Richmond Police officer Neal VanMiddlesworth bonds with daughter Payton through soccer
Jesus Jimenez
The Palladium-Item
RICHMOND, Ind. – Payton VanMiddlesworth was about 18 months old when her father, Neal, a police officer in Richmond, first started working with juvenile cases.
He was assigned to a case that hit too close to home.
"I had a horrible case when a child died, and we were really worried about the autopsy," said VanMiddlesworth, now a school resources officer in Richmond. "The child was the same height, weight as Payton. You're dealing with trauma and youth, and you just come home and hug your kids."
Neal and Payton have bonded through soccer, but it hasn't been easy balancing his career with the sport.
After serving as an assistant, Neal was named the head coach of the Richmond High School girls soccer team this year, and leads the Red Devils into the North Central Conference tournament Saturday at Kokomo.
Richmond plays Harrison at noon, with the winner advancing to the NCC championship game at 6 p.m. The loser plays for third place at 4 p.m.
"I feel really good," said Payton, who is second in Indiana's Class 3A with 29 goals, and first in the NCC with 75 points and with 17 assists. "Going into it, I think we're 10-2, which is really exciting."
'A proclivity to serve'
Neal graduated from Richmond High School in 1986, and earned a degree from Indiana University East. He said he spent time working as a meat cutter, but didn't really consider law enforcement until his parents brought up the idea.
"I really didn't think about it until I put in an application," Neal said. "I have a proclivity to serve."
When Neal got into law enforcement, he was attracted to the position because of the opportunity to serve the community, more so than to enforce the law. Through time, he's transitioned to his current position of detective, where he is involved in investigations – something that's helped his coaching schedule.
He's served in various roles, including a member of the SWAT team, and now an investigator for the youth services division of the office of community engagement.
His family has always been a big part of what he does.
"Neal's always been one that was very family-oriented for his daughters," said lieutenant Donnie Benedict, the head of the juvenile division. "He would come to work sleepy, because he's been either driving all over the Midwest, taking daughters to practices. You look at Neal, he's a role model for fathers, because of his dedication that we see."
Neal's role working with the youth allows him to be in the schools between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., which helped his role as soccer coach. He's already familiar with the girls on the team. He's usually free by the time practice and games come along.
'I appreciate the fact that he comes home at night'
Payton remembers bragging to her friends that her father was a police officer. Sometimes to gain leverage in an argument, but mostly because she was proud of him.
"A lot of times I'd do it to brag, because I thought it was really cool," she said. "He would come and show his handcuffs and safety for children, if you see a stranger, when he would come in, I was always really proud of that."
Payton remembers the story about the child autopsy, among others.
"I think it's scary, a lot of times you hear about police officers dying. Hearing those kind of stories, I appreciate the fact that he comes home at night," she said.
"I don't know if it was back when he was on the SWAT team, it might have been his first call, I remember he had talked about how he volunteered to hold the shield, they went on a call and I remember there was a man with the gun, he tells us he had this shield and he said he was terrified; ... I've heard that story so many times."
So have several of Payton's teammates, who grew up playing under Neal from a young age.
"When we traveled to the Hoosier Cup earlier this year, I'm listening to all the girls, they're sitting on the bus," Neal said. "We used to drive them around when they were younger, and I'm listening and they're making the same jokes, listening to the same music."
'A really intense kid'
Neal said he tried swimming in high school, but never considered himself an athlete.
Growing up, however, he had a passion for Red Devils athletics, attending basketball and football games when possible. When he became a father, his two daughters, Avery and Payton, found different ways to be competitive: Avery on the dance team, and Payton in soccer.
But there was something different about Payton.
"Payton personally is kind of a weird kid," Neal says with a laugh. "I say that, but I mean that, by the age of 5, she was a really intense kid and she is insanely competitive. She studied for hours, won two Spelling Bees, and the one year she didn't win, she cried for hours. In that sense, soccer was a great outlet for her."
Payton was about 5 years old when she started playing soccer, an activity they hoped would keep her busy until she was old enough to play basketball. By the time she started playing basketball, however, she had developed a passion for soccer.
"As I got older, we started buying soccer goals, we'd play games, work on shooting – we kind of bonded over that," Payton said. "I think that has helped me develop into the player I am today."
'We understand our weaknesses'
Neal knew little about soccer. Admittedly, it's been Payton who's taught him most of what he knows.
Neal coached Payton and her teammates from the 6-and-under team to the 11U team.
Current seniors Courtney McNew, Mackenzie Henry, Marie Suarez, Mackenzie Cook, and Erin Williams all played in the youth club with Payton, as did juniors Riley Wetzel and Nakala Bennett. When she turned 12, she started traveling to Dayton to play against bigger competition, as did others.
Of course, every father-daughter relationship can have its ups and downs – especially if the daughter knows more about the sport, like Neal claims.
"I know a lot of times we'll butt heads and at home we'll debate about what we saw," Payton said. "It'll get so bad that eventually my mom will say, 'All right, we're talking about soccer.'"
So far, they've been able to find a balance.
As a junior, Payton was named to the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association All-District showcase, representing District 3, after leading the NCC with 32 goals and 72 points, while making eight assists.
She has 84 goals, 41 assists and 209 points in her four-year career, as the Red Devils seek their first NCC title since 1999, and later, their first sectional in two years.
"People don't really understands the level she plays at," Neal said. "She practices against All-Americans everyday. This year she guarded three girls that played for the national team."
Neal said Payton has been recruited by several Division I schools, but as a family, they're trying to find the best fit both academically and athletically.
The Red Devils are 10-2, and won the NCC's East Division with a 4-0 record.
Payton's been a big part of that, but it's been a full-team effort.
Bennett is second on the team with 26 goals, while Cook is second to Payton with 12 assists.
Wetzel and Cook each have five goals, Erin Williams and Genesis Herrera each have one, while Bennett has eight assists, Wetzel has seven, Suarez three, Joanna Bowery two and Madeline Stults one. McNew is second in the NCC with 64 saves in goal.
"This is kind of the last year we'll all be together," Payton said. "It's really important that we do the best that we can. I'm really proud of the way we've played this year."
Following the NCC tournament, Richmond visits Union County on Tuesday, then welcomes Centerville on Thursday. The sectional tournament is scheduled to start Oct. 1.
Jesus Jimenez is a sports reporter for the Palladium-Item. Contact him at (765) 973-4465, jjimenez@pal-item.com, or http://Twitter.com/JesusFJimenezPI