Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge head coach Andi Adams hugs her players after they won the Class 5A state championship in 2021. Adams was named the 2025 CHARACTER COUNTS Coach of the Year by the IGHSAU.

Andi Adams has a state title. She’s won over 800 games. She’s in three Hall of Fames.

Her honor coming Friday at Rogers Park may be her most important yet.

Adams, who is in her 25th season overall at Fort Dodge Senior High, earned the 2025 CHARACTER COUNTS Award for the state of Iowa.

The recipient is honored based on someone who embodies the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

The award was conceived to recognize individuals whose coaching lives and achievements demonstrates an enduring commitment to any or all of the following qualities associated with good character.

Adams and the Dodgers begin their season in honor of assistant coach Aaron Miller, who died in a car accident on January 11th.

The season has brought many memories back of Miller, especially the CHARACTER COUNTS Award.

Miller was one of the nominators for Adams, as well as a person who sent the letters to the IGHSAU. Miller postmarked the letters on January 10 — the day before his passing.

“Every day he would tell me, ‘I don’t coach for programs, I coach for people,'” Adams said about Miller. “I just try to help players become stronger women and prepare them to deal with the world around them.

“Not everyone agrees with the approach I take, but I’m trying to teach life lessons. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. It’s about trying to give them those life lessons and hold them accountable.”

On the diamond, Adams has won 852 games as a head coach and 799 in her 25 years at Fort Dodge. Until this year, she had guided the Dodgers to a school-record seven straight tournaments and 16 overall.

She is the second winningest female coach in the state of Iowa (30th overall), behind Don Bosco’s Jane Becker (962).

“Everyboddy first thinks of Andi as a softball coach, but with her actions and behavior, she takes on a much larger role,” said FDCSD Superintendent Josh Porter. “She’s had a ton of success on the field, but I don’t think that’s what she wants to be remembered for. It’s about accountability for her student athletes.”

On the diamond, Adams’s relationships with players have left a lasting impact.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all she won the award,” said senior pitcher Lucy Porter. “She’s one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met — not only about softball, but about her players and their successes, her staff and the community.

“I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. She’s done so much for me and my teammates. No one is more deserving of this award. Softball has brought so many players together, but has also brought the Fort Dodge community together so much over the years and we wouldn’t have that or this program without a coach like her.”

Adams, who is an English teacher at Fort Dodge Senior High, is also in charge of the school’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee and directs two leadership classes for students.

“The teaching piece is very important. It’s nice to have teachers that coach and students that haven’t played for her still enjoy her just as much as players,” Porter said. “She strives on building relationships with kids and has high expectations for everyone. She is tough, realistic and authentic. She will tell you how it is and be real with you.

“She’s genuine, and her relationships with people are honest.”

In 2021, Adams helped bring FDSH the Class 5A state championship. Her successes aren’t isolated to just the softball field, though.

“She comes from a real and authentic place, and we find that the vast majority of kids want that,” Porter said. “They talk about her winning a state title, but her true legacy is in all the kids that she has impacted on and off the field. And we know that carries over into the classroom.”

It didn’t take long for second-year FDSH activities director Brandon Ruffridge to see the impact Adams makes.

“You have a coach that gives her heart and soul to her program and kids. She’s always been one to credit her players, assistant coaches at all levels, and the community of Fort Dodge for the success that her program has experienced,” Ruffridge said. ” She has set high standards in both the classroom and on the field, and if you aren’t meeting them, she’s going to let you know about it.

“Sometimes kids struggle with that, but she’s preparing them for life after softball and high school.”

Adams is always trying to find ways to build relationships and inspire the next generation.

“Andi cares about her students and athletes as individuals, and they know it,” Ruffridge said. “In the two-plus years I’ve been around her program, I’ve had the opportunity to get a closer look into the things she does, and when it comes to team building and team bonding, she’s very good at that. I’m a big believer that in order to be a championship program, you have to have great team chemistry. I’ve always sensed that her softball teams, have had that, and it starts at the top.

“If you walk into her classroom, you will see structure and discipline — just as you would if you were to watch a Dodger softball practice or game. She has a passion to teach, coach and lead, and she expects you to give your best — whether it be in her classroom or on her softball field.”