He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1988. After escaping Nazi occupied Europe, he played amateur soccer in New York City’s Eastern District League from 1939 to 1958 with the Bronx Jewish Soccer Club, Hakoah South Carolina, and New World Club. He was coach of the 3rd Division Blue Star Soccer Club in the German-American Soccer League.
He joined the Executive Board of the German-American Junior League in 1976, and later served as President.
As Soccer Coordinator for the City of New York, he developed year-round soccer facilities in the southern part of the state. He was named First Vice President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association in 1985.
Before emigrating from Austria in 1939, Heilpern was a goalkeeper for the Hakoah club of Vienna.