FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stanley Law Offices Celebrates Carol “Stash” Stanley’s Induction into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame
Softball pioneer, coach, inventor, and philanthropist enshrined with the Class of 2026; the Syracuse firm honors her lifetime of opening doors for young women in sports and education
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (October 28, 2026) — Stanley Law Offices today congratulated Carol “Stash” Stanley on her induction into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame. Stash was enshrined Monday, October 26, with the Class of 2026 at the Hall’s 39th annual Dinner and Induction Ceremony at the Oncenter Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center, before a sold-out crowd.
Stash, the sister of Stanley Law Offices founder and partner Joe Stanley, joins six fellow inductees in the Class of 2026: Dr. Bruce Baker, Frank Colabufo, Michael Doctor, Robert Drummond, John Hohm and Tommy Tanner. The 1972 East Syracuse Minoa football team was named the 2026 Team of Honor.
A pioneer when there was no team to join
Stash built a 27-year playing career in an era when girls’ softball barely existed. Bishop Ludden High School had no softball program in the 1960s, so she was recruited onto the Onondaga Indians, a travel team made up almost entirely of Native American players. She was in Ludden’s first graduating class and later its first Athletic Hall of Fame class.
SUNY Fredonia had no team either. Stash (pronounced “Stosh”) played fast-pitch in the American Softball Association instead and was named an All-American third baseman twice. In 1976 she led Binghamton’s Hank’s Painting REDS to the ASA Class A Fast-Pitch National Championship. She also played semi-pro ball in Erie, Pa.
A coach who built programs
Stash founded the varsity softball team at SUNY Binghamton in the late 1970s, served as an assistant coach at Ohio State, and helped establish the sport in Peru. She holds a B.S. in kinesiology from Fredonia, master’s degrees from SUNY Cortland and Drexel, and is a Distinguished Alumna of SUNY Fredonia. She served as Registrar of the University of Virginia from 2000 to 2017.
An inventor in Cooperstown
In 1983, Stash and co-inventor Kim Miller created the STAN-MILL MITT, a fingerless protective liner worn under a fielding glove. More than 200 Major League Baseball players have worn it, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has it on permanent display.
Her later invention, LaceLocker, is a lightweight, nearly indestructible device that keeps shoelaces tied. Proceeds from LaceLocker sales endow the LaceLocker Scholarship Fund, which Stash leads as executive director. The fund helps first-generation young women take their next big step: college. She is also President and CEO of STASH Sporting Goods, Inc., in Charlottesville, Va.
A family celebration
“Stash opened doors for women in sports long before anyone was holding them open,” said Joe Stanley, Founder and Partner of Stanley Law Offices. “She didn’t wait for a team. She built one, and then she spent the rest of her life making sure the next generation of young women had a path. Our whole Stanley Law family is proud of her, and proud that her legacy now lives in the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame.”
Stanley Law Offices marked the induction with a congratulatory tribute to Stash and the full Class of 2026. Learn more about the scholarship fund at LaceLocker.com.
About Stanley Law Offices
Stanley Law Offices is a personal injury, workers’ compensation, and Social Security Disability firm headquartered at 215 Burnet Ave., Syracuse, NY 13203. Founded by attorney Joe Stanley, the firm serves clients from offices in Syracuse, Watertown, Rochester, Batavia, Buffalo, Cortland, Oneonta, Binghamton, and Montrose, PA. Stanley Law Offices is “There for You.” Learn more at StanleyLawOffices.com or call 1-800-608-3333.
Media Contact
Angela Moonan, Angela Moonan, LLC 315-559-5530 · Bloom@AngelaMoonan.com
###
Sources
- Meet the GSSHOF Class of 2026, Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame
- 2026 Hall of Fame Dinner is Sold Out, Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame