special needs is available within the programs offered. Over 100 participants have joined this program in the 2024 season. In an effort to provide opportunities to all children, the Carmel Dads’ Club has formed the KAP (Kids All Play) Scholarship, where over 500 children participate in the programs. Children who qualify for assistance through Carmel Clay Schools are eligible for this scholarship program, which extends the opportunity to play one sport per year as part of the program.
Both recreation and travel teams are offered through the extensive list of programs. Although primarily a recreational sports organization, the group does offer travel teams for several sports. At all levels, children are offered the option to participate in organized sports. High school programs are advanced enough to be considered intramural and provide a competitive edge.
Golf has been added most recently to the programing. In partnership with the Brookshire Golf Course, Brian Ballard leads a group of spring (girls) and fall (boys) golf programs.
As a volunteer-based organization, coaches are welcome from the community and team parents are encouraged to volunteer. “As long as we have coaches, we won’t turn away a participant,” says President Jack Beery. “We want to try and place everybody on a team, because we believe that a youth sports experience at any level is important, teaching them things they can use for the rest of their lives.”
The long-standing, close relationship with the Carmel school system has provided the Carmel Dads’ club the space and facilities to host programs, allowing them to remove the cost of spectatorship to team supporters. In addition, the club owns three facilities, and partners closely with Hamilton County Parks and Recreation.
“One of the unique things about Carmel Dads’ Club is, as we stretch east to west and north to south, athletes can play in our programs as pre-K and kindergartners where your teammates might live across town, and then these students get to high school and they have relationships that have been built over the years,” says Beery. “It’s a unique foundation for many of the kids who participate in our programs.”
As one of the largest youth sports organizations in the country, the club still maintains all of their programs under one organization. Although the club works closely with the Carmel Clay Schools, the existence of alternative outlets for athletic involvement is important, Beery says.
Fall brings flag football for kids in ages pre-K to second grade. A third- and fourth-grade league as well as a fifth- and sixth-grade league complete the fall lineup. The spring season offers an aerial league, intended to be an entry experience for participants to learn fundamentals of the game. Registration for spring aerial football is open January 1 through late February.
Beery says the goal of the Carmel Dads’ Club is to keep players safe while enjoying practices and games. Several precautions have been put into practice to maintain the safety of football athletes. As practices take place, coaches have prohibited certain blocking and tackling maneuvers. Teams have a limited amount of time and contact each week, in an effort to provide safer experiences. Investments have been made in certain types of equipment that are safer for the kids to practice on, in an effort to reduce live action during practices. Coaches are required to complete training and take the National Federation of State High School Associations Concussion is Sports course. In additional to recondition or replacement of equipment, the Carmel Dads’ Club requires safety standards on all practice drills.
John Hebert, Carmel High School’s head football coach, host a coaches clinic for the Carmel Dads’ Club coaches each year, walking them through each position and teaching different drills. “Coaches education is very important to the overall experience of our kids,” says Beery. “We need to make sure that the message at higher levels is being taught to our younger kids so they are learning things the right way.”
The 2024 season of flag football is currently underway, winter sports evaluations will begin soon, and spring sports leagues will begin forming after January 1.
“We’re trying to create memories for kids and their families for the rest of their lives,” says Beery. “As a kid who experienced that here myself, my kids have experienced that. Some of our best friends and their best friends today are relationships that have been built here at Carmel Dads’ Club.”
