Helberg brought winning mindset to WW South
A highly regarded physics teacher at Wheaton Warrenville South, after being hired as boys track and field coach Ken Helberg quickly learned another discipline would be most helpful.
He became versed in psychology.
"That is the one thing I really enjoyed, the psychological part more than the physical part," Helberg said.
"Wheaton Warrenville South has an attitude in the building that we just don't give up. That's lent itself to our success as well."
Hired in 1988 when the school was at Wheaton Central, Helberg's Tigers have earned 12 sectional titles, two fourth-place state finishes, third place in 2003, second in 1995 and Class AA titles in 1996 and 1999. He's led WW South to 14 DuPage Valley Conference championships, 10 straight from 1995-2004.
"It's been a lot more success than I ever thought I'd have as a head coach. I feel very blessed in that regard," he said.
He's retiring after this spring, his 28th season. A veteran assistant football coach as well, Helberg's successor will be fellow dual-role coach Chris Arthurs.
A Glenbrook South graduate, Helberg was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006. His father, Ron, who in a one-class system won four state championships in five years at Evanston, had been inducted in 1979. Two years after Ken's ceremony came one for younger brother, Don, who has led Wheaton North to nine DVC titles.
"I think a lot about what the two of us have been able to accomplish through both of our programs," Ken said.
"I'm happy for him," Don said. "I'm just proud of what he did with that program. When he inherited the program they were down at the bottom of the barrel and he built that program up."
The track and field community being helpful, friendly, Helberg has taken counsel from many sources. Early influences included North Central College's Al Carius, the Helberg boys' college coach; former Naperville North coach Mark Guthrie, who had Helberg as an assistant during the Huskies' best state finish, third in 1987; and, of course, his father.
In the 1995 state finals WW South's 400-meter relay team dropped the baton. Ron Helberg was a referee.
"He kind of grabbed me," Ken recalled, "and said I have to think about what I'm going to say to the kids. Keep them hungry for what they need to be doing for this meet."
Over the years, he's mentored others.
"A lot of what we do, we try to mirror what they've done," said Glenbard West boys track coach Jon Schweighardt, a WW South graduate who set the state's current 300-meter hurdles record of 36.77 seconds in the 1999 finals. Under Helberg's tutelage.
"He's had success for so many years," Schweighardt said. "It's relays, throws, hurdles, open events. He's been successful all over the place and that's a tribute to how he structures the program, the culture. He's been a huge resource to me as a head coach and I can't thank him enough for that."
Ken and Paula Helberg have two boys. Jeff teaches social studies at Wauconda High and is boys and girls cross country coach; Ross teaches special education at Judith Giacoma Elementary School in Westville, Illinois. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, delivered grandchild No. 1 in January.
In retirement the strong 56-year-old will consider plenty of options, in track and elsewhere, beside cuddling grandkids.
"I don't plan on fading away," he said.
Children of all ages
Addison Trail softball coach Mark Olson said the program maintains a "triple-A philosophy": athleticism, academics and attitude.
School out, practice canceled in lieu of community service, on March 19 the Blazers focused on attitude during a service trip to the DuPage Children's Museum.
It's the third time in his four seasons as Addison Trail coach that Olson, a Naperville resident, has taken his team there. Last year was a literal washout when in January a burst water pipe flooded the facility's three floors, requiring a total overhaul and September reopening.
"I thought this was just a little bit different," Olson said of the project. "They get to interact with the children and do behind-the-scenes stuff."
When last year's visit was canceled the softball players made fundraising calls for the museum. This year's activities included cleaning the parking lot, not a job for the squeamish.
"I think we as a team were able to come more together and just bond with one another while giving back to the community," said junior third baseman Jessica Bach.
Mingling with the youngsters among the exhibits was mutually beneficial.
"I think we might have enjoyed it more than they did because we were playing around," Bach said. "You don't realize how much you love being a kid."
On fire in Peoria
West Chicago boys basketball coach Bill Recchia was not shocked senior Jacob Wiegele advanced downstate in this season's Class 4A Three-Point Showdown. As a junior the guard had finished fourth in 4A.
"He gets into a zone," Recchia said.
This season Wiegele's arguable Carver Arena advantage came with a handicap - a torn labrum in his right, shooting shoulder.
A receiver on the football team, Wiegele (pronounced "wig-el-ee") dislocated the shoulder in September. Doctors then confirmed the labrum injury and five days after the shooting contest, Wiegele had surgery on March 24.
"It would get sore when I was shooting, but I'd kind of get used to it, I played through it," said Wiegele, who took 51 of 57 shots from 3-point land while playing every game this season.
Cheered by a large entourage of family and teammates, in the March 18 Showdown semifinals, Wiegele found one of those zones.
He made all five shots from the right baseline, cleared the rack at the top of the key and made his first two from the left baseline, 12 in a row. Wiegele hit another to win the Class 4A competition with 13, four more than the runner-up.
"I would describe myself as a humble person, so I'm not a person who goes out and screams and celebrates," he said. "I was kind of lost for emotions at the time."
In the King of the Hill contest March 19 between each of the four class winners, Wiegele made eight 3s to tie with two others behind Holy Trinity's Cristian Camarillo, who made 11.
"I was kind of disappointed with how I finished, but happy at the same time," said Wiegele, who'll be a long-range threat in intramurals at either Northern Iowa or Bradley.
His coach was not disappointed at all.
"We see him shoot that way all the time in practice," Recchia said, "and I think it's a great way for him to finish his high school basketball career."
A real Spitfire
Former Wheaton Academy student Christian Fischer had an outstanding season with the Windsor Spitfires, a Phoenix Coyotes affiliate in the Ontario Hockey League.
A 6-foot-1, 212-pound right wing as listed on the Elite Prospects website, Fischer, 18 and out of Wayne, was a second-round Coyotes draft pick, 32nd overall.
A former Chicago Mission player who attended Wheaton Academy his first two years in high school, as ESPN's Scott Powers reports, Fischer left the area to play for the U.S. National Development Program Juniors in Michigan in 2013-14. His teammates there included Buffalo Sabres rookie star Jack Eichel.
In 66 regular-season games this season Fischer scored 40 goals with 50 assists for 90 points. He amassed 34 penalty minutes and ended the regular season plus-35.
By the time you read this, however, Fischer's OHL season may be over. In the first round of the OHL playoffs the Kitchener Rangers led Windsor 3-0 in the best-of-seven series with the fourth game Wednesday.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com
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