When everyone calls you 'Schatz' (or Shots), it might be like destiny telling you that being a basketball player might be the right life choice. And if you grew up in a basketball family, well then it's like destiny yelling at you that you should get on the hardwood. So when Kristin Schatzlein  first picked up a basketball, people shouldn't have been surprised that she would be a success. As she enters the final stretch of her senior season, Schatz has become one of the best 3-point shooters in Fairfield University women's basketball history, and the newest member of the 1,000 point club.
"It's definitely ironic that I'm a 3-point shooter," Schatzlein said. "Only my professors call me Kristin, everyone else calls me Schatz."
"It's a fitting nickname," Fairfield Head Coach Joe Frager said. "At practice I'll call her Kristin and she'll just look at me. She usually thinks she did something wrong."
Of course it's more than just irony that made Schatzlein into one of the best 3-point shooters in Fairfield history. Her father Lee Schatzlein is still the second most accurate shooter in Bryant College (then Division II) history. From 1980-84, he shot nearly 57 percent from the floor which is the second-best field goal percentage in program history.
"He was a great shooter in college," Schatzlein said. "He helped me when I was younger with my form, that's why it is the way it is. I thank him for that a lot."
That form has helped Schatzlein connect on 196 3-pointers in her Fairfield career, the fourth best number in program history. Of the three players in front of her, two have been recruited and coached by current Head Coach Joe Frager. That was an adjustment Schatzlein had to make at first coming out of Tolland High School. Schatzlein described herself as more of a scorer during her high school days, looking to take it to the basket. That skill proved successful in itself, as she was named the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, and it was that skill that started to attract college coaches.
"She was a great kid and we really enjoyed her during the recruiting process," Coach Frager said. "The type of questions she asked weren't settled on herself. You always try to recruit an athlete who want to be a part of something bigger then themselves."
But Schatzlein would then have to make the big transition into the collegiate game.
"When I came here, Coach Frager's offense sets you up for three points shots so I had to work on my 3-point shot more," Schatzlein said. "There were lots of long nights in the gym, my dad and Alexys Vazquez (who ranks second in 3-pointers in program history) helped me a lot also."
How long were those nights in the gym? She would not leave until she had made 100 shots from just inside the arc, and then 100 shots just behind the 3-point line.
Now with just a couple months shy from becoming a college graduate, Schatzlein's hard work has paid off. Her calm demeanor has become a staple in the Fairfield lineup, as she entered this season as the team's most experienced player.
While she might not put up the biggest scoring numbers every game (she's only reached 20 points a couple times in her career), she has been arguably the most consistent Stag throughout her four years.
"That contribution can be really under the radar," Frager said. "Some players have high highs and low lows, but she has been a steady influence in the program. As a coach you can overlook that, but that's a type of player when they graduate you turn to the bench and say to the assistants, 'I wish I had Schatz.'"
