DAVIDA DINERMAN

Sportsmanship is in her DNA

Humble, grateful, and kind. These are three words I would use to describe Shelly Works.  And not only is she passionate about playing and teaching tennis, but she has genuine respect and concern for her fellow competitors. Shelly received the Margaret Russo Sportsmanship Award at the 2013 Intersectionals and the Harriet Hulbert Sportsmanship Award at the 2022 Houston Nationals for displaying outstanding sportsmanship both on and off the court. 

I caught up with Shelly on her 40-minute drive to an appointment to learn more about the woman behind these awards, the big orange jug she takes on the court, and her thoughts on sportsmanship in tennis today.  When I asked Shelly why she thought she received these awards, I could almost hear her blush over the phone.  So I put it another way–how did you get started playing tennis?  We were off to the races.  Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, Shelly’s dad Bob encouraged her and her brother Bobby to play several sports.  In addition to tennis, she enjoyed softball and volleyball, and she ran track.  By 8th grade, she was starting to favor tennis.  It didn’t hurt that she met her future husband Scott when they were on the 8th-grade tennis team.  But once she reached high school, she knew tennis was the sport she wanted to pursue.  

When her dad worked with her on the court, he made it crystal clear that having good sportsmanship was the number one priority.  Sportsmanship was not a quality that she tacked on to forehands and backhands. It became part of her DNA.  When she practiced, Bob and her mom Georgie would allow her to play with his friends and take lessons if she behaved appropriately.  These people were her role models and examples; there was no way adults would tolerate a brat.

Sportsmanship and the rules of etiquette were ingrained in her not only by her father but also by her first instructor, Peggy Lantoop. For Shelly, the concept of sportsmanship has a beautiful simplicity.  When she is on the court, she is not only representing and respecting herself, but she is also representing all of the people and forces who influenced her and got her to where she is today–her family, her coaches, and God.  When she was 14 years old, Shelly had an aha moment.  She was stronger, faster, and in better shape than the adults, but they were still beating her.  Why was she losing? 

The answer came from the man who was a hitting partner and also strung her racquets, Sam Lyons. He opened her mind to moving people around the court and placing the ball, not just hitting the ball hard.  She was a quick study and soon found her groove; as her opponents know, this is a strategy she has perfected over the years.  In addition to teaching Shelly about sportsmanship, he also knew how to motivate her and train her to have a winning mentality. 

One time when Shelly was around 18  years old, her father drove her and Bobby to a tournament, only Bobby was playing at a different site. When he dropped her off, he sensed she didn’t feel confident about playing the top seed.  He said to her, “[The seedings] are just a number.  Do you want to be the one to beat her, or do you want the person after you to beat her?”  Shelly said, “I want to beat her.”  And beat her, she did.  There is a difference between approaching a match with that kind of grit and determination and showing a poor attitude on the court.  If any of her students show disrespect or poor sportsmanship during a lesson, she stops it right then and there.  She will outright tell a student to go to another instructor if they do not act appropriately on the court. 

There is another side of Shelly that some may not know, and that is her love for animals. She used to bring home so many stray dogs when she was younger that at one point, her parents said, “The next dog you bring home gets to stay in the house, and you have to stay outside.” Shelly is frustrated by people who do not know how to care for a pet and think pets are disposable. She is involved with animal rescue groups, and she shares information on social media about animals that need homes.  Shelly has been known to stop by the side of the road to help an animal, cancel her lessons, and drive them to Houston to a friend who has a shelter for rescue dogs.  She even puts a lot of her own money into making sure animals get shipped to states where they will be adopted.  This calling to save animals speaks to Shelly’s respect and love for everyone and everything in her world.

“My parents taught me that getting up every day is a gift from God,” says Shelly.  “What I do with that is up to me.” She serves God by serving others–whether it’s at a store or on the tennis court.  “I can’t imagine living my life for only me,” she adds. Shelly tells her students that it’s a privilege to play tennis.  It’s not something they’re entitled to do. They should appreciate it and not take it for granted. One thing is for certain, Shelly practices what she preaches.