Natalya Nikitina-Helvey
Director
Coach Natalya Nikitina-Helvey has over 20 years of coaching experience at every level, from beginners to high school and top Division I players, and experience as a Camp Director for numerous youth camps, including Nike Youth Sports Camp and Carmel Valley Tennis Camp. Coach Nikitina-Helvey has been involved in all levels of competition, including professional, collegiate, and junior, for the past 38 years.
While growing up in the Republic of Uzbekistan, she was a part of the Uzbekistan Women's National Team and was ranked as the number one player in the country. Coach Nikitina-Helvey competed in multiple professional tournaments in Europe and Asia, achieving the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) singles and doubles rankings, and representing her country in the Fed Cup (Billie Jean King Cup) competitions in India, Thailand, and New Zealand.
She earned a full athletic scholarship at Oklahoma Christian University and was OC's No.1 singles and doubles player from 1999-2003, earning the NAIA All-American honors three times and NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades twice. After graduating from Oklahoma Christian Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration-Management, she pursued career in collegiate coaching, serving as the Associate Head Coach at Wichita State University. While at WSU, she helped the Shockers obtain their first Missouri Valley Conference title and make their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I Championships. After moving to Oklahoma in 2006, Coach Nikitina-Helvey became the Head Women's Tennis Coach at the University of Central Oklahoma while starting a family and earning a master's degree. In eight years at UCO, she led Bronchos to five NCAA Division II national tournament appearances while posting a 109-67 record. In January 2018, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Christian University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Natalya Nikitina-Helvey has been based in the U.S. for the past 26 years, including the past eight years in Texas, where she has served as the head tennis coach and health science teacher at Centennial High School. While at Centennial HS, Coach Nikitina-Helvey has developed dozens of talented players. In the fall of 2024, she was named District 8-5A Coach of the Year after leading the boys' and girls' varsity teams to an undefeated season and the District 8-5A Championship title. Natalya Nikitina-Helvey earned a Ph.D. degree in Health and Human Performance from Oklahoma State University in December 2021.