Hair, eye color and even freckles are all hereditary, and for Britt Schellhammer, so is the game of basketball.
Schellhammer has always had the ball in her hands, and the sport has been the hub of her life. Starting at just 5 years old (now 12 at Sand Creek Intermediate), she currently plays for two different basketball programs, Showtime Basketball and Indiana Elite.
Her natural skills have helped to earn her a championship title and contract as a professional model.
Showtime is part of the Indy Youth Basketball League (IYBL), the largest basketball league in the state of Indiana. More than 1,200 teams participate, hosted at state-of-the-art facilities Pacers Athletic Center and MojoUp Sports Complex.
“My most memorable moment is when we won the IYBL tournament – hitting game-winning free throws in fourth grade with no time left on the clock to win the IYBL championship,” she says.
Staring at the net with the championship game on the line may add a lot of pressure for other basketball players, but not Schellhammer, who was taught how to balance and steady her game mentality by watching her parents’ game stability.
Her parents, Jamie and Eric Schellhammer, have both made their name in basketball. Jamie played at Western Kentucky University and was selected as a Kentucky all-star. Eric was the assistant coach that helped Western Kentucky to the 2008 NCAA tournament and is now the president of Mojo Up.
Besides Rhyne Howard, her favorite WNBA player, Schellhammer derives a lot of her game outlook and inspiration from her mom, who has also taken the role as her coach.
“My mom is my role model,” she says. “She played D-I basketball and coached Division I.”
Schellhammer hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps by playing college ball, highlighting the sport’s major role in her life.
“The game has inspired me through life lessons and learning hard work,” she says.
Her hard work and natural talents as a player are also reflected off the court, as she models for Eli Lilly, Finish Line, Indiana Fever, SVI sportswear and Thorntons.
Though it all comes back to basketball. When it comes to her favorite part of the game, Schellhammer talks about the natural love and aura of the game, with the bonding that occurs between her team and family – bonds she has been surrounded and inspired by her whole life.
“We are a basketball family,” she says.
