Shumacher Guest Speaker for Celebration of Female Athletes

The Nichols College Department of Athletics will celebrate the 22nd Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Sunday, February 10th. The evening will feature a dinner, social hour, and presentation with guest speaker Diane Schumacher.

Schumacher is a five time Hall of Fame recipient, ASA National Coach of USA softball, former TV commentator, national award winning college administrator, educator, humorist, and writer.

Dinner will be served in Nichols' Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. to all female athletes and following dinner there will be a social hour. The presentation will then begin at 6:30 p.m. to the rest of the campus when Schumacher will share and discuss her experiences pre Title IX and during Title IX, as well as the future of Title IX.

A native of West Springfield, Mass., Schumacher was named the Outstanding Alumni of Springfield College in 1985 for her service to softball. In 1987, she coached the Holland team in international competition, including the 1990 World Championship in Normal, Ill. In 1992, she was elected to the Springfield College Hall of Fame, the Connecticut ASA Fast Pitch Hall of Fame and the ASA Hall of Fame. In 1993, she was the first former American player elected to the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame. In 2001, was elected to the Cathedral High School Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Schumacher is currently the Director of Athletics at Howard Community College in Columbia, Md.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day was created in 1987 by the Women's Sports Foundation to remember and honor Flo Hyman, an Olympic volleyball player who worked to assure equality for women's sports. The day has grown into an event to celebrate and commemorate all girls and women who participate in sports, to encourage participation, and to celebrate sports leaders. Since 1987, the President of the United States, every state in the nation and hundreds of other organizations have joined in this annual celebration.