Tyler Harris Signing Link
Fishers-native
Tyler Harris signed a Letter of Intent with the IUPUI men's soccer program on Mar. 28, 2018. He inked his letter as part of a partnership with Team IMPACT, an organization established to match kids battling illnesses with college programs. The naturally left-footed Harris is expected to make an immediate impact on the IUPUI program. He was flanked by his parents, Clay and Carey, and Coach Barnett as he put pen to paper.
Harris, who'll enter the sixth grade in Fall 2018, has cystic fibrosis (CF), an illness that causes a thick, sticky buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. He undergoes frequent breathing treatments and takes more than 30 pills daily. He also stays active, which helps fight the mucus buildups as well. On the day of his signing, he was thrust into action as he joined his new teammates on the field for some drills immediately after putting pen to paper.
"It felt good because I knew I was part of the team," Harris said.
Head coach Brian Barnett joked during Harris' introductory press conference that the 11-year old could use some work in the weight room, but also acknowledged his cross country background would helped the overall team fitness. The Jaguars' head coach all but knew a commitment was in the works when they visited the on-campus Chick-fil-A during his initial recruiting visit.
"With Tyler, he has a tremendous amount of resiliency and fight and bite in him," Barnett said. "And that's ultimately what we want in our guys."
Team IMPACT has aided more than 1,400 kids in signing with college programs and Harris becomes IUPUI's first Team IMPACT signee.
