Becky Moers was a budding junior high basketball player when her family took her to see a St. John’s-Boston College women’s game in Queens. It wasn’t just any old contest, though. It was a chance to catch a glimpse of Boston College guard/forward Clare Droesch, a fellow Rockaway native and veritable local celebrity.
“I remember when I went, I really didn’t know who she was,” Moers said. “That was the first game that I was really introduced to her as a player. I remember I looked around and there was like so many people from Rockaway, this has gotta be something big right now.”
Since then, Moers has noticed just how big Droesch is down on the tight-knit peninsula. She’s seen her picture in restaurants, she’s heard tales of her exploits at Christ the King. Heck, her teammate Kristin Henschel is Droesch’s cousin.
“Everybody talks about her in Rockaway,” Moers said. “Even if you don’t know her, you know people that know her.”
Now, though, the Scholars Academy senior guard knows her as “coach.” Droesch, a former high-school All-American at CK, is in her first season as assistant to Seawolves coach Janet Kleiner. She coached a bunch of the players in the St. Francis Summer Classic league in July and August and they convinced her to come aboard.
“It’s kind of my way to give back to the community, which was always following me and supporting me,” Droesch said. “And it’s fun.”
Droesch, 28, graduated from Boston College in 2005 and went immediately into coaching. She was an assistant at UMass Boston, then Vanderbilt and two seasons ago she landed at St. John’s. The coaching part she enjoyed, but there were obstacles, including a foot injury that kept her from competing.
“I loved it, but I wasn’t ready mentally,” Droesch said. “I was still upset about not playing. My foot was messed up. I just needed a year break to figure everything out.”
Last year, she moved to Hawaii to get away from it all – including basketball. That didn’t last very long, though. Droesch ended up coaching a boys team there in its first ever season. Perhaps that was foreshadowing for Scholars Academy, which is in just its second varsity season. The new high school – the institution is sixth grade through 12th – will graduate its first senior class in June.
“To be involved in that, to be a part of it, I kind of want to build something for Rockaway,” Droesch said. “I think I can help in doing that.”
So far, so good. With Droesch and Kleiner, who had a successful 27-year run at Springfield Gardens, at the helm, the Seawolves have become one of the teams to beat in Class B. After Thursday’s 66-35 victory over RFK, they are 10-0 in PSAL Queens B East and 14-1 overall.
“It’s very helpful, her enthusiasm, she’s coached some of the kids during the summer,” Kleiner said of Droesch’s presence. “It’s energy. It’s suggestions. It’s a few new out-of-bounds plays. It’s a few new halfcourt offensive sets.”
Added senior guard Kristin Dchiutiis: “She understands what we’re going through. It wasn’t that long ago for her. She understands the pressure on us. She really helps us out with everything.”
Droesch counts legendary Christ the King coach Vinny Cannizzaro as one of her biggest supporters. Cannizzaro, who coached Droesch at the Middle Village school until Bob Mackey took over the program her senior year, asked her to coach at the Hoop Group camp in Pennsylvania a few years ago.
“Clare is one of those rare individuals who have a great feel for the game,” Cannizzaro said. “She loves the game of basketball, has a great understanding of how the game is supposed to be played and she can really motivate players.”
Droesch is enjoying it. She loves spending time with the girls and she says she hopes to stay until Henschel, her cousin, graduates in two years. Droesch still wants to get into coaching at the college level and will listen if called, but right now her heart is in Rockaway.
“It’s really great that these girls can be the start of such an amazing program,” Droesch said. “They can come back in a few years and say ‘That was me, I started this.’ I think it’s awesome. I think it’s great what Scholars is doing.”