Basketball has always been Helen’s favorite sport.  Little did she know that when she turned 50, she would have opportunities to make up for all the basketball playing experiences she missed while growing up in the pre-Title IX era! 

In addition to improving her game, Helen is on a mission to encourage senior women of all ages to dust off their shoes and start (or resume) playing basketball. 

To Helen, basketball is more than just a game.  Yes, it's a fun way to exercise, but more importantly, it's a fantastic way to connect with women of all ages who also love to play the game.

Helen is a founding member and first President of the NOVA United Senior Women’s Basketball Association, a 501(c)(3) organization located in Northern Virginia.  Using her professional knowledge and experience as a former Director of Intramural Sports, Helen is leading the development and growth of senior women’s basketball in the DC Metropolitan area and has been a leader in the national movement, as well. 

As a player, her teams have won many medals at 3-on-3 women's senior tournaments around the country. 

Helen believes in giving back to the game and has served as a player/coach for many teams. Currently, Helen coaches The Classics - a 70+ NOVA United team, as well as a high school girls recreation team.  She teaches basketball skills to senior women through Arlington County Parks and Recreation and is currently organizing an inaugural 3-on-3 senior women’s summer league.

As President of NOVA United, Helen has arranged for NOVA United teams to play during the half-time of women’s games at Georgetown, George Mason, the Naval Academy, and Marymount universities, and to support the local Think Pink and National Girls and Women in Sport Day initiatives. 

She's also connected with the WNBA to arrange for NOVA United teams to play half-time exhibition games during Mystics games at the Verizon Center and a Liberty game at Madison Square Garden.  In addition, she's connected senior women’s basketball teams in Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, New York, and Texas with WNBA teams in Connecticut, Houston, San Antonio, and Minnesota to raise awareness of senior basketball and to show support for the professional players.

The NOVA United charter includes a community service component.   Initiatives have included supporting an American Red Cross basketball tournament fundraiser (chaired by Helen since 2007), and raising money for children and for breast and ovarian cancer research.

Seeing the potential for growing the sport, in 2005 Helen began developing a national database of team contacts.  Using that network, she's helped to revise the rules of 3-on-3 women's senior basketball, she's helped connect women wanting to play senior basketball with other women in their communities, and she's compiled and distributed a list of national senior women’s basketball tournaments. 

As an ambassador for the sport, Helen is always looking for opportunities to promote the sport and has been interviewed on several local TV and cable programs.

Along the way, she and other NOVA United players (Jackie Stephens, Jeanni Winston, and Judy Bowman) discussed a need for a national organization to lead the development of senior women’s basketball.  She shared those ideas with Kay Seamayer, President of Basketball and Fitness for Senior Women in the Dallas area. 

In October 2007, Helen traveled to Dallas to talk to Kay about their similar visions.  They brainstormed around her kitchen table about forming a national senior women’s basketball association called the Senior Women’s National Basketball Association (SWNBA). 

Immediately following that meeting, they purchased the domain, obtained an EIN number and continued taking steps to make the national organization a reality. 

After months of phone discussions and e-mails, they realized that they needed to focus on strengthening their local senior women’s basketball programs so plans for a national organization were put on hold. 

Since that time, Helen has continued to serve senior women basketball players from coast to coast in any way she can.  Helen White is truly a national ambassador for senior women’s basketball!

NSWBA Staff note - Helen learned about the pioneering efforts of the National Senior Women’s Basketball Association (NSBWA) during the 2009 National Senior Games.  We are thrilled to announce that Helen is now on the NSWBA team as an Advisory Board Member, the Regional Coordinator for the NSWBA East Region, and the National Tournament Calendar contact.  In Helen's words, "We believe now is the time to join forces with the founders of the NSWBA so that our energies will be focused on one organization that will grow our sport."