Long Beach Women’s Athletics Pioneer, Frances Schaafsma, Dies at Age 58

Frances Schaafsma, a former associate athletic director at Cal State Long Beach and pioneer in women’s intercollegiate athletics, has died at 58. Cause of death has not been determined, but Schaafsma was hospitalized for the past two weeks, school officials said.

Schaafsma, a successful coach of Long Beach’s basketball and volleyball teams, was a member of the National Commission that developed guidelines for women’s sports programs in colleges. As a member of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, Schaafsma helped organize the first women’s national championships in six sports.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, 607 E. 3rd St., Long Beach. Interment will be at 1 p.m. at Forest Lawn/Sunnyside in Long Beach. Donations can be made to the Frances M. Schaafsma Endowment Fund, Cal State Long Beach, care of Athletics Administration.