History of W. Leo Shields Memorial Field

The first game played at W. Leo Shields Memorial Field was during the 1959 season as Barnstable High School made the transition from the old high school on School Road in Hyannis, the same site that formerly house the Hyannis Fifth Grade School.

    The football field at Barnstable High School was named for former football star, head coach and Barnstable High School Athletic Director W. Leo Shields following his death in 1964.

    The Barnstable High School Red Raiders have played their home games at W. Leo Shields Memorial Field ever since.

    Shields was a three-time varsity letterman for Barnstable High School in football and track during his attendance from 1928 through 1931, graduating in 1932. Shields went on to an All-American performance in football at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, before returning to his alma mater Barnstable as a teacher and coach. His final season as head football coach was in 1953, when he became Barnstable High School athletic director, but he remained as an assistant coach. He died in 1964.