2026 IndyStar Sports Mom of the Year teacher, coach and mentor. 'Super Mom.'

CARMEL – When it comes to her third-grade class at Forest Dale Elementary School or her Carmel High School softball team, Stephanie Kleiner has a knack for knowing the right buttons to push to get the most out of her students and players. That applies to her daughters, too. Sometimes a little guilt trip is all it takes.

“If I don’t want to clean my room she’ll say, ‘I’ll clean it then,’” said eighth-grade daughter Alex. “It makes me feel bad. It works.

It really works. ” Kleiner, the 2026 IndyStar Mother’s Day “Sports Mom of the Year,” is a problem solver in many areas of her life. Her oldest daughter, Carmel softball senior Jayden Kleiner, calls her “Super Mom.

” “She is a natural leader,” Jayden said. “When she steps into the room, people listen to her. ” When Kleiner took over the Carmel softball program nearly three years ago, one of her first priorities was to reinvent the “Pups” program, which is the lifeline between the youth players in Carmel’s school system and the high school team.