Glory Days: Field Hockey Star Recalls Hall of Fame Career

Growing up in a neighborhood full of boys, Mary Beth Heesters-Klesh loved running outside to play stickball and basketball on warm afternoons. Her love for sports led her to become a field hockey legend in high school.

Yet the star player, a 1982 Cranford High School graduate, was as surprised as anyone when she was informed of her induction into the Cranford Sports Hall of Fame. It turned out to be a very special birthday present.

"I got the letter in the mail on my birthday, and at first I thought, is this real?" said Heesters-Klesh. "I had to call back to Cranford to verify. It's a very big honor."

A two-time all-Union County selection, Heesters-Klesh finished her senior season as the top-scorer in program history with 29 goals  and 6 assists. In 1981, she led the Lady Cougars to the 1981 Union County championship, but the road to the top wasn't easy.

"I went from middle school straight to varsity as a sophomore and that was a very big transition and a little intimidating, but I was the type of player that learned to play by observation and from my peers. A lot of my success evolved that way," she explained.

Heesters-Klesh, who graduated from Rider University in 1986, was certainly a decorated player: She was a member of the Group 3 North Jersey all-star team in 1982, the New Jersey Coaches Association all-star team, and the 1982 All-State second team.

Among her many honors, Heesters-Klesh was named Union County scholar-athlete (UCIAC), Cranford Booster Club female scholar-athlete. She was eve invited to  attend Team USA tryouts and the Olympic Development program.

"I very much enjoyed the camaraderie and being with elite players. It just made me a better player," she said.

Her passion for field hockey gave her the opportunity of a lifetime – a full scholarship. In exchange for playing Division 1 field hockey at Rider University, Heesters-Klesh received her college education for free.  

"I was a very humble player. I really didn't see myself as a standout player. I often had to be told when there were articles in the newspaper. Even going into college, when I got a full-ride, I was totally humbled by the whole aspect of it."

Her love of field hockey eventually led her to the coaching ranks, where she was JV and varsity assistant coach for Smoky Hills High School in Aurora, Colorado from 2003-2008, helping to lead the team to a division championship and the state finals.

"Once they found out I was from the east coast and played Division 1 field hockey, they said, you need to be a coach. We got into the division state championship. It was a great experience for me."

One of the things Heesters-Klesh enjoyed the most however, was sharing her passion for the game with her team.

"I love motivating the kids and being a role model for the kids. I had always been a team player rather than thinking of myself as a standout athlete. My big thing was to be a team player and that's how I had gauged my success."

After high school, Heesters-Klesh fell in love with an active, sporty lifestyle in the Midwest: She went out to Colorado with another Cranford graduate and never came back, taking to the Rocky Mountain high right from the start.

"I really love the fact that we do have 300 days of sun. So it's quite possible to go skiing in the morning and play golf by the afternoon."

And there's no doubt that Heesters-Klesh will enjoy her next trip down the slopes, knowing that her Hall of Fame plaque sits in the trophy case at her alma mater -- a reminder of high school glory days.