"Kelly Schaeffer has given us more leadership than anybody on the team as a sophomore," head coach Richard Barron said after Schaeffer's 15-point performance in 31 minutes in women's basketball's game against Dartmouth this weekend.
Schaeffer, a 5 foot 11 inch center from Walt Whitman High School in Long Island, New York, has indeed developed into a vital leader of the Tiger squad after less than two years of experience. Although she holds the team's highest rebounding average (4.9 per game) and free-throw percentage (.764) and is second only to junior point guard Allison Cahill in field goal average (12.5), the stats do not tell it all.
Off the court, the Tigers look to Schaeffer as a source of spirit and energy. During an exercise a few weeks ago, it was decided that she is the team's "Entertainer." Whether she is singing or dancing or being just plain crazy, Schaeffer is known as the teammate with a constant smile on her face.
"I try to bring about the smiles and happy hearts on our team," she said.
Such a role is vital to any team, especially in the midst of a losing streak such as the one Princeton is currently suffering. With Schaeffer's smile, the Tigers are better able to maintain the confidence required to climb out of the trenches.
Schaeffer's serious side on the court, however, is no less important than her light-hearted one.
"She is such a care-free, almost goofy, person off the court." Barron said. "But there is a serious side of her that is very genuine. She is learning how to lead this team with that trait."
In other words, Schaeffer knows when it's time to stop laughing, and start playing basketball.
With senior Lauren Rigney out with an ailing back, someone had to step up to fill the role of leader on the court. That person, recognized by teammates and coaches alike, has been Schaeffer.
"She has become our most consistent player and has really improved as a scorer," Barron said. "I can see areas that were weaknesses in her game just four months ago that are real strengths now. Her leadership will serve the team well through this rebuilding process."
Looking at the role models who have influenced Schaeffer, it is no wonder that she has already flowered into a leader, despite having only two years of college-level competition behind her. Her mother played basketball in college, and Schaeffer's two older sisters are also very active in sports. One plays volleyball at Harvard, the other plays soccer at Boston College.
"From wanting to be like [my sisters] and my parents encouraging me to participate in basketball along with other sports, I ended up becoming an athlete," Schaeffer reflected.
It is Schaeffer's father, however, who has taught her the most about being a basketball player. An All-American at St. John's, he then went on to play in the ABA for four years, followed by a brief stint in the NBA with the New York Nets (and Dr. J, Julius Erving).
Another role model for Schaeffer is Michael Jordan.
"Even though I don't have an ounce of his athletic ability," Schaeffer said modestly, "I still try to imitate his moves — his simpler ones of course — and play with the enthusiasm and energy he brings to the court each day."
With a role model like Jordan, it is no surprise that Schaeffer considers her strongest skill to be "my sense of the game."
That sense has developed steadily since third grade, when Schaeffer first tasted the thrill of playing basketball after joining her community's CYO league. Throughout middle school, she played on the older teams, and she jumped right on to the varsity when she entered high school. Simultaneously, she has played AAU basketball since seventh grade, not to mention Saturday morning pick-up games with her dad's old teammates.
Schaeffer's well-developed love for basketball did not cloud her thinking during the college recruitment process. Recruited by other Division I schools, she chose Princeton, deciding that she "didn't want to compromise education for basketball."
"Princeton was really the only school that worked out in the end for me, and it turned into probably the perfect choice," Schaeffer said. "It provided me with everything that I wanted in a school."
Princeton has also provided Schaeffer with everything she ever wanted in basketball. Her two favorite aspects of basketball are the competition and being part of a team. At Princeton, she has found both.
"I've never been part of a team more kind-hearted and fun-loving," Schaeffer said. "This season has provided me with excitement that never existed last year, that of being an important element on this team, hope for getting better every year and the chance at contending for a league title. After last year's season, I thought I would never get that opportunity. Now I realize we have the talent to do so and the coaching staff to guide us, and I'm very excited that I could play an integral part in helping the team and our program achieve such an honor."
With a season to finish and two more to come after that, Schaeffer has ample time to flash that smile and score more baskets as she and the Tigers pursue the ever-beckoning and realistic goal of wearing the Ivy League crown.
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