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Biography current as of August 2024
Shirley, became involved when her children started playing soccer at an early age. She started coaching and found out that she really enjoyed it. Shirley lived in Tracy for most of her life and as she became more involved with her children and soccer so did her interest in helping Tracy Youth Soccer League known as (TYSL). Shirley volunteered for their board and held many jobs among them were coach (first), treasurer, registrar and eventually ending up becoming their President for many years. “Mama Shirley” as they all called her could be seen every Saturday riding around in her gator at the soccer fields, when not coaching, making sure everyone and everything was going as it should. Shirley not only loved soccer, but lived soccer and during her many illnesses Danny (her husband of over 25 years) and I always would say that her love and passion for soccer and the people she worked with and held dear to heart, kept her going. During her coaching years she
was nominated as “Coach of the Year” for District 8. She then went onto win the “Cal North Coach of the Year” and then the “Region 4 Coach of the Year”.
During her early years as President of TYSL she was a constant at the District 8 board meetings and when we needed a coordinator for the Jim Frazier League (a District 8 playing league for high school boys in the fall because the high schools in our area played in the spring and not the traditional fall) Shirley volunteered to take that position, along with still being President for TYSL. She was not only the Jim Frazier coordinator for
the league for District 8, but also coached in the league. That league continued under Shirley’s leadership until CIF changed the boys high school season back to the fall period.
When District 8 registrar decided to retire, Bob Asklof and Sue Gonzales asked Shirley to take over the District 8 Registrar position. She took all the District 8 league registrars under her wings. She trained and helped them become successful league registrars, which in turn helped our district. She was never but a phone call away if they needed her help. Shirley was also willing to help where needed and volunteered to fill in as the District 7 registrar, doing double duty for both districts.
In 2001 Shirley was asked by Pete Zophi, the Cal North 1st vice chair at that time, to be the Rules and Revision chair for Cal North. She was familiar with the Cal North rules as she had sat at many PAD hearings over the years. She was instrumental in this position helping to rewrite a lot of the outdated rules. Never a question she could not answer when it had to do with a Cal North rule or policy.
When the secretary position on the Cal North board was up for re-election Shirley applied and went through the process. She held that position for 4 years. When Sue Gonzales retired as the District 8 Commissioner at the end of 2017, Shirley was the obvious person next in line to fill that position. She was elected in 2018 and held that position until her sudden death in December of 2022. In Shirleys tenure there were only 3 District 8 Commissioners. Bob Asklof, Sue Gonzales and Shirley Thompson, also known as “the three musketeers.”
Everyone that knew Shirley knew that her one accomplishment that she treasured most was the Cal North TOPSoccer annual Pumpkin Fest which was a one-day tournament held the last Saturday in October. She took that responsibility under her wings and rain or shine, along with the help of the board of the Tracy Youth Soccer League made it happen for those special players for over 20 years. The Leagues in District 8 always helped with donations, goody bags, t-shirts, and a free BBQ for these players and their families. This was more than a tournament to Shirley it was a way to give special recognition, to the players, to the parents, to the coaches, to be able to come together and enjoy themselves as part of a big soccer community, knowing that no player was left behind regardless of ability.
The District 8 motto is “Kids First”, and District 8 members made sure that was always the case. Taking a quote from Shirley’s longtime friend, the Tuolumne County League President and District 8 Board member, Leann Hatler, “It was equally important to Shirley that all levels of play be championed and supported. From cheering on our top ranked teams to hosting the TOPS tournament each year in Tracy, every child was an athlete and given the utmost support.” Shirley never let anyone forget that.
Shirley was loved by all who knew her and there are no shoes that can fill that big heart of hers. She has left a void that the Cal North community feels. There are only certain times in someone’s life that a person like Shirley crosses your path and when they do, we are so blessed and all so much better for it. It is times like these that we all wish that Shirley were standing here with us. She would have loved every minute of being honored and inducted into the Cal North Hall of Fame as she loved CYSA/Cal North and everything that it stood for.
Shirley was supported by her husband, Danny, and her children, who were like family to District 8. She loved all her leagues in District 8, but the people involved over the years in the Tracy Youth Soccer League were her extended family and they always held a special place in her heart. Shirley was a fighter, a strong, opinionated, passionate, strong-minded woman who was a cancer survivor. She was protective of anyone that she loved, and her bark was worse than her bite. She had a loving and gentle side to her and had a huge heart. She fought for the players, not only in District 8, but for all players, at all levels of the game and never gave up until the Good Lord called her home. She is a fading, one of a kind volunteer and we will forever miss her smile, laughter, love, and all that she gave to CYSA/Cal North and the kids that she loved and fought for daily.
