Community and basketball: The Hoopbus and Elevate Indy are doing things the right way

That was the spirit behind Elevate Indy Hoops’ 3×3 girls tournament held Wednesday, July 16. The tournament was free to enter and allowed up to 12 teams while attracting some of the top high school talent in the area.

The tournament was also sponsored by Hoopbus and the organization’s Indianapolis branch, an effort spearheaded by Gabe Hilt and the No. 2 pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft, Chantelle Anderson. Though the Hoopsbus’ roots go back years to when founder Nick Ansom parked a school bus alongside the streetball courts at Venice Beach, the nonprofit organization has since spawned six buses nationwide and three internationally. Their mission is giving back through basketball, whether that’s by way of renovating courts or hosting events such as the day’s tournament.

Community is a powerful connecting force in Indianapolis

The story of how Hoopbus found Woodruff Place Baptist Church is pretty otherworldly, Hilt told The Next outside of yesterday’s games. After making the decision to leave his coaching job (fresh off a championship win with Grand Canyon University), Hilt drove to Los Angeles and connected with Ansom. He was essentially working as a volunteer for Hoopbus when he presented Ansom with a 12-page proposal that included a role for himself within the organization. Ansom liked what he saw, and last year the pair traveled to Indianapolis to plan out a Hoopbus event ahead of NBA All-Star.

Hilt and Ansom were introduced to Aaron Story, the CEO of Elevate Indy, a local organization that supports youth as they make the transition from high school to adulthood. Elevate Indy operates a number of programs geared toward education and sports, including Elevate Indy Hoops — a competitive AAU program that boasts several teams for boys and girls.

Story mentioned the church as a potential location, and as soon as Hilt and Ansom walked in, they agreed. The court was “in good shape, but it needed some love,” Hilt explained, so Hoopbus stepped in and replaced the flooring to give the long-loved venue and extra bit of shine. The duo were introduced to Indiana legend Yogi Ferrell, who spent six years in the NBA — and who used to play in the same gym with his father.

“His dad had just passed away a week before we came into town,” Hilt explained. They asked him to come down to the church for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, an experience that was deeply emotional and profound. “I’m just like… a tool,” Hilt added. “I felt a calling that I had to be here.” Hilt made the move from LA to Indianapolis a few months ago, and now he and his girlfriend (who he met on the very same court) work together to produce Hoopbus events.

The church is special in other ways, too, parishioner Rhonda Perry said as the tournament played on. Perry, who cooks for the church’s youth every other week and the entire congregation each Sunday, explained that she also hopes to have her own bus one day for her cooking, which she’ll call A Little Taste of Heaven. “My goal is to shine light on the lonely and the forgotten,” she said — and she was certainly in the right place to do so.

Hoopbus has its own WNBA connection

Hilt isn’t the only person deeply impacted by the opportunities Hoopbus creates. Chantelle Anderson, who graduated from Vanderbilt in 2003 with several basketball honors, including First Team All-SEC (2001-03). She then was selected in the first-round by the Sacramento Monarchs.

Anderson played for the Monarchs until 2005, when she was traded to the San Antonio Silver Stars. She suffered a few injuries, including a fractured patella followed by a torn Achiles, before the Atlanta Dream selected her in the 2008 expansion draft. Unfortunately, she tore her ACL before the season began and was forced to wait another year before the team signed her again. Anderson retired from the WNBA in October of 2009.

Her path in basketball wasn’t easy, as she told the girls who played in the tournament. She suffered from an eating disorder and trauma, but found solace in her faith. Since leaving the league, she’s been focused on helping others in any capacity that she can.

That’s what brought her to the work done by Hoopbus about two and a half years ago. These days she works as the organization’s Impact Director, which allows her to utilize her gift for public speaking and impacting youth players who want to be just like her. Ansom, she said, wanted to get programming supporting womens’ and girls’ basketball off the ground a few years ago, and he wanted a team of women to lead the effort.

The result is It’s Her Shot. The traveling even, which is sponsored by Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods, hit several cities in the U.S. and offered free basketball training, games, and more for girls between ages 8-18. This year, Anderson is leading the Show Love Indy project, which is how she ended up at Woodruff in the first place.

Hoopbus will be at WNBA All-Star Week

The tournament was only the beginning. Ahead of WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis, Hoopbus has a slate of events planned, including the WNBA/2k Foundation Skills Camp, a PE takeover with Girls, Inc., and a third takeover with Urban Hope — all events and organizations in Indianapolis.