Fort Thomas Unified School District Dedicates Softball Field to Longtime Coach Barbara Stauffer
FORT THOMAS, AZ / March 26, 2026 – Fort Thomas Unified School District (FTUSD) is proud to announce the official naming of its softball field as “Barbara Stauffer Field.” The dedication honors the legacy of a retired educator and coach who spent decades shaping the lives of student-athletes in the community.
Barbara Stauffer’s career at FTUSD is defined by her versatile commitment to student athletics. While she is recognized for her 16 seasons as the head softball coach, her impact reached across the entire sports department, having also coached basketball, volleyball, and track. The naming of the field serves as a permanent tribute to her mentorship and dedication to generations of students at Ft. Thomas High School.
Barbara Stauffer Field includes significant facility upgrades, made possible by a generous grant from Freeport-McMoRan Copper. These improvements, including new shade/protection structures, were facilitated by Freeport Community Investment Director, Sean Wenham, ensuring the athletes have a safe and encouraging environment in which to compete. Highlighting the aesthetic upgrades are the newly renovated dugouts, featuring custom work by local muralist Adriene Wakefield as she partnered with Ft. Thomas High School art students in creating the beautiful murals.
The naming was punctuated with a ceremonial first pitch delivered by Coach Stauffer herself. In a bridge between the program's humble beginnings and its bright future, the pitch was caught by current team senior captain, Treyiah Declay.
"Dedication like Coach Stauffer’s is the foundation of what we do. In naming this field after Barbara, we also honor the entire, collective effort of every coach, teacher and mentor who has ever committed themselves to making our students' lives better through the power of education and sport," said FTUSD Superintendent Shane Hawkins.