Opportunity Brings Mentone Man Back To Kosciusko County
WARSAW — Not every college graduate is fortunate enough to land their ideal job soon after they leave the hallowed halls of their university. That certainly isn’t the case for one lucky Kosciusko County man.
In fact, things couldn’t have worked out much more ideally for Mentone native Kameron Larimer. A 2012 graduate of Tippecanoe Valley High School, the former Viking baseball player took his education to Manchester University in North Manchester, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in sports management.
“I took a sports marketing class in high school,” Larimer recalled. “It was so different than the regular class curriculum at Tippecanoe Valley. I really enjoyed it and decided that it was what I wanted to study in college and pursue as a career.”
After receiving his diploma from Manchester in the spring of 2016, Larimer embarked on the same quest as nearly every other newly minted college graduate — finding a job. He wanted to remain in Indiana, and ideally in the northern part of the state, close to his family in Mentone. Little did he know, however, the perfect opportunity would present itself in what was nearly literally his backyard.
Larimer started his new job Dec. 27 of last year, taking the title of program director at the City-County Athletic Complex, better know as the CCAC, just west of downtown Warsaw on Old US 30. “I wanted to stay local,” he said. “I didn’t expect the CCAC to have a position available so quickly, so I jumped all over it when it opened up!”
His position at the CCAC is an ideal match between the degree he received from Manchester and his desire to make an impact in the county in which he was raised. “I really want to help grow this place,” Larimer noted of his new employer. “Last year we had around 250,000 people visit here. I would like to double that number in the next couple of years.”
Many of the people the CCAC hosts are from out of town, as the complex often plays host to large baseball, softball, soccer and various other sports tournaments. “Not only is it good for us,” pointed out Larimer of potentially increasing the number of visitors through the facility’s gates, “it’s also good for area businesses.”
The CCAC serves not only as the place to come for traditional athletic teams, Larimer noted. They also play host to crochet groups, kickball and dodgeball competitions, workout classes, dance classes and arts classes. He said they also are looking into providing opportunities in conjunction with the city of Warsaw’s popular “First Friday” events.
Most recently, Larimer said he has been working on a quarterly magazine the CCAC is planning to publish, which will highlight the many programs the facility has to offer for the following season, as well as articles geared towards parents of young athletes. He anticipates the first edition of the publication to be available in March.
Larimer commutes to Warsaw from his home in Mentone. While single from a legal standpoint, his girlfriend Morgan Stoner currently is working toward her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion.
For more information about the CCAC, visit its website, www.ccacwarsaw.com, or email Larimer at [email protected].