Greenwich’s Klara Mueffelmann might be state’s best player
For Greenwich’s Klara Mueffelmann, field hockey is the international language.
Mueffelmann moved to Greenwich from Hamburg, Germany in sixth grade not speaking much English.
She was, however, already fluent in field hockey player and quickly found friends through the Eastern Middle School team, where it was immediately apparent she was the best player on the field.
As she plays in her senior season at Greenwich, her English is near perfect and her game is not far behind.
Mueffelmann is considered one the state’s best offensive field hockey players and will be taking her game to Boston College next fall.
“She is the most skilled player I have ever seen at the high school level. Definitely at this school and in this league and probably in the state,” Greenwich coach Megan Wax said. “She was always leap and bounds ahead of her teammates and the league, even as a freshman. It’s fun having her but the other teams know her too, it’s no secret.”
Mueffelmann has loved field hockey since she first picked up a stick in Germany at 6-years old.
“I love it so much,” Mueffelmann said. “I am a very social team player and I love being around people. Field hockey is such a social sport. You work on your individual skills but then combining that with working with your team is what makes this sport so fun. I just love everything about it so much and have since I started playing in Germany.”
Mueffelmann, who has started at left forward for Greenwich since her freshman season, was AllFCIAC and CHSCA AllState last year, making her a well-known commodity around the state.
“Her stick skills are phenomenal and she is so versatile in what she can do that she can play the left, play the right or come back and play defense when she has to,” Wax said. “It’s not just the skill she has but the speed at which she is able to do them with no fouls, no errors and the ball not popping off her stick, is unbelievable. It’s really fun to watch her play.”
Along with the technical skill, Wax said the game slows down for Mueffelmann in ways it does not for most players.
“She can get locked in and focused on what she’s doing. She has so much experience and has played so much she can just read what’s going to happen and it allows her to make better decisions in each moment,” Wax said. “She has such a vison of what is happening around her but also a vision of what she wants to
play out. That’s another thing we are working with the younger girls on. Klara sees it and I see it but we are trying to get everyone to see it so we can connect and have more opportunities.”
While her skills were always there, Wax said Mueffelmann has developed into an incredible leader, which in turn, elevated her game even more.
“She has grown in the leadership role,” Wax said. “Her understanding of how the other players’ roles intertwine with her role as grown vastly which then helps build up everyone around her. Not only does she take over a field with her play but she is able to elevate everyone around her. That was a
few years process but it was a huge area of growth for her.”
Mueffelmann’s love of the game grew even stronger as she met new people, easing her transition to the United States.
“I met all my friends through field hockey. Eastern Middle school team in 6th grade is where I met all my best friends,” Mueffelmann said. “I was lost in the beginning, being in a new country, and field hockey allowed me to feel comfortable and meet people as I got used to living in a new country.”
Wax said Mueffelmann is not only in the center of the action on the field, but off it as well.
“She is so goofy and friendly and willing to chat with anybody,” Wax said. “She wants to be the positive in every situation. She is always up and always cheering everybody
on. She was out with an injury for a couple of games and she was constantly trying to bring the energy from the bench.”
Greenwich lost a ton of talent to graduation and with only four seniors on the roster, Mueffelmann has had to adjust to playing with a different team than last year.
“Our team is a lot different than last year because we had a lot of seniors graduate,” Mueffelmann said. “This year, we have a lot of new sophomores on the team. It’s difficult to connect but we have been improving the more we play with each other and the more everyone gets involved on the field. The seniors just need to make sure that the younger players know what they are doing on the field. We need to be open for them to ask us questions and get help with what we are
doing so they will feel more confident.”
The Cardinals are 2-10-1 this season and Mueffelmann has been a force, scoring four goals in the team’s 8-0 win over McMahon.
Not only has she been shining on the field but she s also helping develop the players around her.
“We have a young team and there is a lot of learning so having her on the field with them helps out,” Wax said. “She can explain what we are doing and even move people around. She really helps the young girls get used to the fast-paced style of play and realize the speed they need to be going at. She just helps teach them so much.”