Trina Scheltens is a phenomenal basketball player.

If you ask her, though, that’s not enough for her – it’s not how she’s built. For Scheltens, a senior forward at Liberty Christian, her happiness and success aren’t contingent upon how many points she scores; it’s more about what those around her achieve and how the team finds collective fulfillment.

Scheltens said that she really just wants to be a beacon to those around her, just as her faith calls her to be.

“I understand how much God’s love impacts us all,” Scheltens said. “Since he loves me, it makes it easy for me to love others.”

That love extends to the basketball court, where Scheltens is averaging 4.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Eagles (3-3). She said that personal glory means very little if she can’t share it.

“When we all work together, it really helps us,” Scheltens said. “I’m all for unity in a team. It makes the game more fun to play and it really (increases the chances of success) if we just work better together.”

Don’t let that fool you, though, Eagles coach Kimmy Meyer said.

Scheltens can just as easily put points on the scoreboard as she can help others do the same.

“She does a lot, she 's strong and she’s steady,” Meyer said. “She’s always doing her job. You never have to doubt if she’s going to do what she has to do. I love her (unselfishness). She’s not afraid to take it to the hoop and create when it’s there. It tells you the type of person she is off the court. She thinks of others first.”

Freshman guard Bristol Barron said that it’s easy to follow the examples set by Scheltens.

After all, she can be hard-nosed when she needs to be to help the team succeed, but mostly she’s just a great person who is easy for the younger girls to follow for who she is and the life she leads.

“She just shows us how to play with passion, and that’s a great leader,” Barron said. “I love Trina. She just sets that good example for all of us to follow. She’s a genuine, loving person who loves God and loves people.”

While the team has seen its share of success this season, Meyer said having Scheltens on the court will likely be felt around the program for years.

Meyer paid her senior leader the ultimate in compliments when it comes to the impact she’s made and continues to make.

“To have a lot of these girls, who are beginning their careers, to have Trina out there, this is the best thing for them,” Meyer said. “Trina is a servant-leader. It’s a great thing for the younger girls to see. If they can pull from her that it’s great to be unselfish but, at the same time, to know when it’s time to lead, that would be great. That’s who she is and what she does.”

Scheltens said she would like to help others, even after her high school basketball career ends and she graduates from Liberty Christian.

She plans to attend a two-year college to prepare for a career in continued service to others.

“I want to go to college to become an OTA, an Occupational Therapist’s Assistant,” she said. “I think that I would like to work with younger kids if they have speaking disabilities or anything in that area. It's just how God made me because I love helping. God made me to help others. That’s how I’m fulfilled.”