Whitmore upholds 'Not Without Honor' after

By Eshna Das

When Stobie Whitmore started coaching in the Athletic Department in the fall of 1982, he aimed to instill values in his players to prepare them for their future.

“With my fifth graders, I make sure to be clear about staying in uniform, doing the right thing and lining up,” Whitmore said. “Because one of y'all might be doing my heart surgery, and I don't want y'all walking in going ‘Geez, I'm 30 minutes late. I forgot my stuff and I want to go to lunch.’”

Even four decades ago, Whitmore was no stranger to SJS — he first arrived on campus in 1954 as a wide-eyed kindergartener. The unfamiliar environment prompted a first-day meltdown, and his father ended up staying until noon to comfort him.

A few days later, while swinging on the monkey bars, Whitmore discovered that he had a fear of heights and realized that he did not know how to get down. After a coach carefully set him on the ground, Whitmore vowed to never touch the monkey bars again.

It was sports that finally won Whitmore over. After six years of PE classes, Whitmore got to play football in seventh grade. Although he initially questioned his overall athletic skill, supportive coaches inspired him to keep playing.

In high school, he played varsity basketball and football, and felt a special affinity for his coaches, who taught him sportsmanship, how to lose with grace and the importance of eye contact.

“They were so compassionate, and they taught me to act with courtesy,” Whitmore said.

When Whitmore struggled to balance his academics and athletics, he sought advice from his coaches.

“The coaches helped me get through difficult times when I was very stressed,” Whitmore said, “and that is real teaching and real life-learning.”

In 1968, Whitmore graduated and attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. It was clear that St. John’s had prepared him for a promising future. After meeting his fellow classmates, he looked around and thought, “man, this isn't hard.”

After graduating, Whitmore was hired at First City Bank, the largest in Texas at the time. He worked in retail banking for four years and office rentals for six months. Still, he knew banking was not the right job for him.

“My years there were miserable,” he said. “I knew I was out of my element.”

After five years, Whitmore left banking to coach basketball, track and field, soccer and PE classes at The Briarwood School in Houston. There, he met SJS co-founder John Garwood, who saw potential in his coaching abilities.

“He asked if I was interested in a position at St. John’s, and I said I could be there in 20 minutes,” Whitmore said.

Apart from mentoring, what made Whitmore the happiest was watching his players improve their athletic skills.

“I like looking back at people I had in first grade and see how they are now doing incredible things, like playing baseball at Rice,” Whitmore said. Whitmore also works hard to ensure that every player’s contributions on the field are recognized.

“He’s got a really big heart for kids that aren’t the star of the team and aims to find success in some form for