Shirley Chesterfield-Stanton will be inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame this July.

She is one of the many overdue members of the Class of 2026. While some might not have recognized that name when the class was announced in February, Shirley was well known in Helena.

The retired physical education teacher spent 40 years coaching at Helena Capital. She coached gymnastics and track, and her teams won multiple state titles in both sports. She also served as announcer for Helena Capital football, basketball and volleyball.

Shirley was a star in track, gymnastics and volleyball at Montana State University from 1972 through 1976. She qualified for the National Track & Field Championships in 1975. She was also a part of four state championship softball teams.

That athletic career got its start in the Mining City, after her parents moved to town when she was in the sixth grade. In the days before Title IX, Shirley grew up dreaming of competing in sports. There were not a lot of opportunities for girls, however.

She played volleyball at Emerson Elementary before competing in track, gymnastics and cross country at Butte High. Then, the girls had to wear smaller letters on their letter jackets, as not to offend the boys.

Today, girls have all kinds of opportunities in sports. That is largely because of the determination and perseverance of people like Shirley, who dedicated her life to athletics.

Shirley was inducted into the Montana Coaches Association Hall of fame in 2002, the Helena Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018. The Montana Coaches Association awarded her the National Distinguished Service award in 2024.