This was previously published in our October 2025 issue.
Every summer, Emmaus High School memorial field fills up with girls dressed in shin guards and turf shoes, holding their different colored field hockey sticks, ready for an intensive practice. This wouldn’t be possible without EHS’s very own Sue Butz-Stavin as she now engages in her fiftieth coaching season.
Butz-Stavin kicked off her field hockey coaching career in New South Wales, Australia, where she had a teaching contract for one year.
Despite the fact that living in the ‘land down under’ for some time was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her, Butz-Stavin decided to return to her roots in America. Thereafter, she began coaching field hockey at EHS as soon as she came back in 1975.
Since then, Butz-Stavin has worked her way up to be one of the top field hockey coaches in the nation. The hours of strenuous training, practice, and strategic planning are all worth it to Butz- Stavin if the players are able to perform to the best of their ability.
“It’s about preparation. You have to look at all the different components to what are gonna make these girls so successful in the field,” Butz-Stavin explained.
She pushes her players to develop their skills, especially after tough losses. Despite any sorrow or heartbreak that comes alongside losing a game, Butz-Stavin makes sure the girls capitalize upon each opportunity that they are given.
Senior team captain Morgann Orobono, who leads the team’s defensive unit, owes much of her success to her coach.
“Overall, she tries to work with us and give us really positive affirmations throughout how we play to just make us be our best,” Orobono said.
Building the strength and willpower of the players takes a lot of time and effort. The team wouldn’t be where they are today without support from Butz-Stavin and the assistant coaches.
“You can’t do it all in one day. It all kind of blends together, and then you have a coaching staff that adds to it,” Butz-Stavin admitted.
Several of Butz-Stavin’s players have come back to work as an assistant coach for her, including assistant coach Lindsay Quay, due to their enjoyable experiences they had playing field hockey under Butz-Stavin.
“Reliving this [high school field hockey], playing our old rival, Parkland, it just brings back all wonderful memories from my playing days and just getting to see these girls live it is truly the best,” Quay stated.
Butz-Stavin values her assistant coach- es input greatly and encourages good sportsmanship within her players. She says not a day goes by where she isn’t thankful for every rewarding moment and achievement she gets.
With every passing year, Butz-Stavin believes she takes advantage of each opportunity to coach the team. To her, persistence is key, and giving up is never an option, no matter how tough the challenge becomes.
“Just keep on going. Like the energizer bunny,” Butz-Stavin said.
