Shelly Whitlock

Shelly Whitlock was a "Jock!" There were 3 stages to her "Jockhood!"
1st stageHigh School.
She was an AAU swimmer.
There was no girls swim team in school so she found the AAU where she made her mother Bernice drive her from Oklahoma City to Bartlesville, Okla. for swim meets in the mid 1950's.
She was also the fastest girl sprinter in school and even raced against the boys for competition.
2nd stageSoccer Referee and Woman Soccer Pioneer.
She began her referring career when her two children, Jeff and Wendy began playing club soccer.
Her husband Wes was already a licensed referee and a referee instructor.
At night, normal bedtime activity gave way to continuous review of the difficult to understand Law 11, the Offside Rule.
From there her refereeing career climbed to heights that no other woman in the world of soccer had been before.
A continued appearance as a referee at the prestigious Dallas Cup.
She was also the first woman to referee in Europe at the Gothia Cup in Sweden.
Additionally, she was the first woman to be allowed to try out as a professional referee in the NASL (North American Soccer league).
Her prior racing against boys in high school came to fruition in her career as a woman referee having to keep up with the pace of top level men players.
At a USSF (United States Soccer Federation) National Annual General meeting in Chicago Illinois, she cornered the VP of the soccer federation outside a presentation hall in earshot of everyone and demanded that they establish a National Cup for girls as they had for the men. He outrageously replied "there are no girls playing soccer!" She informed him there are girls playing and it is time they get a shot at the highest level of the game. That lead to the convention voting to approve the establishment of the U-19 girls Athena Cup, a national championship for girl's soccer. Ironically the first Championship was won by the Sting Soccer Club out of Dallas TX with Shelly's daughter Wendy as a center striker. And coached by Sting founder and Shelly's good friend Bill Kinder.
As if Shelly and Wes had nothing else to do, they formed a Division 1 Woman's Amateur soccer team called Michelob Ladies Football Club. MLFC went on to win 5 national championships in odd numbered years only. They won the National Championship their first year in existence and every other year after that1983, 85, 87, 89, and 91.
Just last year at the NTTSA (North Texas State Soccer Assoc) annual general meeting, Shelly was awarded the prestigious "Golden Whistle" award for paving the way as a woman referee.
3rd StageSenior Games, Masters Swimming, and Special Olympics.
Shelly set a goal for herself to do a triathlon on her 50th birthday in 1989.
From there, she began competing in Senior games track and field, basketball, and swimming.
She did the 100 yd dash, high jump, long jump, shot, and discuss. At age 70 she wanted to learn how to pole vault.
And was the first woman in that age group to be allowed to pole vault.
She bought a pole and took lessons from a local high school track coach, but kept it a secret from husband Wes as he was not in favor of her doing that event because of her bad knees.
She played on the 70-75 yr old basketball team known as the "Granny Globetrotters."
And she formed and coached a team of 80-95 yr old women. Both teams travelled and played out of town to compete against teams in other cities and states.
She was a nationally ranked master's swimmer and loved amongst her teammates and competitors.
She cheered for everybody on all teams!
Shelly was also a Special Olympics volunteer for many years and traveled out of town with them for events.
Many of her Special Olympians visited her while she was sick.
Professional Career
All of this while she maintained a professional career as research coordinator for the residents at UT Southwestern medical center orthopedic dept.
Several times she was named co-investigator of national orthopedic research studies.
And later became research coordinator at Baylor Dallas for US Oncology breast cancer dept.
She was forced into retirement from the ravages of scleroderma which is the disease that took her body and her life.
Her mind was clear and functional until her passing when a special butterfly landed on her bedroom window and the electronic candle at the foot of her bed went out.

She signed all of her texts and emails "Love Shelly" as she was full of Love for everybody! Shelly is survived by her husband Wes Whitlock, children Jeff Greenberg and his wife Laurie Logue, Wendy Odell and her husband Mike, step son David Whitlock and his wife Marta, step daughter Lynn Houser, granddaughters Jordan Greenberg and Shelby Odell, step granddaughter Lynn Houser, step grandsons Eric Houser and his wife Xaioling, Ian Whitlock and Eric Whitlock.
A memorial service to honor and celebrate Shelly's life will be held at 3:30pm on Thursday, September 29, 2016
at Christ Church Plano, 4550 Legacy Dr., Plano, Texas 75024. A reception will follow. If desired, contributions may be made in Shelly's name to Scleroderma Foundation ~ Texas Blubonnet Chapter, P O Box 1836, Allen, Texas 75013, www.scleroderma.org/donate