Waubonsie Valley senior Tyler Helbing has been a rock for the Warriors football and boys basketball programs this season. Find out more in this Player Profile, presented by LifeStance Health.
“I noticed right away that he was a kid that when I was teaching things back in the spring that he was picking stuff up much quicker than everyone else and then he was kinda like a second coach teaching them as well.”
New Waubonsie Valley head basketball coach Andrew Schweitzer is talking about six-foot two senior standout Tyler Helbing who makes the most of his athletic ability, whether it’s scoring buckets on the basketball court or finding the end zone with the Warrior football team.
“My dad really pushed me to play football at a young age because he thought it would be something really good for me because he wanted me to like have a bunch of close friends like to start off with to start off my school career and basketball came along because of like recess at elementary school and a bunch of my buddies were playing so I just joined in.”
Tyler Helbing began his varsity path as a sophomore midway through the 2019-2020 WV basketball season. He was a part of a Warrior team that had a second straight twenty-win season and was led by All State talents like Marcus Skeete and 2021 grad Ben Schweiger, who now rocks the Maroon and Gold at Loyola Chicago. Ty spent last season in the starting lineup next to Schweiger, and he knew that learning from him would help improve his skills once it was Helbing’s turn to step into a leadership role.
“He taught me things I had no idea about in basketball and he actually became one of my close friends during the season too.”
Tyler Helbing didn’t realize he would have to wait until a year to get back into the grind for his junior athletic season. The Covid 19 pandemic wiped out all sports in March of 2020 and it wasn’t until January 2021, that he and the Warriors got the green light to hit the hardwood. The Pandemic also delayed the start of football season to the spring of 2021 where he began to make a name for himself on the gridiron. While the Warriors only played four games in a six-week span, Helbing made the best of it by hauling in three touchdowns during his junior campaign. Now as we hit his senior year the Warrior was back to a normal routine but was grateful to have 2021 as a unique sports environment.
“I thought it was really fun because I really wanted to get as many as like seasons, I could get in high school with like Covid and everything so having the opportunity to have the shortened season was something I really liked because it gave me the opportunity to experience all four years of my high school career.”
Following a six touchdown senior season and a second straight All-DVC selection on the football field, his play on the hardwood has impressed coach Schweitzer, who was recently on a similar path as Tyler Helbing. The new sheriff used to coach football at Wheaton Warrenville South while also serving as the head sophomore coach for the Tigers basketball squad.
“It’s huge as a high school coach to be able to relate to the kids and let the know that you’ve been through a lot of the same stuff as them so whether it’s the football grind or the grind of the basketball season or balancing all those sports along with your social life your grades your parents your family you know just talking to those types of things I think makes a huge difference.”
With the regular season of high school basketball complete that means the postseason is finally back after missing out last year because of the condensed COVID schedule. In Fact, boys basketball has had the longest wait time of any sport to crown a new state champion, with the last titleholders coming in 2019. The 2020 season ended in heartbreaking fashion during the sectional round at the beginning of the pandemic. Helbing and the Warriors have a first-round date with West Aurora, a rematch from the 2020 regional semifinals where the 14th seeded Blackhawks pulled a stunning upset over Helbing and the three seeded Warriors.
“It’s really something I never really experienced I mean we had one game when I was a sophomore, but I really didn’t get any playing time because it was a playoff game so a rematch with the same opponent as last time we played a playoff game and I’m really excited to experience the energy in the gym.”
Regardless of how long the Warriors postseason run lasts Helbing plans for after high school are undecided. But whether he hangs the jersey up or not he will always bleed Green and Gold.
“I’m really gonna miss the comradery and like the felling of success you get when scoring a touchdown or hit a three it’s something you really can’t recreate outside of competitive game experience.”
For Naperville Sports Weekly, I’m Patrick Codo.