Addi Baxter was in sixth or seventh grade when her AAU team was invited to tour Toledo's campus and attend the Rockets' game vs. Central Michigan. The middle schooler enjoyed playing basketball, but it wasn't until that visit that her passion was ignited. "How do I get there? How do I get the opportunities to have that access to a gym 24/7 and to play against great Division I talent?" she asked herself.

"My interest was really piqued and I was going straight uphill from there," Baxter said.

"Straight uphill" is an apt description of Baxter's trajectory. A career that began at the end of the bench as a seldom-used reserve with her youth AAU team, and has seen her grapple with self-confidence, has blossomed in high school. Shaped by those previous experiences — both positive and negative — and driven by the external noise, the 5-9 Columbia City guard started varsity as a freshman, committed to Butler as a sophomore (chose the Bulldogs over Ball State, Evansville, Purdue Fort Wayne and Dayton, among others) and has taken further strides as a junior, averaging over 28 points (53% shooter), five assists and seven rebounds.

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"It's motivation," Baxter said of the doubters. "I don't take it personally because no matter where you go — in your job, sports, school — there's going to be those people. Learning to face it at a young age has been really helpful and it's really pushed me to become a better player."

"(Addi) has always had that drive, that competitiveness that 'I'm going to beat you no matter what,'" coach Amy Shearer added. "And that's kind of our program. (We're) blue-collar, out-hustle, out-work people."

Baxter became the Eagles' first 1,000-point scorer in over two decades last month, and has been critical to the 18-2 Eagles' success this season. They made waves in November with victories over Fort Wayne Snider and Hamilton Southeastern, then scored statement wins over Class 3A state contender Indian Creek and 4A south powerhouse Jennings County at the Hall of Fame Classic with Baxter garnering MVP honors.

Now Baxter — alongside seniors Kyndra Sheets, Faith Frey, Tessa Tonkel and Molly Baker — hopes to advance Columbia City beyond sectionals for the first time since its Class 3A state runner-up finish in 2000.

This has the makings of a historic season for the second-ranked Eagles and though not something she often talks about, Baxter will enter next season in pursuit of the all-time scoring record set by 2000 grad Constance (Myers) Kline (1,629) and could challenge 2020 grad Mitchell Wilson for the overall school record.

"I'm so proud of Addison, because she's been told she's not good enough at basketball her entire life," said Columbia City senior Megan Baxter, Addi's sister. "She uses that as fuel and continues to prove those people wrong game after game. … She's proven every single person wrong and I'm so proud of her."

'A really intense mental battle'

Megan just had to sit back and laugh. A freshman at the time, she was on the bench during Addi's eighth-grade soccer season, watching as she sprinted past people, beat them to the ball and tapped it in for a goal.

"It was like, what is going on? Where did this come from and why is she so good? Addison was a natural," said Megan, who pitched soccer to Addi as a way to get in shape for basketball season and credits the sport with deepening their bond as sisters — they spent a lot of time together, and were always talking and laughing with one another.

"It really didn't surprise me she was so good at it and I was very happy about it, because it was like, oh, I'm going to get a really good teammate," Megan continued. "She's fast and that kind of carries her in soccer and she's gained more skills along the way, but I'm more soccer smart. We complement each other very, very well."

Success was not as immediate for Addi on the hardwood. Her body moved "way faster" than her mind when she first started playing, and — though it helped in the long run — those challenges were exacerbated by playing with Megan's age group until sixth grade.

Addi handled it well, Megan recalled, but there were a lot of tears at home.

"It's been a really intense mental battle throughout my entire basketball career, because I haven't always been athletic and I haven't always been emotionally invested in basketball," said Addi, who only wanted to pass growing up because she was too scared to take a shot or make a mistake. "So it's been training my mind to be positive with myself, learning the game and being able to have fun."

It's an ongoing battle, but Addi has played with more confidence as she's gotten older. That's a credit to both the work she's put in and her AAU coaches, Rod Chamble and Vernard Hollins, who have pushed her to have confidence in both herself and the shots she takes.

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Addi began coming into her own and drawing Division I interest as an eighth grader, then lettered in both soccer and basketball as a freshman.

It took the two about a year to start connecting as soccer teammates, but basketball brought out their competitive sides almost immediately. Addi would "just run and run and run until she got the ball and tried to score," recalled Megan. So when JV scrimmaged varsity and she had to guard Addi, she would grab her sister's jersey or shorts so she couldn't get away. "Addi would always get so mad and swipe at me."

"She was super physical and hard on me," Addi confirmed. The junior guard reflects more fondly on the backyard games she and Megan played with their siblings and step siblings — activities ranging from football and basketball to ultimate frisbee and kickball — but has grown to appreciate how those skirmishes spurred her development, toughening her up for the attention she draws from opposing defenses.

Playing basketball with Megan gave Addi a built-in teammate she could look up to and turn to for advice. When her older sister quit ahead of last season to focus on soccer, the Butler commit took it upon herself to build deeper connections with her older teammates and become a smarter basketball player.

"(Addi) has become a lot more confident in herself (this season)," Sheets observed. "She knows where her teammates are successful, when to pass the ball and when to score the ball. … She's always encouraging players and is just somebody you can look to when you need a play or just need confidence. She's a great teammate."

'I have no regrets'

Baxter was in eighth grade when former Butler coach Kurt Godlevske first began recruiting her. Though raised a Notre Dame fan, Butler has always been a close second, Baxter said, citing the family's sizable collection of souvenir cups from when she was younger.

So when the Bulldogs began expressing interest in her: "I was like, wow, this is something that's really attainable," Baxter said. "I could really live out my dreams."

It was also around that time Baxter received her first offer (Purdue Fort Wayne) and began building a connection with IUPUI through assistant coach Holly Hoopingarner. The Greenwood native (and the other IUPUI assistants) followed head coach Austin Parkinson to Butler the following year, where they continued recruiting Baxter over the summer, eventually offering her the August before her sophomore year (2022).

She committed the following May.

Baxter acknowledges she committed "pretty early" compared to everyone else, but even if given the chance, she'd do it all over again. "I have no regrets."

"Butler is a very close-knit community, a lot like Columbia City — and I've grown very comfortable here and have made a lot of friends throughout the community," she continued. "I love that family-feel, and they have that at Butler. I'm also able to feel comfortable with my faith there and I can seek help if I need it, because I'll have a family of teammates and coaches."

Baxter certainly has a bright future at the next level. But that can wait. Same for the Indiana Junior All-Stars predictions and discussions of her Miss Basketball candidacy amidst a loaded 2025 field.

There is a more pressing task at hand: Helping No. 2 Columbia City win its first sectional title in 24 years, a task which will likely require the host Eagles to navigate Homestead, which has eliminated them in four straight seasons.

"Winning sectional would mean everything to me," Baxter said.

"We have a lot of passionate people involved with and supporting our program," she continued. "It really would mean a lot for the team to bring that championship home for our community, who has been there the whole time. Then hopefully once we (advance), it just motivates us to keep just keep going through the tournament."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Columbia City's Addi Baxter fueled by doubters