Karen Kuhn, longtime WIAA legend in girls’ sports, dies at 82

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — A longtime legend for girls’ interscholastic sports in Wisconsin and beyond has died.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) announced the loss of Karen Kuhn, the first woman to serve on the WIAA executive staff, on Tuesday. Kuhn was 82.

“The impact that Karen has had on this organization and education-based athletics in this state has been tremendous and her legacy will last forever,” WIAA Executive Director Stephanie Hauser said in a release.

Kuhn joined the WIAA staff on June 15, 1971, taking on the role of administrative assistant to the executive director.

Kuhn quickly rose the ranks, becoming the assistant to the director in 1973 and then, associate director in 1992. She later retired in 2002.

For over three decades, she made instrumental moves for the growth of girls’ high school sports. In fact, she was the WIAA’s first sports coordinator that administered girls’ sports programs.

Among her many responsibilities were coordinating administrative efforts, playing rules, season regulations, tournament planning procedures, officials’ assignments for the sports of basketball, track & field, cross country and volleyball. She also tackled gender equity issues as a part of her work on WIAA task forces, looking at the topics of equal seasons, the imbalance of girls’ sports and more.

Her work had a national impact. During her retirement year, she was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame. She was also involved with the Girls’ Advisory Council for the Division of Girls and Womens’ Sports and gave presentations at NFHS events.

During her tenure, she not only used her expertise to help girls’ sports; she also extended that to boys’ sports too.

Over the years, she received many honors and awards, including, but not limited to, the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Women’s Sports Advocates of Wisconsin, Inc. (1994), the Award of Merit by the Wisconsin High School Track Coaches Association (1995) and the United States Volleyball Association Meritorious Service Award (1996).

Prior to joining the WIAA, Kuhn was a teacher. She taught at Steuben Junior High School in Milwaukee and then St. Francis High School. She later went on to teach physical education at Whitefish Bay High School.

When she retired for WIAA, former WIAA Executive Director Doug Chickering said she was “more than a pioneer.”

“…she is a giant in the development of sports programs for high school girls,” he said in part.

“We miss Karen. Her name and legacy at the WIAA and the NFHS will never be forgotten,” WIAA said in the release.