Cooper Stout is a senior and student-athlete at Fishers High School. In his four years at Fishers, he has played for both the football and lacrosse teams. While he is slated to start on varsity this lacrosse season, he did not originally plan to play the sport.
“Originally, football was probably the only thing I was going to do,” Stout said. “I hadn’t planned on playing a sport in the spring, but then one of my friends mentioned that lacrosse was essentially a free varsity letter. I had nothing going on in the spring, so I thought I might as well try something new.”
Stout joined the team during his freshman year and grew to love the sport. He has since committed to play lacrosse and football at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. According to Stout, playing lacrosse led to improvement during football season, and vice versa.
“On the field, it’s definitely helped me in both sports,” Stout said. “Football helps with hand-eye coordination, and lacrosse helps me get better at football. At the same time, football helps me get better at lacrosse, especially in handling the physicality.”
Stout originally visited Trine for a football camp, where he said he felt welcomed by the athletic staff. Afterward, he stayed in contact with the football coach and reached out to the lacrosse coach as well.
“I’m very blessed with this opportunity,” Stout said. “If I’m able to compete this year at a high level and maybe achieve a couple of accolades, I’ll be able to get better looks and possibly earn a starting role at the collegiate level.”
Stout has also formed meaningful relationships throughout the program. He expressed gratitude for the friendships he has built with teammates and the opportunities he has been given.
“Our head coach, Coach Medell, has had an incredible influence on me,” Stout said. “I haven’t really had the greatest relationships with coaches before. It was always very formal. But once I was under Coach Medell and got to know him over the past few years, he’s just been incredible. I’ve always stood behind him in whatever he’s done, and I’ve admired him not only as a coach, but also as a person. He drives all of us to our highest ability.”
Fishers lacrosse has been in a rebuilding period in recent seasons after experiencing several difficult years. Stout started playing the same year Coach Medel started with the team and has witnessed the programs’ revitalization efforts. Stout attributed those struggles to a lack of positive team culture, as well as inconsistent work ethic and motivation.
“We’ve got our first four-year guys under a head coach who came in a couple years ago, and I think team culture is at an all-time high,” Stout said. “We’ve been able to bring in a couple of coaches, and we plan on achieving success this season. We set our standards ourselves, and we believe that if we’re going to compete at this level with the competition around us, we have to raise the standard from years past.”
As he enters his senior season, Stout urges new players to come in with realistic expectations and a willingness to work, emphasizing that growth does not happen overnight.
“If you truly like the sport, you’ll think of it as more than just a varsity letter—you’ll think of it as part of your life,” Stout said. “You want it to be something you’re proud of, something you truly care about, because if you don’t put 100% of yourself into it, then what’s the point of even showing up?”
