In a Plot Twist, Novelist Discovers His Love for Iowa Field Hockey

PHOTO COURTESY BILL KUPERSMITH Hawkeye field hockey superfan Bill Kupersmith (at right) poses with former team captain Harper Dunne at Grant Field.

Bill Kupersmith was searching for inspiration, and he found it in the Hawkeye field hockey team.

In 2016, the University of Iowa professor emeritus was writing his novel, The Chaplain of Blackburne House, about a boarding school teacher and needed a sport for her to coach. “I started following our Hawkeye field hockey team and grew fascinated by the beauty and elegance of the game,” says Kupersmith, who taught English at Iowa from 1972–2007.

Soon, Kupersmith began attending all of Iowa’s home matches and following its road matches online. He started traveling to support the team beginning with the 2021 Big Ten Tournament at Rutgers.

In 2024, Kupersmith cheered on the Hawks at all their matches, home and away, and was named an honorary parent by the team. This past season, he watched every match either in person or online and completed his quest to visit every Big Ten field hockey venue at Penn State.

Kupersmith’s loyalty to the Hawkeyes extends to alumnae of the program. This past November, the 84-year-old visited Katie Birch (20BA) and Harper Dunne (24BA, 24BS) at Durham University in England, where they both studied after Iowa. Kupersmith also kept a log of last season’s matches to help Dunne follow her former team.

Recalling her Hawkeye days, Dunne says about Kupersmith: “He has been the most loyal fan, regularly driving even eight hours across the country to catch our matches. The Hawkeye parents have happily welcomed him into their traveling troupe, and I think that really speaks to the special nature of the Hawkeye field hockey community.”