Meet Rob Penfield, Author of A Life of Obstruction at Canton Public Library
His book examines the groundbreaking Granby field hockey state championship of 1973 and its role in equal support of sports at the dawn of Title IX.
Come meet Rob Penfield in person on May 17, 6:00 p.m., at Canton Public Library. He will read from his book and answer questions in his engaging style. Anyone interested in the writing of memoir, local or sports history and lore--or who just likes a good story--might enjoy participating. Registration is requested to help with seating set up. You may register online HERE, email bvanness@libraryconnection.info, or call the library at (860) 693-5800.
“A Life of Obstructions: On November 17, 1973, the world changed and a legend was born. A band of girls from tiny Granby High School won Connecticut’s first-ever state field hockey tournament. They beat Guilford High School, scoring the winning goal in the second sudden-death overtime.
This is a journey through a life of highs and lows. A regular season of sticks and obstructions. Games against long-time rivals and emerging powerhouse teams. The joy and pain of a single elimination tournament.
This memorable season is a bridge to a 50-year journey for the game of field hockey in Connecticut’s public high schools; striking down the barriers of systemic oppositions by state municipalities to federal guidelines for Title IX, the institutionalized practices of…[sex] discrimination and homophobia.
A Life of Obstructions by Rob Penfield tells a story about common people and their accomplishments playing a game, not because they had to, but to be a part of something special. Because on November 17, 1973, the world really did change and a legend was born (Amazon.com).”
Rob Penfield is a Simsbury, CT native with a passion for writing stories about his hometown. He attended Northampton Commercial College where he captained the basketball team and is a graduate of American International College in Springfield, MA. He is a twice wounded and decorated Vietnam veteran who served with the 9th Infantry Division during the TET offensive.
Rob was the Farmington Valley Herald’s Sports Editor during the 1970’s, the lone sportswriter covering women’s high school sports on a fulltime basis, including 1973’s first ever field hockey tournament. He covered the World Series, the Super Bowl, NCAA tournaments, professional golf, tennis tournaments, NASCAR and local stock car racing and the Montreal Olympics for nationally known sports publications. His tenure overlapped the very successful coaching career of Canton's Nancy Grace.
He ran his own boutique consulting company for 27 years. He’s a lifelong athlete including a stint playing field hockey at Fort Sill, OK, an opportunity which provided him with the insight and understanding to tell the story of Connecticut’s first-ever high school field hockey tournament. He felt compelled to tell that story before those memories were lost forever.
As a published writer, Rob has previously authored the riveting books, The Monsters That Never Die and The Last Echoes from Down ‘N The Hole.
Rob and his wife, Bonnie, originally from Shamokin, PA, live a comfortable retired lifestyle in Phoenix, MD with their cats and rebuilt Model A Fords.
