Mary Kay attributes her success in 16” to having three brothers and a bunch of neighborhood boys who allowed her to play in their “pick up” games. Growing up on the Northwest side, Mary Kay spent most of her time at the park district field house playing sports and shattering the myth that girls could not be both athletic and feminine. From 1982- 1983 Mary Kay played softball at the highest level for women. She played for the OJ’s, a North Side team that many experts considered to be the female equivalent of the Bobcats. From 1978 to ‘83 they were the champions for five years at the Ed Kelly Tournament, and World Champions at Welles Park and Revere Park. She also played for a Blue Island team the Rose -N Crowns that took 1st place at Calumet City and won the Chicago Metro Championship, amassing a record of 192- 20 from 1980 to ‘83. Mary Kay batted .541 during this period. She also played co-ed ball with such greats as Willie Simpson and Al Cech. This team placed in the top twenty teams in the nation. With her move to “11 ball, Mark Kay continued her streak of championships. From 1981- 83 her team took the USSSA National title. They were first in the Rockford Tournament in 1980 and took first place in the 16” USSSA Tour at Shabonna Park. In 1980 the team placed in the top thirty at the National Tournament in Kingston, NC. Their success continued in 1981 at Kansas City when they captured the ninth place position in the world. Mary Kay was selected to the All Tournament Team in Illinois and in the City of Chicago that year. Schaefer – Monaghan worked as a physical instructor for the Chicago Park District for six years. She currently lives in Hoffman Estates where she runs her own daycare business. She and her husband Dale have three boys. Their third son, Richard, died in 1988.
