FULLERTON, Calif. – With the help of the softball program, Cal State Fullerton will be putting a memorial bench on the first base side of Anderson Family Field in honor of the late Linda Shafor.
Shafor was a volunteer coach for the inaugural team in the 1979-80 season and from 1986 through 1992. She served primarily as the outfield coach under head coach Judi Garman and had a big impact on the 1986 National Championship team. In her time coaching, she fought for women's rights to compete at the collegiate level. She demanded her team be the best in a time when women were not seen as athletes. She never allowed excuses, never allowed her team to believe that they were less than anyone else, and never accepted balls landing in her outfield. She knew the athletes on her team were just as good as the men and mandated that they work three times as hard even though they would receive less credit. But it didn't matter what others thought, she knew if she demanded perfection that she would get perfection. And the National Championship team in 1986 proved that to be true.
"Linda never allowed anyone to stop her from becoming what she wanted to be or doing what she wanted in life, and she passed that onto us" said alumna Tobi Perkins (1980-83). "Even 40 years later when I went to visit her before she died, being around her made me want to be a better person. She just had that effect on people that made you want to be a better person."
"She connected with each and every one of us on a personal level and had a way of making every player feel like her favorite player," said alumna Miche DeBree Packer (1988-91). "Not only did she teach us how to be better players, she taught us how to be strong, confident, and hard-working women in life."
Coach Shafor was not just an amazing coach on the field, but an inspiration off of it. She touched many lives in such a positive way over the years and was loved and respected by everyone around her.
If you would like to help Cal State Fullerton in honoring Linda Shafor, you can donate HERE. All donations will go directly to the memorial at Anderson Family Field and any additional funds will help the Titan softball program.
Each donor will get their name engraved on a bat used to make up the bench and it will be installed permanently at the facility. The bench will not only honor Linda Shafor, but continue to honor the historic coaches that go through the Titan softball program.
