As the United States was celebrating it’s bicentennial in 1976, a young coach took over the field hockey program at Emmaus High School.

At the time, it wasn’t a spectacular story. The exit of coach Ginny Huber was the biggest part of the story. After all, Huber founded the program in 1959 and was stepping down after a long career.

Now, celebrating the country’s semiquincentennial that young coach is still on the job.

Over those 50 years, Sue Butz-Stavin has become the winningest field hockey coach in the country with 1,119 wins. Those wins have led the team to 43 District 11 championships, 16 state championships, and 43 conference championships. While most coaches would be happy to have won 100 games in their career, Butz-Stavin has 100 wins in the state playoffs alone.

Emmaus High School recently recognized the legendary coach for her 50-year coaching career as part of a college signing ceremony for student-athletes.

It was fitting that the tribute was held as part of a signing ceremony since Butz-Stavin has led many of her former players to colleges and universities all over the country, collectively earning millions of dollars in scholarships.

Just as part of the signing ceremony, six more of her players were honored for having signed letters of intent to play and study at Division 1 schools.

“She has done a great job with this program,” said Morgan Orrobono, whose older sister Maddie, also played for Butz-Stavin at Emmaus. “She was a really good coach and taught us all that we know today. It’s a great accomplishment and it’s nice to be a part of all of this.”

On hand for the ceremony was a person that Butz-Stavin has looked up to throughout her career and gave the coach her start at Emmaus. Gwen Armitage, who was the first female athletic director in Pennsylvania, along with current athletic director Becky George, presented Butz-Stavin with a plaque.

Replacing a legendary coach like Huber was no small task and Butz-Stavin remembers being hired.

“I was nervous stepping into the shoes of Ginny Huber, who had an awesome career here,” said Butz-Stavin. “I had just gotten back from Australia after teaching over there. I don’t think I expected to coach for the next 50 years.”

In addition to the wins and championships, Butz-Stavin has won the National Coach of the Year award and has been inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into the District 11 Hall of Fame on the first ballot back in 2018.

With all of the wins, the championships, and the lives she has helped to change through her players getting scholarships, Butz-Stavin is still driven to keep coaching. “I still enjoy working with the girls,” she said. “They’re wonderful individuals and they seem to have me on a fishhook to bring me back for another year. It is what it is, and I enjoy what I am doing. I have a great support staff, and my husband, Bob, has been there by my side for so many years.

“I don’t expect anything other than to share my wealth of knowledge with the young ladies and bring them into the athletic world and get them to enjoy what they do.”