Cooper stadium renamed for pioneer of girls' sports

New Hope, Minnesota - The school board for Robbinsdale Area Schools unanimously approved a request by Cooper Principal Mike Favor and Cooper Activities Director John Oelfke to change the name of the Robbinsdale Cooper Stadium Field to Barbara A. Lehman Stadium in honor of the former Cooper athletic director and pioneer of girls' athletics.

Lehman began her career in 1965 when she started Sports Play Days for girls in Colorado. She continued her work with girl’s sports by developing high speed swimming programs and intramural programs for volleyball and basketball. She served Robbinsdale Area Schools for 42 years, first as a teacher, then as a coach for alpine skiing, basketball, speed swimming and girl’s golf, and finally as the first female athletic director at Cooper High School, devoting much of her energy and time working for gender equity in high school athletics. Lehman remains active in the Minnesota State High School League and received a Special Merit Award from the Classic Lake Conference in 2007.

Lehman says the announcement brought her to tears. "It was just amazing to me that they would think of me in those terms, to name a stadium after me," she said. "I was just overwhelmed. It's so special for me."

Retiring district superintendent Stan F. Mack II is happy that one of his final actions was to support naming Cooper’s athletic stadium in Barb Lehman's honor. "To celebrate someone as fabulous as Barbara Lehman is truly a joy," he said.

A ceremony to rename the facility will take place at the first home football game in September. For more information, contact Cooper athletic director John Oelfke at 763-504-8518 or john_oelfke@rdale.org.