Hinsdale Central senior forward Piper Bingham isn’t the first talented athlete from her family, but that hasn’t stopped her from blazing a path of her own.
Bingham’s mother, Darlene, played soccer at Boston College, and her father, Jeff, played football and baseball at Hinsdale Central.
“My soccer talent comes from my mom,” Bingham said. “My dad was a really gifted athlete, too, but I think my love of soccer comes from my mom.”
Like her mother, Bingham will play Division I soccer, but her choice is considerably different. She has committed to Army, where she will be the first person in her family to attend.
“I think the soccer team and the culture are amazing,” she said. “It’s not like any other team I saw when I was going through the recruiting process, so that was definitely a big factor.
“Then obviously the school itself is amazing. It’s obviously not a normal college, but the values that the school has — they create you to be a better person and leader — was something I really was drawn to, and obviously their academics are one of the highest. I think overall it’s going to help me be the kind of person I want to be and set me up for my future as an athlete.”
Bingham is undecided about a major but will have to serve five years of active duty after graduating from Army.
“What branch (of the Army) is kind of TBD at the moment, but there’s a lot of options,” she said. “One of the reasons I chose Army was because there’s so many branches of the Army, so there’s a lot of things I can do.”
Bingham can do a lot of things on the soccer field. She’s a dangerous attacker who is equally adept at scoring and passing — she had six goals and eight assists through May 10 — but she brings leadership qualities to the Red Devils (11-6-1) as well.
“She’s an impressive kid,” Hinsdale Central coach Tony Madonia said. “I think that she kind of has two different personalities, her soccer player personality and her personality as a person.
“Off the field, she has a very chill demeanor, never gets too high, never gets too low, and then when the whistle blows, you see a side of her that is kind of scary to deal with.”
Senior defender Addie Krogstie, a co-captain along with Bingham, has seen both sides up close.
“I think she’s a great balance because she’s obviously super focused at practice, but she’s also so fun to just talk to,” Krogstie said. “We have such good team morale this year, and just the way she’s able to balance being an Army commit, super focused on soccer but also able to grow bonds with the team and also spend time with each other outside of practice is so cool.”
This is Bingham’s second season with the Red Devils. She played club soccer during her freshman and junior years and was with the school team as a sophomore.
“It’s great to have her back,” Madonia said. “We always tell the kids we’re going to support you regardless what you choose to do. Those are family decisions.
“She’s here, and she’s here with a force. She’s one of our top scorers right now, and it’s cool that she gets to play with her sister too.”
Indeed, this is the first and only season Bingham gets to play with her sister Amelia, who is a freshman midfielder.
The two shared a sweet family moment during a 2-2 tie against St. Charles East on April 11. Amelia Bingham sent a perfect diagonal pass up the field to Piper Bingham, who ran onto the ball and scored the game’s first goal. It was the first time the sisters had connected for a goal.
“I saw her get the ball and kind of saw the gap, and I was like, ‘Oh, this could be it,’” Piper Bingham said. “I knew I had to put it in. I was happy that we got to celebrate together.”
Piper Bingham wasn’t the only one.
“I could definitely hear my mom cheering, which was cool,” Amelia Bingham said. “I was very happy that (Piper) got it in.”
Amelia Bingham, who had a team-high eight goals and three assists through May 10, is relishing the chance to play for the Red Devils with her big sister.
“It’s so much fun,” Amelia Bingham said. “I’ve loved every single minute. I know it’s something not a lot of people can do, so I’m happy to do it.”
So is Piper Bingham.
“It’s really special because we’ve been practicing together since we were so little,” Piper Bingham said. “Finally getting the chance to play together and scoring goals together is awesome. It’s a full-circle moment, especially it being my senior year.”
How will Bingham fare at the next level?
“I think it always comes down to her passion for the game,” Madonia said. “She’s a talented enough kid that as long as she continues to have a passion to play, I don’t know if there is much of a ceiling for her.
“She’s an impressive kid, and she’s super passionate about the game. She lives and breathes it.”
That passion drives Bingham.
“With soccer, I’ve accomplished a lot of my goals, including playing DI soccer,” she said. “I’m pretty proud of where I’ve gotten, but I’m working hard to continue to grow and be a better player and person.”
Bingham said West Point will help her do just that. It also motivates her sister.
“It’s very inspirational,” Amelia Bingham said. “I haven’t been to Army yet, but I heard it’s a beautiful school, and I’m really proud of her because it seems like a really good thing. I think it’s a cool experience that not a lot of people do.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
