Schellberg (bottom right) and her teammates hard at work with Habitat for Humanity

ATLANTA—Senior third baseman Melissa Schellberg of the Harvard softball team has been named one of five collegiate nominees for the sixth annual Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, Fred Northup, president of Athletes for a Better World announced Tuesday.

The Wooden Cup is given to a collegiate and a professional athlete who have made the greatest positive influence in the lives of others. Soccer legend Mia Hamm is this year's professional recipient.The collegiate nominees will be honored, and a recipient will be announced at a ceremony held at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

Schellberg, a three-time All-Ivy League honoree, is the Crimson's captain and starting third baseman. Off the field, she is active in the Harvard, Cambridge and Boston communities. She serves as community service coordinator for Harvard Athletics and co-chair of Harvard's Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Through those roles, she has organized a wide variety of service activities for her fellow student-athletes. She also coordinated the softball team's Harvard Strikes Out Cancer event and served as the community affairs intern with the Houston Astros. Schellberg has also been a peer advising fellow at Harvard.

Founded by Athletes for a Better World (ABW), a non-profit organization committed to changing the culture of American sports, the Wooden Cup is unique in that it is open to athletes in all collegiate and professional sports. Nominations come from every conference in the NCAA. Former Harvard football star Andrew Berry '09 was a finalist last year.

Finalists for the collegiate division are:
Zak Boggs, soccer, South Florida
Colt McCoy, football, Texas
Brianna O'Donnell, field hockey, North Carolina
Rebecca Poskin, soccer, Dartmouth
Melissa Schellberg, softball, Harvard

The Wooden Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden's legacy as a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired coaches in the history of sport.

Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by Vincent Dooley, former University of Georgia athletic director, and other distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country.

With Peyton Manning, John Smoltz, John Lynch, Andrea Yaeger and Cal Ripken, Jr. as previous recipients, the Wooden Cup is becoming one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. Recipients are considered role models and athletes of excellence both on and off the field.

About Athletes for a Better World:
Founded in 1998, Athletes for a Better World (ABW) exists to change the culture of sport by developing individual character, teamwork, and civic responsibility through commitment to the Code for Living. ABW's vision is to have the Code become a part of every sport at every level, so that it becomes the common language and standard expectation of behavior for everyone. ABW provides free support and resources to coaches and athletes across the country who want to teach and live out these values. “The Code for Living” can be found on playing fields, locker rooms and athletic facilities across the country. Currently, ABW players and coaches are represented in every state and several foreign countries.