Centercourt Instructors
My favorite sports memory/moment/event... is winning the Big East Championship with my Loyola team in 2011. We had an uphill season and worked ourselves into the top 5 ranking of all Division I programs after switching into a new and competitive conference. After transferring to Loyola in my junior year, it was amazing to work and play alongside teammates I had only known for two years. It was a close knit team and our class of 11 seniors was very diverse in both skill and personality. The tournament weekend was filled with exciting plays and big opportunities on the field, but when the time ran out on the clock, celebrating with my teammates was the best feeling of all. Every position on the field had moments to shine in both the semi-final and final games, and the Big East Championship was truly a team victory. I now stress to my players that teamwork and hard work are the most important characteristics to incorporate, and that no matter the outcome of a game, practice, or training session, it is crucial to push yourself and your teammates to get better each day.
Helen McCutcheon Oliver joined Centercourt in the Fall of 2018. She has over 15 years of playing experience and has been coaching at the high school and youth level since 2009. Helen was a JV Coach at Chatham High School in 2013 and the Head Coach at Millburn High School from 2013-2017 winning the NJGILL Colonial South Division in 2016. She has been the Head Coach at Chatham High School since the fall of 2017.
Helen played soccer, basketball and lacrosse at Chatham High School. She was a two-time Varsity letter winner in basketball and a four-time Varsity letter winner in lacrosse where she earned 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All County, 1st Team All State, and 1st Team All American Honors in 2007. She was also voted the Most Valuable Player in 2006 and 2007 and ended her high school career with 126 goals and 92 assists.
Helen continued her lacrosse career at the University of Maryland winning an ACC Championship and advancing to the NCAA semifinals in 2009. She transferred to Loyola University Maryland and went on to win a Big East Championship and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2011. Helen graduated Cum Laude in the spring of 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. She finished earning her Masters in Education in the spring of 2017 with a certificate in Special Education and has been working as an elementary school teacher for 7 years.
Helen comes from a lacrosse family. Her father graduated from Johns Hopkins University winning a National Championship in 1974 and was also inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Her brother played at Johns Hopkins and Towson University. He coached at the collegiate level at Monmouth University for 6 years and is now the Head Coach at Wagner University.