Owen Berk
Student Sports Media
Former community college All-American Ericka Mattingly had a winding road to Butler. Mattingly is originally from Wichita and played high school basketball at Wichita South High. She helped the Titans win state titles all four of her years in high school. Along the way to four state titles, Mattingly got to know the head coach at Butler Community College, Mike Helmer. Helmer coached at South for eight years before being hired to coach the Grizzlies.
A friendship began, but Helmer didn’t recruit Mattingly, as she was getting looks from four-year universities and would most likely sign with one. That’s what Mattingly did; she signed with University of Texas at Arlington in the fall of her senior year in 2016.
After a year in Texas, Mattingly was looking for a change. Things didn’t go the way she wanted to, and she was looking for a new home. It just so happens there was an open roster spot not too far from home.
Mattingly talked to Helmer and decided coming to Butler would be the best of both worlds. For Helmer, he got a player coaches dream of: a hard working, determined leader that just so happened to fit perfectly in his grit and grind system. For Mattingly, she found a coach that wanted her in his starting lineup, and a school only 30 minutes away from her family in Wichita.
“Helmer is my guy; how could anyone not love that guy,” Mattingly said. “He really impacted me on having more of a scorer’s mentality and being more of a leader for my team. The relationship I had with him was super, super special, and I continue to talk to him almost every week. I think the impact he had on me with the scorer’s mentality and having that leadership really transferred over to UMKC.”.
She came in and had an immediate impact. She scored 37 points and nabbed 13 steals in her first three games, proof that Helmer’s grit and grind system and his emphasis on her scoring the ball was working. Mattingly only played one year for Helmer, a very successful year at that. At the time, she became just the third player to earn All-American honors while playing for Helmer. In her one year, Mattingly averaged 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and she led the Jayhawk Conference with four steals a game. Mattingly committed to the University of Missouri Kansas City after her one season as a Grizzly.
In her first year as a Roo, Mattingly averaged 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals a game, helping lead UKCM to a 16-15 record, a five game improvement over the year before. Helmer’s influence is still with Mattingly in her senior year, still using that scorer’s mentality and tough defense to lead the team in points and steals.
“I think the best thing I learned from Helmer, and it’s not only in basketball, but in life in general,” Mattingly said. “You’re human, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re not perfect and as long as you own up to them and continue to work hard, that’s all that matters. Always bring 100 percent and bring that dog mentality, and it’s not always going to be perfect but you take accountability for it and you move on and you’re better for it.”