DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

Induction Year: 2005 | Graduation Year: 1973

Born in 1955, the third child of Martin and Lois Whetstone, Jerry Whetstone became a member of the New Carlisle community at the age of seven, when his father was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Jerry quickly became involved as an original member of the New Carlisle Pee Wee Cubs Football Organization in 1963. While playing sports in New Carlisle Junior High, he participated in football, baseball, and basketball. A tax levy failure delayed the onset of his sophomore year at Tecumseh, inadvertently ending his football career, but he continued to participate in basketball and baseball. When his friends returned to football in the fall of his junior year, Jerry was influenced by Mike Raschen to serve as the team’s student athletic trainer. This seemingly insignificant choice turned out to shape Jerry’s professional future. Before graduating in 1973, Jerry would serve as the student athletic trainer for the 1971 Mad River Valley League Football Championship team and the 1972-73 MRVL Championship Basketball team. Recognizing a career could be made in sports medicine, Jerry chose to pursue sports medicine at the collegiate level.

Recruited to Ashland College as a student athletic trainer, Jerry’s work with football, wrestling, baseball, track & field, permitted several trips to NCAA regional and national championships. Additionally, he worked the 1975 International Special Olympics at Central Michigan University. While at Ashland, Jerry assisted in the day-to-day operations of the training room and the scheduling of the other student staff members. He also became a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity of Ohio Theta while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education.

From Ashland, Jerry went onto pursue his Masters Degree in Education from Miami University in Oxford. While there, he was assigned to cover Earlham College as a graduate assistant. Returning to campus that fall, he began working with the ice hockey team, which won the MCCHA championship before traveling to Czechoslovakia post season. Jerry would be responsible for coordinating donations of medical supplies, which they donated to the Junior Czech National team. Prior to graduation, he would also oversee the medical coverage of MC’s summer sport camps.

Jerry’s first job after college too him to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. While at NU, Jerry’s primary responsibilities would be with the basketball and baseball teams, as well as assisting with coverage of home football. Travels include trips east, west, north and south. Highlights at NU include serving as host athletic trainer to the China National Basketball team and hosting the inaugural Chicago land Collegiate Cage Classic. Also, while living in Chicago, Jerry would marry Donna Kemplin, a 1974 Tecumseh graduate, and they began their family.

Returning to Ohio in 1982, Jerry went to work at Southwest Ohio Sports Medicine Center in Hamilton, which eventually became Mercy Hospital Hamilton/Fairfield Sports Medicine. Beginning the outreach program there, Jerry covered football for Hamilton Badin High School. His professional career was just starting to take shape in Ohio, as Jerry was named to the Joint Advisory Committee on Sports medicine to the Ohio State Medical Association/Ohio High School Athletic Association in 1983, a committee he continues to serve today.

After returning to the Dayton area in 1985, Jerry began working with Tecumseh athletes in 1986 while at Franciscan Sports Medicine Center (formally St. Elizabeth). In the nearly twenty years since returning, countless have been given to the Tecumseh athletic program. These include hours of behind the scene work of additional evaluation rehabilitation of injured athletes, communication with coaches and administrators, and assisting in the school district obtaining equipment. He has built a rapport with parents and athletes alike in the care and prevention of athletic injuries. He has also been a mentor; leading 4 THS graduates into sports medicine as athletic trainers. Additionally, he and his wife have raised four children, all graduates of THS – Kristy ’98, Mandi ’00, Joe ’04, and Jake ’05.

Jerry’s professional reputation reaches far beyond the Miami Valley. An original member of the Ohio Athletic trainers’ Association (OATA), Jerry has served as Southwest Ohio Representative, Vice President, President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. During this 18 year run he has been recognized with the OATA Clinci/Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year, the OATA Special Consideration Award for work done on Senate Bill #80 (licensing of athletic trainers in Ohio), the OATA Presidents Leadership Award, and induction into the OATA Hall of Fame. Additionally, his leadership skills have been used in the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers’ Association in the offices of Ohio Representative, President Elect and President. He has served on several committees of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), has been presented with the 25-year award, the NATA Athletic Trainer Service award and in 2002 recognized with the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award.

Willing to share his knowledge in Athletic Training, Jerry has spoken at the local, state, regional and national levels for the past 20 years. He is also the co-director of the Wright State University Athletic Training Workshop held annually.

His current position of Coordinator, Athletic Training Services with Kettering Sports Medicine Center permits him to oversee 25 athletic trainers assigned to 21 high schools, 2 community colleges, 4 professional teams and 95 community athletic events.

Although his career has taken him around the nation and to various parts of the world, Jerry’s heart remains where it all began with the athletes of Tecumseh High School.