By Chris Cox
From a young age Andover senior Eli Shetlar had a passion for basketball.
“I used to watch SportsCenter and KU growing up and it really became a passion,” Shetlar says. “I would always shoot on my mini goals at my house. I’ve just always played basketball since I was a little kid.”
Having a coach as a dad also kept basketball in the forefront of Eli’s mind. While some kids might not want to play for a parent, Eli says playing for his dad, Martin, hasn’t been uncomfortable at all.
“My dad has coached from a young age and got me into basketball,” he says. “Everyone always asks ‘is it weird having your dad as a coach?’ I say ‘no.’ He’s similar to every other coach. He just lives at my house.”
When asked if there is added pressure playing for his dad, Eli said there wasn’t.
“There’s no added pressure,” he says. “I’d say it’s the opposite. He knows what I can do and believes in me. He knows what my strengths and weaknesses are, so I feel comfortable with him as my coach.”
Shetlar’s motivation on the court comes from a few different areas but says his faith is really the driving force behind his play.
“I’m playing for the Lord,” he says. “I am motivated by His presence in me. I really just want to work and continue to get better and keep playing to get to the highest level. It just motivates me to be the best player I can be.”
Shetlar and his teammates have one main goal coming into this season.
“It’s kind of basic but we want to win state,” he says. “We believe we have the talent and a lot of really good guys. We have Chris Harris, BJ Redic, Brad Harris, Blake Rucker, and Josh Kim. We have a lot of guys coming back that played a lot last year. So, we feel like we definitely have the talent to make a big run. I feel like we have the capability to do it. We just have to keep putting the work in and get better every day at practice.”
Outside of basketball, Shetlar is a drummer in the Andover marching band and a member of NHS. Following graduation, Eli will attend Indiana State University on a basketball scholarship.
