The chance to educate his personal son as a highschool athlete in a marquee sport is a double-edged sword solely a choose few dare to wield.
One other legendary determine on the Cardinals sideline now dares to tackle the identical problem. Steve Helton has been named the following boys basketball coach at SC, ending a celebrity-caliber 24-year tenure because the chief of the women program.
“We all the time prayed that the great Lord would work issues out in His personal time,” Helton mentioned. “That's what we're going to stick with. I believe this was His time.”
Scott County received 5 regional championships and 15 district titles throughout Helton's time with the Woman Cardinals. SC was the KHSAA Candy 16 runner-up in 2010.
Helton, 50, has additionally been the athletic director and assistant principal at Scott County since 2019 and can proceed in these roles. He takes over from Tim Glenn, who stepped down earlier this month after 5 seasons on the helm.
After teaching his son, Colton, in AAU and youth basketball, in addition to baseball and soccer since he was six years previous, Helton will now attempt to strike that stability in a high-profile place.
“Jim McKee and I believe we're about to begin 28 years collectively. He really dedicated a month earlier than me,” Helton mentioned. “For 27, 28 years, I've heard Jim say, 'You solely get one likelihood to educate yours.'
“I watched him coach him in soccer and youth league baseball. I noticed him as a part of these kids. It meant lots. To listen to him say that time and again meant one thing, as a result of we solely get one likelihood.”
Had it not occurred in Scott County, there’s a risk that the household may need migrated elsewhere as a pack.
“The second, I'm not going to lie. The details are that I searched. In 27 years I interviewed twice outdoors to see what if. For no matter cause, issues simply didn't work out,” Helton mentioned. “When this chance opened up, I utilized on-line and submitted my CV. I wished to see what was there. I wished to see if we had an opportunity.”
Helton is a Hicks disciple on many ranges.
He performed for the winningest coach in KHSAA historical past at Corbin Excessive Faculty, then joined his teaching employees in 1997-98 in time to be a part of the Cardinals' first Candy 16 title.
When the chance arose this summer season, Helton echoed the phrases of his mentor, who handed away in December 2023. With the upcoming opening of a brand new faculty and a brand new center faculty to bear Hicks' title, he felt it was a serendipitous alternative and honor to stroll these steps.
“Coach Hicks all the time mentioned, 'You'll be a greater coach after you have yours.' I'm very happy with what we're doing, however on the identical time it's an opportunity for us to educate him (Colton). It's an opportunity for us to be on the identical program,” Helton mentioned. “I do know what coach Hicks has constructed. I'd at the least like the prospect to see if we are able to rebuild this. To enter his corridor, it’s a blessing.”
Each Scott County basketball packages have been round since Nice Crossing began as a second highschool within the district 5 years in the past.
The boys loved a Cinderella run to the 11th Area championship in Glenn's first season in 2019-20 after Hicks' retirement, however the Cardinals' document has dipped every season since.
SC has fallen shy of the women area event every of the previous three seasons.
“We purchased our first home from Coach Glenn once we got here to Georgetown. Our relationship there, it by no means left,” Helton mentioned. “I used to be in a really troublesome place. Being an AD, being a guardian, and being a head coach, I didn't get to be round as a lot as I wished to with Colton.
“It doesn’t matter what you do in that state of affairs, any individual has an opinion. I coach him in AAU. Now we're going to placed on the Scott County jersey and put on it with satisfaction.”
Helton inherits a program that graduated simply three seniors in Could and put collectively profitable JV and freshman campaigns with a forged that included a number of center schoolers.
Nice Crossing enters its second season as one of many prime groups within the nation. With a brand new faculty opening in a county the place the inhabitants continues to develop, Helton anticipates each packages can contend for area and state glory on the identical time.
“We’re a rising neighborhood with stunning new state-of-the-art amenities. I like the place we’re,” Helton mentioned. “Years in the past I made the remark and I stand by it: this can be a vacation spot job. I like being an assistant principal, I like being an athletic director, and I like teaching basketball. That is one thing that can proceed. I simply turned 50, so I believe I’ve just a few extra years left in me to go robust, God keen.
“It's an thrilling time in Scott County. Now we have two unbelievable excessive colleges two miles aside. I believe each the excessive colleges with our youth colleges and the center colleges, there will likely be some expertise coming via this constructing.”
In constructing his model with the women, Helton by no means strayed from Hicks' fast-paced, defensive-pressure type of basketball.
Followers of this type ought to take pleasure in what follows.
Helton is thought each for his depth on the sidelinesand fierce loyalty to his assistant coaches and gamers.
“We wish to be locally. We would like these children to grasp sure, basketball is vital, however we wish to be there for them as they develop into younger folks, identical to we did for our women.” Helton mentioned. “Will probably be a household ambiance and there are occasions when households get agitated. However we are going to do it the best approach, as finest we are able to. When the time involves cross these traces, we will likely be an amazing pink nation.”
Helton has solely received 500 video games with these philosophies on the women aspect and expects a clean transition to the boys.
After being a university coach for practically half his life, he was his personal harshest critic.
“I believe it's about relationships. It's about attending to know the children. There are some children you need to push a bit tougher. Some kids want a hug. Some children want a excessive 5,” Helton mentioned. “There are occasions when I’ve mentioned an excessive amount of. There are occasions once I haven't mentioned sufficient. There are occasions once I want I had given a excessive 5 as an alternative of a glance. Study.
“I'm on the brink of begin 28 years on the sidelines and you realize what? I'm on the brink of be taught lots this 12 months. I don't see it as girls and boys. I see these are athletes, and you need to know your children.”
Helton brings an brisk aptitude to the sidelines that belies his expertise and expects it to stay contagious with the present era.
“The type we play, it's laborious to sit down there as a coach,” Helton mentioned. “I believe these children will feed on that edge. If I stroll off that area and I'm drenched in sweat and I give it my all, they're going to present it again.”
He added that being each a guardian and an administrator has formed his teaching type in recent times.
“We all the time preach that basketball is the car of your future,” Helton mentioned. “We’ll enable them that path. There’s life after Scott County Excessive Faculty. Hopefully we are able to get them there and be a part of that journey.”
Scott County women basketball has all the time been a husband-and-wife crew. Helton's spouse, Tara, was on the women employees for 3 seasons earlier than Steve moved on. They mixed for an eighth area title in his rookie season in 2000-01, adopted by 4 extra.
Tara will be a part of Steve on the boys bench.
“She coached AAU boys,” Steve Helton mentioned. “It's the identical factor I've been doing for 24 years. I yell earlier than coming into the locker room. It's no completely different.”
Additionally, coaching their son collectively is nothing new.
“I began in Scott County Youth with TG Murray, Chris Willhite and Tara. They began coaching and I jumped on board. I did baseball and soccer. We skilled him collectively. It's not like he's not used to it,” Helton mentioned. “We've been on unbiased journey groups, and now we're a part of the Kentucky Elite. We've been on the sphere or on the sphere in some capability since we have been six years previous.”
Along with Hicks and McKee, Helton mentioned he drew inspiration from considered one of his daughters' basketball mothers.
Helton coached Mandi Hudson's daughters, Halee and Kadee, and watched carefully as she coached her in addition to son Bryan — a latest signee with the NFL's Detroit Lions — in observe and area.
“She all the time mentioned, 'If anybody's going to mess up my child, it's going to be me.' I believe that's the place we're at,” Helton mentioned. “If anybody's going to mess it up, it's going to be us. She all the time mentioned that and it caught with me.
“That is an space the place we now have developed, that automobile goes residence. Dad's bought to be dad. A mom should be a mom. We wish to go fishing. We wish to go to the seaside. Now we have to grasp that, and that's one thing that Colton has completed an excellent job of over time.”
Social media and the world of immediate reactions and messaging may make issues extra difficult. Helton mentioned his expertise with Billy and Tyler Hicks was latest sufficient that he is aware of what to anticipate within the trendy period.
“You're going to get pushed round. He understands the criticism that can include it,” Helton mentioned. “I used to be with Coach Hicks and Tyler. Individuals have been fairly hardcore and mentioned some hardcore issues. However I'll stick to what Jim McKee mentioned. You solely get one likelihood and that is the one we really feel we've been blessed with. We’ll make new reminiscences.”
As Colton's inventory continued to rise on the journey circuit, his dad and mom discovered to compartmentalize and keep indifferent when attainable.
“Being an AD, I used to be by no means within the interior loop. I didn't wish to be,” Helton mentioned. “When Colton goes to those camps, we take him there and examine him out and retire him. We don't shake arms with all sportswriters. We firmly consider that he will get what he will get on his personal.”
Monday was an emotional day for Helton, with the timing of the announcement on the eve of the KHSAA useless interval requiring him to alternate sporting each the previous and new teaching hats.
“There's numerous transition proper now, cleansing up one space and on the brink of transfer into one other,” Helton mentioned. “Actually attention-grabbing. My cellphone was very lively this morning with a number of form messages. We're excited to see what's subsequent.”