More than 400 students, staff and alumni gathered at Towson High School on Saturday for a ceremony in which the school’s new athletic field was officially named Randy Dase Field, in honor of one of its most influential figures — on the field and off.
A member of Towson’s Class of 1972, Dase earned nine varsity letters as a student athlete (soccer, basketball and lacrosse), was named the 1972 Towson Student Athlete of the Year, and was inducted into the Towson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
After graduating from Johns Hopkins University, where he played lacrosse, Dase returned to Towson High as a teacher and coach in 1977. He taught social studies at the school for 43 years and coached soccer, basketball, lacrosse and badminton for a total of 97 seasons, guiding the Towson Generals to 10 state championships, eight in lacrosse and two in soccer.
The new athletic field is the first completed component of a multi-phase expansion and renovation that’s underway at Towson High, which opened at 69 Cedar Avenue in 1949 and has more than 1550 students. A four-story addition is expected to open next year and much of the original building will be renovated after that.
Dase is the second Towson High graduate to have part of the campus named after himself. A segment of Cedar Avenue in front of the school is named Michael Phelps Way, after the swimmer who went there from 1999 to 2003 and won more Olympic medals than any other athlete, a total of 28 across four Olympic games.
Dase is also a cancer survivor, diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016. He was treated by the late Dr. Alan Partin, Jaworski Family Director of the Brady Urological Institute and Urologist-in-Chief at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Dr. Mohammad Allah, who now holds those titles at Hopkins. On Father’s Day of 2023, Dase threw out the first pitch at Oriole Park. representing the Brady Urological Institute for Prostate Cancer Day across Major League Baseball.
Nearly a decade ago, the school’s soccer team surprised Dase with a Prostate Cancer Awareness Game. This year, following the field’s dedication, the team had its eighth annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Game, against Dulaney High School. The game was a fundraiser for the Brady Urological Institute and its Prostate Cancer Discovery Fund.
One way that Dase combined his roles as teacher and coach is that he arranged for several of his varsity soccer teams to tour the Brady Urological Institute and see the work it does and how it was able to help him and others.
On those tours, students got to hear from the doctors and other staffers who care for patients with prostate cancer and learn about their training techniques in a hospital setting. The tours gave the students a chance to ask questions and see what it’s like to be part of the medical profession.
‘Iron Man’
Before the game, speakers paid tribute to Dase’s legacy, leadership and impact on the community, calling him the ‘Iron Man’ of Towson High. They praised him as a great motivator who cared about character more than winning and embodied the school’s motto, “A Tradition of Excellence.” They said no one has been there longer than he has.
“Your legacy, as many have said, is not measured by wins, championships or years,” former lacrosse coach Rick Brocato told Dase. “It’s measured by the thousands of lives you changed, the confidence you built, the character you shaped and the example that you set. It’s only fitting that your name now becomes a permanent part of the community you have loved and served for so long.”
“Randy Dase IS Towson High School,” said former Towson High Athletic Director Justin Nash.
‘My dream came true’
Dase responded with a heartfelt talk in which he discussed why he stayed at one school for his entire career and what he got out of being a “General for Life.” He thanked those behind the field dedication and his career, starting with his family and including classmates, teammates, teachers, coaches, students, parents, alumni, administrators and friends. He said teaching at Towson High was his dream job after he graduated from Hopkins and got a call to take the place of a teacher who was retiring in the middle of the school year.
“Some say you can never go home again, but my dream came true,” he said. “I returned to Towson High School Feb. 1, 1977, as a 22-year-old social studies teacher. That’s a day I treasure for life.”
Towson High has been “very good to me,” Dase said. “It has given me an incredible life, wonderful friendships, countless memories…Most important, Towson taught me that no one accomplishes anything alone. I’ve said this a million times: Team stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. This field represents the ideal perfectly. Countless people worked together to make this field possible. Yes, my name will be associated with this field, but make no mistake: The field belongs to all of us.”
At this point, Dase became philosophical.
“This field is so much more than turf with lines,” he said. “It’s a classroom without walls. It’s a place for young athletes who will learn lessons that go far beyond sports: Commitment, teamwork, goal-setting, perseverance, sportsmanship. And the glue that holds that concept together is discipline. Discipline breeds success. Discipline is love. In this classroom, athletes will learn how to win with class, how to lose with class. It will build friendships here that will last a lifetime. It will push themselves beyond their comfort zone and discover exactly what they’re capable of being. What an amazing classroom, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be a student in this classroom and a coach in it for close to 50 years. What a privilege in my life.”
‘Play with heart and guts’
Dase closed by musing about students of the future.
“To the athletes who will run, play, compete, laugh and dream on this field, my hope is that you will play with heart and guts,” he said. “Always respect your opponents. Demonstrate good sportsmanship and character. Honor the game. Never take for granted the opportunity that you have to play. Be proud to represent your school and understand that lessons you learn here will stay with you after you leave this field. May this field be the starting point for your biggest dreams. Who knows what dreams will come true for the young people who play here in the years ahead?”
He also asked the audience to support Hopkins and its work.
“Please donate to the Brady Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital,” he said. “I’m standing here today because of brave doctors like Doctor Allaf. Please donate today so we find out more about the cure.”
He was clearly touched by the outpouring of support.
“To have my name attached to this field is an honor far greater than I ever could have anticipated,” he said. “I’m profoundly humbled…To Towson High School, thank you for giving me a lifetime of memories that I will always treasure. It is truly a great day to be a General, and thank you again for this incredible honor.”
