Tarkington Park, where Richard Donnell ‘Coach Nell’ Hamilton mentored hundreds of Indianapolis’ youth, championing them in sports and education, will soon bear his name as part of a multifunctional field.
Indy Parks and Recreation, the City of Indianapolis, Indy Steelers, MLK Center, former Indianapolis Colts players and dozens of community members broke ground on Coach Nell Field on Feb. 25.
Coach Nell died after being shot on Interstate 65 in January 2023.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, who worked with Coach Nell and the Indy Steelers on many occasions, delivered a bittersweet message to the community.
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“At Tarkington Park, we break ground on $3 million worth of upgrades, which will include a new multi-use field, walking path and both a pickleball and tennis court,” Hogsett said. “The new Richard Coach Nell Hamilton field will honor the legacy of a man who gave so much of himself to our community and this community’s young people. His memory will live on in every play, every team huddle and every victory that takes place on this field. That is quite a legacy.”
Coach Nell, alongside other fathers living in the Butler-Tarkington and Crown Hill neighborhoods, founded the Indy Steelers in 2004, holding some of their earliest gatherings and practices at Tarkington Park.
The organization’s mission is to ”provide Indianapolis youth with a safe space to learn and grow through football, mentorship and community service,” according to the team’s official website.
Executive director of the MLK Center Allison Luthe believes Coach Nell’s passion for championing the youth to make smarter, safer decisions, especially in their community.
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“Coach Nell was my friend and my ally,” Luthe said. “We ruffled some feathers together. I am happy that this field is being built here. I am happy it is being named in his honor, but I am more happy for the hundreds of kids that played for him and will get to play at this field.”
Coach Nell and Luthe often worked together to give the Indianapolis youth sustainable opportunities, coming together to fight for equitable access at Tarkington Park in 2015. Luthe recalls how Coach Nell and the Indy Steelers community were integral in opposing the plans for a dog park, fearing such installations would diminish the space available for youth activities.
A flock of those ruffled feathers belonged to Councilor John Bath (D-7), who shared his thoughts during the groundbreaking.
“Me and Mayor Ballard didn’t agree on (Tarkington Park plans). I encourage him to do a pet area, a dog park,” Barh said. “I have been proven wrong. He was right on the cafe, and I am happy to be proven wrong on that one.”
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Coach Nell and Luthe also worked together on establishing the Tarkington Work Crew, a summer-long program giving teens jobs, a bank account, financial literacy courses and a safe place to hang out when school is out of session.
In an interview before his passing, Coach Nell shared his favorite quote, one attributed to hall of fame coach Tom Landry:
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
Coach Nell Field is expected to open in winter 2025.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
