By Renee Larr
Spring is filled with basketball for most 30-year-old men. But John Boss IV, of Carmel, and senior a sales coordinator with Orchard Software, isn’t your typical 30-year-old basketball fan.
This month, Boss gave back to the community by volunteering with Indy Sports Corporation as a site coordinator for the Final Four; and thanks to years of hard work plus a kind employer he was able to help basketball-loving kids.
Growing up Boss was an athletic child playing baseball, basketball and golf. He worked at Pebble Brook golf course from ages 14-21. His love of sports then took him in a different direction: basketball managing. While at Carmel High School from 1999-2003 Boss managed the basketball team.
“The simple way I’ve always explained it is the manager does everything but play. You’re helping the coaches get ready whether it’s in the season or not, getting ready for practice, getting ready for games, getting the court set up, making sure they have the gear they need,” said Boss of his duties as manager.
After graduating from Carmel High School Boss attended Indiana University. He applied for a position as a basketball manager and after a grueling month-long interview process he was given the position. Managers work 30-50 hours per week while attending school and are held to the same academic standards as the players.
“It’s kind of a cliché but I always thought in season school was easier than out of season. You have to schedule your time. It certainly was a challenge but I studied sports marketing so it went hand in hand,” said Boss.
After graduating IU Boss was faced with the decision all recent graduates face. Where to go after college? Boss loved growing up in Carmel and both sets of his parents still lived in the Carmel and Westfield areas so the decision was easy. He took a position with Olinger Distributing Company as a sales representative.
“This is my home. Both sets of parents are here. The siblings are here. This is what I know. I’m a creature of habit. Everyone that knows me knows that. It’s a great place to be,” Boss said of his return to Carmel.
An added benefit of living in Carmel is being able to spend time with his family.
“We’re definitely a sports centric family so there is typically a ball game of some sort to watch together or we get together for a meal,” said Boss.
In 2011, Boss took a position with Carmel based Orchard Software. Orchard is a family-owned company and provides laboratories with software systems that help maintain records. Boss works as a senior sales coordinator.
Boss volunteered April 4-6 with youth camps for third through eighth graders during the Final Four. College coach sightings bring excitement for the kids while they work on improving their basketball skills.
“Sports have been my passion forever and they always will be. Orchard was kind enough to let me use my vacation for this. They know I’m more than just a little bit of a sports fan so my boss thought it was a cool idea,” said Boss of his volunteer role with ISP.
