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Biography current as of January 2024
John James Whittock had a lasting impact on the lives of many youngsters who grew up in Stockton over the past half-century.
Whittock, a native of England, was one of the founding fathers of the California Youth Soccer Association, a CYSA Hall of Fame inductee and the man who gave rise to youth soccer in Stockton. Many are unaware of his contributions to a sport that has enjoyed enormous growth in the region because he was always too humble to take any credit.
John Whittock was born in London, where he grew up playing soccer and tennis during the Blitz of World War II.
Whittock came to the United States in 1957. He lived in New York and then San Francisco, where he helped organize soccer on the West Coast and met his wife, a Stockton native.
The Whittocks moved to Stockton in 1971 and started a family. Whittock also led a small group of individuals who started Stockton’s first youth soccer league, which consisted of five teams of fourth-grade boys.
John Whittock felt strongly that all children should have an opportunity to play soccer regardless of race, creed, color or financial status, he later started a program for children with disabilities now known as TOPSoccer.
Whittock, a retired draftsman, coached youth soccer for about 25 years. He also coached tennis at Edison and Stagg high schools for more than a decade.
The Whittocks are known for decorating their Colonial-style home just off the Miracle Mile during the World Cups. Flags, banners, balloons and giant paper soccer ball cutouts adorned their residence in Stockton, California.
