Helen Schanze Phillips
(Basketball, 1941)
Title IX has created equality between boys' and girls' sports and today there is equity of opportunity for both sexes. In 1941 no such equity existed. One of the "pioneers" of girls' sports at Danbury High School was our next inductee Helen Schanze Phillips. Because female athletics was given little attention at that time there is very little recorded about results, records etc. The few things known about Helen's high school playing career is she was the leading scorer on the basketball team for three years and the team posted an 8-2 record in the 1939-1940 season. It was after her high school years concluded that Helen made a name for herself in the athletic realm. Her involvement focused primarily on softball and bowling. As a softball player she played in Industrial Leagues after World War II for Barden, Neumann-Endler and the US Time Corporation. As a bowler Helen maintained a 170+ average in league bowling. It is her involvement in community activities and recreation where Helen made her greatest contributions. She directed the Lions Club playground in Danbury and took over as recreation coordinator in the town of Southeast which was a position she held for 35 years. Under her direction the facilities expanded from one small playground to three large beach and pool facilities and programs in swimming, bowling, tennis and gymnastics. Helen worked for 52 years in the North Salem school district and coached basketball, softball, bowling, cheerleading, and field hockey. For her lifetime of service to the Danbury area she was inducted into the Old Timer's Association Hall of Fame in 1994.