BACK IN THE GAMES
OU field hockey coach rejuvenates competition for seniors
In the 1960s, rumblings of Title IX ignited a fire in Kathleen Fitzgerald that would linger for the next five decades.
Fitzgerald was playing field hockey in college, but the team was underfunded because women’s athletics were overlooked.
“We were actually pretty good, but our coach had to drive us to games in her own car and officiated the games herself because there was no funding, nothing to support us,” Fitzgerald said. “There was no recognition at that time for women who worked just as hard as the men because women’s athletics just didn’t matter.”
But it mattered to Fitzgerald. The 74-year-old Norman resident spent most of her life playing, coaching and promoting women’s athletics across the country, and now, she is harnessing her passion to rebuild Oklahoma’s Senior Games.
Return of Senior Games
In 2016, Fitzgerald led an effort that rejuvenated the state’s Olympic-style games for competitors age 50 and older, which dissolved in 2012 because of a lack of funding.
As the games director, Fitzgerald, along with a board of directors and Yukon city officials, revived the annual games, which include swimming, archery, softball, running, shuffleboard, table tennis and horseshoes.
The games kicked off Saturday and are hosted through Nov. 1 across the state. Cycling and triathlon events are new to the games this year.
For the full schedule of events or to sign up for a competition, go to www. okseniorgames.com.
Oklahoma City resident Paul Bradford, 57, is the jumping coach for the state games and will be competing in track and field events this year.
“Our state faces so many medical problems with obesity, diabetes and other medical problems related to aging,” Bradford said. “These are more than just games. A lot of competitors are using the games as motivation to feel better, to be in better shape.”
The more activities seniors participate in the more likely they are to stay active and independent, said Debbie Miller, wellness director at Yukon’s Spanish Cove Retirement Community. The competitions promote overall health and encourage an active lifestyle for aging residents, she said.
“Kathleen is the perfect mascot for staying active and for the senior games,” Miller said. “She practices what we preach.”
Fitzgerald has been competing in Senior Games across the country for 20 years. This year, she will compete in track and field, table tennis, badminton, swimming, golf and pickleball — the most popular and fastest-growing sport in the Senior Games.
Fitzgerald is learning to play pickleball for the first time this year, in order to play doubles with a longtime friend who has medical conditions that limit her physically.
“I see what I’m capable of doing at my age, and I ask myself why I’m physically able to do things other people can’t,” Fitzgerald said. “And I know it’s because I’ve always been active.”
Adversity fuels the fire
It was uncommon for girls to play sports when Fitzgerald was young, but she was lucky enough to attend a private school where she was introduced to and fell in love with athletics.
She was a figure skater and played field hockey and tennis among other sports.
It wasn’t always easy being an athletic woman, but inequality and injustice fueled Fitzgerald’s spirit.
After college, she went on to coach the women’s tennis team at Michigan State University, where she was a volunteer because the school did not allocate any money to pay a coach.
“In 1964, my budget was $300 for the whole season,” Fitzgerald said. “The men’s budget was $30,000.”
In graduate school, Fitzgerald convinced the school and city newspapers to start covering women’s sports and launched her own segment on the school’s radio station interviewing women athletes and coaches, which were replayed by local radio stations.
After Title IX’s reduced discrimination against women athletes, Fitzgerald’s mission shifted to promoting field hockey, and her sights are set on Oklahoma.
Fitzgerald has played field hockey most of her life and has coached at high schools and universities across the country. In 1969, Fitzgerald was chosen as captain for the United States Touring Team to Guyana and is currently coaching the coed field hockey team at The University of Oklahoma.
“Honestly, this is why I’m good at doing what I’m doing,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m used to adversity, and I’m bringing all of that experience and passion with me in whatever I do.”
OKLAHOMA SENIOR GAMES
FRIDAY, SATURDAY Softball: Stars and Stripes Park, 3701 S Lake Hefner Drive Oklahoma City; 297-2756 SATURDAY Track and field, 1,500 m race walk: Yukon Middle School, 801 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon; 350-8920 SEPT. 27, 28 5K, 10K, 20K, 40K cycling: Mohawk Park Shelter #5, 6600 E Port Road, Tulsa; 918-596-PARK(7275) SEPT. 30 Swimming: University of Oklahoma, Murray Case Sells Swimming Complex, 1701 Asp Ave., Norman; 325-4837 5K road race, with Robert E Brady Memorial Run: Farmers Insurance Help Point parking lot, 7340 W Memorial Road, OKC; 782-9454 OCT. 7 Table tennis: Oklahoma City Table Tennis Club, Plaza Mayor (old Crossroads Mall), 700 Crossroads Blvd. (enter from SE 66)
10K Road Race with Tulsa Zoo Run: 6421 E
36th St. N, Tulsa OCT. 8 Horseshoes: Yukon City Courts, 2200 S Holly Ave., Yukon OCT. 8, 9 Bowling: Heritage Lanes, 11917 N Pennsylvania Ave., OKC; 755-7575 OCT. 12 Golf: Forest Ridge Golf Club, 7501 E Kenosha St., Broken Arrow OCT. 13 Basketball: Jackie Cooper Gym, 1024 E Main St., Yukon; 350-8920 OCT. 14 Badminton: Jackie Cooper Gym, 1024 E Main St., Yukon; 350-8920 OCT. 18 Golf croquet: LaFortune Park (north side of park), 51st and South Hudson Avenue, Tulsa; 918-496-6220 OCT. 19, 20, 21 Pickleball: Norman YMCA, 1350 Lexington St., Norman OCT. 20, 21, 22 Tennis: LaFortune Park, 5302 S Hudson Ave., Tulsa; 918-496-6230 OCT. 21 Triathlon with OKTri Meet: Chisholm Trail Triathlon, Lake El Reno, El Reno NOV. 1 Shuffleboard: Hicks Community Center, 3443 S Mingo Road, Tulsa; 918-669-6355