By Rich Palzewic
CORRESPONDENT
Name: Carter Caliaro
Parents: Mark and Tanya Caliaro
Activities: Basketball, soccer
Instagram: carter.caliaro
Carter Caliaro, a senior at Seymour High School, recently completed his soccer career earlier this fall and then moved right into playing basketball for the Thunder. The soccer team fell in the sectional semifinals to Plymouth, and the basketball team had its first games of the season during the week of Nov. 22.
Do you have any siblings?
“I have an older sister named Ashlyn and a younger brother named Gage. Ashlyn is currently attending the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and Gage is an eighth grader at Seymour Middle School.”
Tell me about your parents.
“My dad is from Seymour, and my mom is from Black Creek — they both went to Seymour High School.”
Does your family come from a sports background?
“My mom was a cheerleader and did other sports when she was younger, and my dad was a big basketball player. Ashlyn was on the dance team — she enjoyed that. Gage plays basketball.”
Seymour has a rich tradition of boys’ basketball. What does that mean to you?
“Coach Jon Murphy was the varsity coach when I was a freshman, but I don’t remember much about the powerhouse teams from years ago. I remember (former) players Sandy Cohen (from Seymour) and West De Pere’s Cody Schwartz playing against one another. We haven’t seen the teams we used to, but we’re still a competitive team. We like to play defense.”
What’s it like playing for current head coach Bobby Kuchta?
“He’s a great coach, and I’m glad he switched over from the girls’ team when Murphy left. I’m excited for this year. I think we can do some good things.”
What’s your specialty on the court?
“My main role is to hit a few shots, bring some energy to the floor, be a good communicator and play some defense. I like to shoot the 3.”
Who’s your favorite professional basketball player?
“Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. That dude is so fun to watch.”
How about a favorite former player?
“Shaquille O’Neal — he’s funny, was fun to watch and was dominant.”
Tell me about your soccer experience at Seymour.
“I played all four years — it was good to me and felt like a family. During my freshman season, we went to state, and I was on varsity. I didn’t get to play, but it was still a great experience. During my sophomore year, we lost a big senior class the year before, but we were still dominant. We lost in the sectional final to Roncalli — that one stung. During my junior season, the same thing happened — we were a great team but ended up losing to Notre Dame Academy in the sectional final.”
Will you watch the World Cup currently being played in Qatar?
“I’ll watch if I can, but I think it will be hard with being in school during the day and the time difference.”
What’s your most memorable sports moment?
“Definitely the trip to state in soccer during my freshman season.”
How about a most embarrassing moment?
“There’s not one in particular, but there were so many times in soccer when the field was wet where I slipped and fell. I’ve had plenty of faceplants.”
Why do you think sports are so important in Seymour?
“Like many small communities, it’s a big part of who we are. We have good academics, but we take pride in sports — both girls and boys. We’ve had some great athletes during the past few seasons but haven’t gotten the results we’ve wanted.”
Have you ever done any other high school sports?
“No. I played football in fifth and sixth grade and played baseball up until the COVID-19 year. I lost a little interest in baseball, but I have some great memories from playing.”
Is there a sport you wish you could have played at Seymour?
“We don’t have it at Seymour but boys’ volleyball. I think I’m a decent player. I went to the Resch Center (in Ashwaubenon) to watch the boys’ state championships.”
What are your college plans?
“I recently visited UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point. I want to be an athletic trainer, but I’m not sure which type yet. At Stevens Point, they just have an athletic trainer degree, but at Oshkosh, they have different categories under that. I like the fact Oshkosh has more options.”
Is your athletic career over after high school?
“I don’t think playing college sports is in my future. I’ll look into intramurals, though. I’ve put a lot of time into basketball — more than any other sport, but extra work into basketball sometimes doesn’t guarantee much. I’m a decent player, but I know I’m not college material.”
What are your favorite phone apps?
“Probably Instagram and TikTok — I love scrolling them.”
Do you have any pets?
“I have a dog named Myla — she’s a mini golden doodle.”
Are you a hunter?
“I used to be, but I didn’t like it much.”
What’s something fun you like to do with your buddies?
“That’s a good question but probably taking in a good horror movie.”
What are your favorite horror movies?
“My favorite series is ‘The Purge’ — they are entertaining.”
What’s your favorite school subject?
“Math. I’m not in any advanced classes, but that’s a strong suit in my academics. My grandpa used to be a math teacher at Seymour High School — I can thank him for some of that.”