By By ROB DUSZYNSKI
Usually on Oct. 18 Linda O'Keefe spends the night with her husband, Pat, for their wedding anniversary, but this Saturday night she will receive her varsity letter from Western Michigan University.
O'Keefe teaches "Living in the 21st Century" and "Healthy Lifestyles" at Union High School.
But 33 years ago at WMU she played varsity field hockey, for which she will receive a letter along with other female athletes who played before 1980.
Prior to 1980, women's college sports were not recognized by WMU.
As a freshman in 1969 she attended Southwestern Michigan College and transferred to WMU the next year. She wasn't introduced to field hockey until her sophomore year.
When asked what the experience was like, she noted, "It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the sport. There was a real camaraderie with the other women and the coach was someone you could look up to, a real role model."
O'Keefe, who played fullback, reminisced on the game.
Ironically, Western recently announced it is considering decreasing its sports budget and cutting many sports.