The work for Hoops for Healing starts now

The third annual Hoops for Healing boys basketball tournament is a couple weeks off, but the benefit for the Edward Cancer Center in Naperville needs attention right now.

Three levels of sponsorship are being accepted through Nov. 10 -- from $500 that gets your name on a banner in the gym to $2 that puts a bracelet on your wrist.

In two years of the tournament hosted jointly by Naperville North and Oswego, it's raised $13,000.

"It's been a good community service project for all the teams involved," said Naperville North athletic director Doug Smith, a Stage IV colon cancer survivor who in his prior job at Woodstock initiated a similar tourney there.

Part of the sponsorship money goes to cancer research, Smith said, while the majority goes to the Edward Cancer Center's "Camp Hope." It's a free summer camp for kids up to high school age whose relatives or caregivers are wrestling with cancer. The idea is a fun, supportive atmosphere for kids under undue pressure.

"They're teaching kids sports, but they're also teaching kids how to get better at the game of life," said Janet Haines, executive director of the Edward Foundation.

In the game of basketball, the eight-team field, both varsity and sophomore boys, will play Nov. 19-20 and 23-24. The first two days are split between Naperville North and Oswego with Oswego hosting the last two.

Tourney newcomer Waubonsie Valley adds heft to a field that includes the host schools plus Geneva, Oswego East, Walter Payton Academy and IMSA.

"Each year it grows," Haines said. "The audience gets more into it, we have a larger following and obviously it raises more money."

To support the cause the players will wear the same warmup tops instead of school colors, and coaches will wear the same kind of shirts on the tourney's first and last nights.

"They're still playing to win," Smith said, "but we're all playing for the same cause."

For donation details call Smith at (630) 420-6490; or Haines at (630) 527-3918.

Follow the leader

When Wheaton Warrenville South boys track and field coach Ken Helberg was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006, it was just a matter of time until kid brother Don at Wheaton North got in.

Their father, Ron Helberg, started it all, a 1979 inductee for his work at Palatine, Maine East and mainly Evanston.

Last week's announcement was well-deserved but no shock that Don Helberg, entering his 16th season as Falcons head coach, will be inducted into the ITCCCA Hall at the annual track coaches' clinic Jan. 12 at Oak Park.

Also no surprise was his humility.

"As I was telling the assistant coaches it's really about the program. It's not about me," said Helberg, who has four top-10 state finishes with thirds in 2002 and 2004.

"It's one of those things I think that when you start coaching you kind of set goals for yourself. And this was one of them," he said. "I think this is one of the pinnacles of something you can earn because it's from your peers -- nominated by peers, voted upon by peers."

Another prince of a track coach, Palatine's John Nalley nominated Helberg.

Letters of support came from his stellar former assistant Rollie Eckman; and from retired Glenbard West coach Hank Haake.

Bruce Ritter, a 1988 ITCCCA Hall of Famer from Downers Grove North; and Steve Currins, a 1997 inductee from Palatine, will be Helberg's presenters.

Befitting a man who annually goes with a church group to help build homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina, Helberg's spirit of camaraderie, of pitching in, is part of what has impressed Haake.

Wherever Wheaton North runs track, you can count on Helberg helping out somehow. He can usually be found coordinating the timers at the finish line, home or away.

"There's a lot of coaches that think that job is beneath them," Haake said.

As well as the long relationships Helberg's maintained with assistants like Eckman, Nate Roe and Jim Martin -- the Falcons' prior head coach unselfishly turned over the job when Helberg was ready -- Haake said a measure of the man is a mentality that transcends winner-take-all.

"He thinks if the kids try hard and they don't win it is more important to him than if a kid works below his ability and still wins," Haake said.

That was instilled in the brothers Helberg by their father, who got into the ITCCCA Hall when Don was a Glenbrook South senior.

"Dad showed us the balance between being a father and being a coach and how to do things right. Treat your athletes like you treat your kids," Don said.

Ron Helberg, Eckman, Martin, North Central College coaches Al Carius and Frank Gramarosso all influenced the future hall of famer.

"They all molded me into the person I think I am," Don Helberg said. "So I kind of think of this as a tribute to all of them."

Honor roll call

Helberg is not alone in receiving hall of fame props.

Last Sunday a former Wheaton North coach, Dale Pierre, was inducted into the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

He went in with, among others, former head Downers Grove South wrestling coach Larry Gassen. Both men are also Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Famers who have served as grand marshals for the IHSA state finals.

Augustana College held its 12th athletic hall of fame inductions last Friday. Among those honored were Willowbrook graduate Mark Long, an All-America football player; and Mike Gray, a Benet grad who was an All-America football player and an all-conference baseball player.

This Sunday Driscoll will enter its entire 1991 state championship football team and 1992 state championship baseball teams into its hall of fame.

Some players were on both squads. One of them, Highlanders football coach Mike Burzawa, hopes to be in a party mood after Driscoll's second-round Class 4A game against Illinois Valley Central.

"That should be hopefully enjoyable on Sunday," he said, "if we have fun on Saturday."

Must be the lake water

On Monday, two days after Glenbard West's Class 7A football playoff win over Reavis, Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet's wife, Kathy, delivered their first child.

Maximus Lee Hetlet, 21 inches long, weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. His father projected him to be 6-foot-3, 230 pounds.

The Hetlets have a ways to go before approaching the standard of prior Glenbard West coach John Karpowicz and his wife, Tami.

During Karpowicz's tenure coaching football along the Lake Ellyn shore, Tami delivered four kids -- five if you count little Jack, now 6 months old.