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Representing one of the four U.S. regions, Indiana players born between 2008 and 2013 proudly wore Midwest red and demonstrated the strength of our state’s player development pathway.  

These higher-level events provide players with the opportunity to compete against top talent while pursuing selection to an ODP National Team. Scouts from MLS, U.S. Soccer, and college/university programs were in attendance. This year’s ODP National Teams will travel to Spain, Portugal, and Florida. 

“Seeing our Indiana players compete against the country’s best is a powerful reflection of the growth and strength of our program,” said Indiana ODP Director Todd Sheely. “I was incredibly proud of the way they rose to the challenge, competed with confidence, and represented Indiana with outstanding sportsmanship throughout the event.” 

“In January, I had the opportunity to attend the ODP Interregionals in Florida. It was an incredible experience where I got to play with—and against—some of the best 2013 girls in the country. I made new friends, gained confidence as a player, and showed the coaches and scouts both who I am and who I can become.” 

“I loved learning from my coaches; they helped me recognize my strengths and understand what I can continue to improve. I also had the best teammates I could ask for! This was an amazing opportunity, and it motivates me even more as I grow and develop as a player.”  – Annie Tyler, 2013 Girls 

“It was an amazing experience. I got to meet new people and work with new coaches, and everyone was incredibly supportive. Even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, we all learned something valuable and took something new away from our time together.”   – Tim Paciorek, 2009 Boys 

“Such a great experience! Clear communication, smooth schedules, and a well‑run event. Hope to return!” – Indiana ODP Parent 

“Playing in the Interregionals is always such a fun experience. I’ve gone for the last two years and have loved it every time. It’s a great experience playing with a new team, and the coaches are awesome—really focused on developing us as players while giving great individual feedback. Overall, it’s just a great environment to be in!” 
– Ella Hanson, 2008 Girls 

“My daughter has grown up in the Indiana ODP Program. Seeing all her hard work, hours of training, and development come full circle at her first ODP Interregional event this week in Orlando was truly special. Alaina met so many talented players from across the country—many who quickly became friends. She learned so much from the coaches, had fun with the team‑building and media activities, and most of all, got to play the game she loves in the ODP environment she’s always called her happy place.” 

“The smiles, the laughter, the cheering for one another… those are memories we’ll hold onto forever. Thank you, ODP, for another awesome, well‑organized, engaging, elite experience!” 
— Indiana ODP Parent 

The Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame is proud to announce its newest 2-person class into the Hall of Fame. The 2026 Class includes Carla Baker and Mike Avery. The class will be inducted into the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 28th, 2026, at the Renaissance Hotel – Carmel.

Baker, who currently resides in Carmel and continues to coach high school soccer and referee youth games, started her career as a student-athlete goalkeeper in Hamilton, Ontario at McMaster University. Her performance in goal earned her a call-up to the Canadian Women’s National team in 1987. She stared for them for 9 years, competing in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers and eventually the 1995 FIFA World Cup. In all, she earned 29 caps for the Canadian Women’s National Team.

After completing a professional career, she turned her sights to coaching, working at FIU, Cornell University, University of Notre Dame and the University of Iowa. While an assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame, the Irish went to 4 consecutive final fours; won a National Championship in 1995; were Runners-Up in 1994, 1996 and semi-finalists in 1997.

As an assistant coach at Carmel High School, Baker won a state championship in 2018 and was a runner-up in 2014 and 2025. As an assistant coach at Park Tudor High School, Baker helped coach her team to two state championships in 2022 and 2023 and a runner-up in 2020.

“Honestly, with all her experience and international accomplishments, we are so LUCKY to have her as a representative of soccer in our community – CHS & CFC, “stated Juergen Sommer, Director of Soccer Operations at Carmel FC Soccer. “She has such a professional approach to her work/craft, as well as managing our families when soccer goes sideways, which we’ve all dealt with over the year. Carla is irreplaceable and a foundational pillar within our club!”

As a player, Avery was an NAIA All-American soccer player at Westmont College. After graduating, Avery started his professional career, playing for Real Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA) – 1989-90; Askims IK (Gothenburg, Sweden) 1990-92; and finally, as a player-coach for the Indiana Invaders from 1994-2000.

His college coaching career saw him begin at Midwestern State University (1992-94); Bethel University (1994-97); San Diego State (1997); Cal State San Bernardino (1997-2000); Notre Dame (2000-06); Louisville (2006-07) and ultimately at Valparaiso University (2007-20).

While at Valparaiso, he became the All-Time Wins Leader in Program History; earned the first Horizon League Championship in any sport for Valpo history ( 2027); earned the 2011 Horizon League Coach of the Year; helped the Crusaders become Nationally ranked for the first time ever (2012, and again in 2014, 2015 and 2017). His Valpo teams earned 13 straight NSCAA (United Soccer Coaches) Team Academic Awards for cumulative GPA over 3.0. He was honored with the 2014 Valparaiso University Martin Luther King Award, 2019 Schaefer-McGuigan Award for contributions to a diverse and inclusive Valparaiso community.

Currently, he serves as the Head Coach for Ft. Wayne FC (USL 2). In just his first two years at the helm, Avery guided FWFC to back-to-back Valley Division Championships 2024 & 2025. For 2026, he assisted the club in promotion to USL 1 league play.

Avery is the founder of Center Circle Influencers, INC. as a consultant and keynote speaker on Athletic Performance Perspective (APP) Training. His work is so well renowned; he continually is hired by several college institutions to consult with their teams and athletic departments. He was also honored as the Keynote Speaker for 2024 NCAA Inclusion Forum and 2024 IAAAC Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.

“As a native Hoosier, I feel that Mike has been an exceptional servant to the game of soccer with most of his coaching career spent in Indiana,” stated Tim McClements.

“Mike has dedicated his life to the game of soccer, but even more importantly, to the people within it. His greatest legacy is not found in the wins, trophies, or records, but in the lives, he has shaped”, said Chad Riley, Head Men’s Soccer Coach, University of Notre Dame.

The Hall of Fame “belongs” to the Indiana soccer community and not to any one organization or group of individuals. It honors individuals whose outstanding achievements and significant accomplishments have had a long-lasting effect upon the sport of soccer in Indiana and merit the highest recognition.

On Saturday, January 4, Indiana ODP partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance to provide our families with a valuable educational session. This session, “The Power of Positive Sports Parenting”, focused on creating a positive, supportive environment for our athletes, emphasizing character development, sportsmanship, and positive parent engagement. We appreciate our families taking the time to participate and support the growth of our players both on and off the field.

What did our families think of the session?

“Thanks for offering the Positive Coaching Alliance session for ODP parents this weekend. I attended the Saturday Jan 3 session and found it to be interesting and informative. It’s a great reminder to connect with our kids who try so hard to play a sport they love. It can sometimes be difficult to work through the negative moments they experience, and the information on how to approach and be a support for them will be useful. Thanks again for offering this for ODP parents and I hope you continue to!”

“I wanted to share how thankful I am for the PCA workshop ODP provided yesterday. I strive to be my daughter’s biggest supporter, although I often do not know how to respond to or initiate conversations after games and practices. Now I feel confident and have the supportive resources to be a better parent to support my daughter. I would love to extend this experience to our local team and parents.”

ODP Director Todd Sheely had this to say, “Providing Positive Coaching Alliance sessions is a great value-add for our ODP families, reinforcing our commitment to athlete growth both on and off the field.”

“Our children don’t come with an “operating manual” or an “FAQ document,” which is why it is so valuable to have a partner like Positive Coaching Alliance. PCA brings together—and generously shares—the collective wisdom of hundreds of youth development experts with the Indiana Soccer family. I encourage all member clubs to consider engaging Positive Coaching Alliance in some capacity to support parents and coaches as they navigate their own youth sports journey – stated Dave Guthrie, Indiana Soccer’s executive director.

The Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive, character-building youth sports experiences for kids. PCA provides training, workshops, and resources for coaches, athletes, parents/caregivers, and sports leaders to help them focus not just on winning, but on helping young athletes grow, learn life lessons, and have fun. For more information, click on the following website: https://positivecoach.org/.