'It just had to be the right fit.' Horizon Christian is latest provisional member of IHSAA

Twenty-seven years since the inception of its athletics program, Horizon Christian is the latest school on track for membership in the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

The Lions turned in their application in May before they were approved as provisional member in August. The school felt now was the right time to join the IHSAA and its over 400 member schools.

“We’re just looking to give our kids another platform to show their abilities,” said Horizon Christian athletic director Nick Dunkelbarger. “This has kind of been in the picture for Horizon well over a decade.”

Horizon Christian opened in 1998 before its athletics program launched in 1999. The Lions were members of the Indiana Association of Christian Schools (ICSAA) before seeking IHSAA approval.

According to Dunkelbarger, the school’s potential shift to IHSAA status was first discussed in 2006. Two decades later, that turned into an actuality.

The main hold-up was because of the school’s commitment to its culture. Horizon began as a five-person Bible study group before it grew to a 98-acre campus on Indian Lake Road. The Lions have welcomed the participation of homeschool students in their sports programs at all levels since their opening, a trend that they wanted to continue.

The IHSAA allows homeschooled students to participate in athletics.

“We are a school that was really established by multiple families that were just going to the church, and they were looking for a better solution,” Dunkelbarger said “We have a very deep and rich connection with home-schooled families and so that’s kind of what took so long. I think we have grown to the point where we continue to lose kids to other schools for IHSAA reasons.”

The Lions won the 2025 ICSAA state soccer championship last October, a great prelude to their inaugural year as a IHSAA provisional member during the 2026-2027 season. Cross country, girls volleyball, co-ed soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys volleyball, softball and track and field are sports currently being offered at Horizon.

The Lions have 43 kids playing soccer for their junior high while about 20 players make up their high school team – membership that the school expects will grow higher. According to Dunkelbarger, the Lions will likely establish separate boys and girls soccer teams within the next year or so. The athletic department is also actively working to establish a wrestling team and restore its baseball program.

As a provisional IHSAA member, the Lions will have to complete a three-year transitional period that includes compliance of IHSAA rules and participation criteria to gain full membership.

In the meantime, they will continue to compete under the ICSAA umbrella, including the postseason. They will also host the Indiana Christian & Home School State Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Horizon Christian is currently one of five provisional members of the IHSAA. Its inclusion in the IHSAA marked the dawning of a new era in Horizon athletics, a sports program that has gotten stronger with more muscle expected to be added over the next few years.

“I think it took so long (to join the IHSAA), more because of the culture than anything,” Dunkelbarger said. “It wasn’t necessarily anybody holding anybody back. It just had to be the right fit.”

Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘It just had to be the right fit.’ Horizon Christian is latest provisional member of IHSAA