As a former high school math teacher, Amy Helliwell knows when the numbers look good; and her numbers as Greenwood girls’ soccer coach were Hall-of-Fame good. In the 11 seasons she guided the Lady Gators, Greenwood compiled a record of 182-51-7 and reached the semifinals of the state tournament six times. Add in seven district championships, six regional championships, and 31 All-State players, and you can see why Helliwell was inducted into the Greenwood Athletic Hall of Fame this year.
By any measure, Helliwell and her teams were successful on the field. But, say some former players, measuring the coach by numbers alone doesn’t give a true picture of why Helliwell was long ago considered a Hall-of-Fame person.
“I first met Coach Amy when she was a club soccer coach and I was 10 years old,” recalls Lyndsey Deere, who played for Helliwell at Greenwood and later served as her assistant coach. “She taught me the basic skills of soccer. But as the years went on, and after much reflection, I realize that she taught me so much more. I came to realize that coach Helliwell had a way of using her knowledge and passion for soccer to teach young girls like myself how to be successful in the game and in life.”
Both Deere and another former Greenwood player, Lauren Lamb, say that Helliwell’s example of fighting through adversity is a trait that inspired the Lady Gators. Diagnosed with brain cancer during her tenure as Greenwood coach, Helliwell endured treatments while continuing to teach and coach.
“During my four years of playing for her, she was in remission and never really talked about it,” Lamb says. “We all knew she had gone through it. That made you respect her even more. The team took on her personality of just always fighting and never giving up.”
Deere, who now teaches in the Warren County school system, recalls another Helliwell trait that made a big impact.
“Coach Helliwell exudes a humbleness that is inspiring,” Deere says. “You would never know the successes she has experienced in her lifetime unless you ask her.”
And even then you are likely to get an answer that focuses more on the players than on herself.
“I have some of my best memories from my time at Greenwood,” says Helliwell, who left the school after the 2008 season to take a job as women’s soccer coach at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, where her husband Sean Helliwell had already begun coaching the men’s team. “My success there all came down to the girls and their work ethic.”
Those Greenwood girls, though, needed a coach like Helliwell to help them establish a successful program at a time when soccer was not the sport of choice for most student-athletes. Helliwell, a high school soccer star in Evansville, Indiana who later played at the University of Southern Indiana, quickly changed that.
“Whenever I first started coaching, the soccer program hadn’t been around that long,” she recalls. “We had to take baby steps. Within five years we had built a program that was one of the state’s best. We weren’t just winning district championships; we were taking the next step.”
The next step for the Lady Gators was reaching the state semifinals and then competing against the state’s best teams. Greenwood reached that level six times but never brought home the big trophy.
“I was disappointed that we never got that state championship,” Helliwell says. “But I always wanted the girls to know that it’s not necessarily about the game. It’s a life lesson. I wanted them to learn to be respectful. It’s not always about soccer. The important thing is the relationships you build.”
Lamb, who played on some of Greenwood’s championship teams, confirms that the coach was successful in developing those relationships.
“Coach Helliwell was very big on playing for each other,” Lamb says, “and she was very good at cultivating leaders. Everybody wanted to be a part of her program. It was something pretty special.”
Helliwell is continuing to help young women develop relationships and learn life lessons, and she is continuing to win some soccer matches as well. As coach at NCAA Division III Rose-Hulman, Helliwell faces challenges that in some ways exceed those she faced at Greenwood.
“We don’t offer athletic scholarships,” she explains, “and the school is only 20 percent female. It’s challenging but rewarding. You have to love to play the game of soccer to come to a place like this. It’s very rewarding when you find those players.”
Despite the obstacles, Helliwell has guided Rose-Hulman women’s soccer to a record of 40-27-8 over the last three seasons. And she has done something more important: inspire the young women on the team with her example of courage and perseverance. Last May, a routine scan found that the cancer was back. Helliwell underwent another surgery in June and was back on the job in July. She endured seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy during the soccer season and is continuing chemotherapy treatments.
The support of her Rose-Hulman players and many of her Greenwood players has helped Helliwell get through the ordeal and remain positive.
“I have had the support of everyone – players, parents, the men’s team,” she says. “It’s overwhelming, but it’s much appreciated. I was going through that during the soccer season, so the team was the best distraction.”
Deere, for one, isn’t the least bit surprised that Helliwell has maintained a positive attitude in the face of this latest illness.
“Coach Amy continues to teach me how to experience success daily,” Deere says. “I can’t think of another person who shows more mental toughness or resilience under adversity. We have experienced many highs and lows during our friendship, the most recent being her second battle with brain cancer. I can’t think of one time since I met her that she has wavered from a positive perspective about life. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be guided by her leadership and coaching, and I look forward to sharing in her continued success.”
