April McDivitt-Schilling spent the past four years in Los Angeles with her husband Ed Schilling, who was an assistant basketball coach at UCLA.
But for the Schillings, Indiana is home, and they were more than happy to return when Ed had a chance to become an assistant coach at Indiana University. Bloomington may not be L.A. in a lot of ways, but in basketball terms, she realized California is not Indiana.
“I love walking in the gym and hearing and feeling the energy level in the gym,” McDivitt-Schilling said. “In California, they have other things that are nice, but there’s nothing like Indiana basketball and it’s so nice to be back. It’s home again for my husband and I, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
McDivitt-Schilling spoke to a group of about 115 girls at the Columbus North Girls Basketball Youth Camp on Thursday. North coach Pat McKee coached her in AAU basketball when she was in high school.
The hour-long presentation focused mainly on dribbling and shooting drills, using former Bull Dogs standouts Ali Patberg, Courtney Larson and Debie Gedeon as demonstrators. The drills had been used by Ed Schilling at UCLA, and some were tailored for point guard Lonzo Ball, who likely will be a top-three pick in the NBA Draft later this month.
McDivitt-Schilling also talked to the campers about the importance of doing well in school and warned them about the dangers of posting inappropriate things on social media. She told them if they wouldn’t say something in a live interview on ESPN, they shouldn’t say it on social media.
The 1999 Indiana Miss Basketball from Connersville, McDivitt-Schilling played three years at Tennessee before finishing her college career at UC-Santa Barbara. She went on to play three years in the WNBA with the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx and Washington Mystics.
McDivitt-Schilling returned to Indiana and helped her husband at the Champions Academy in Indianapolis and was one of his assistant coaches with the Park Tudor boys team that won back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012. She then led the Roncalli girls to a 24-4 record and a regional title in 2012-13 before heading west.
These days, McDivitt-Schilling is a stay-at-home mom for the couple’s two young children. She also plans to work with college players and do some speaking to different groups on team building.
“April is first-class every way,” McKee said. “She can play. She understands the big picture and how to help kids be motivated, but at the same time, understands the nuances and the details you need to be the best you can be. Finding someone who has the complete package is really challenging, and April is one of those people.”
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Name: April McDivitt Schilling
High school: Connersville
Colleges: Tennessee, UC-Santa Barbara
WNBA teams: New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics
Of note: Was 1999 Indiana Miss Basketball
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