STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Sandy Litkenhaus, one of St. Peter’s Girls High School’s all-time great hoopers and the 1987 Jaques Award winner, has spent years shaping the Staten Island basketball landscape as both a standout player and a coach.
Now, she’ll finally get her chance to lead a high school program, as Litkenhaus has been named the new head coach of the Staten Island Academy’s girls’ varsity team.
Litkenhaus, who went on to star at Villanova University after graduating from St. Peter’s, had long been interested in leading a high school program, but the timing never quite aligned. But when Staten Island Academy athletic director Michael Mazella reached out again after her son, Sean, graduated from the Dongan Hills school and headed to college, she knew the moment was finally right.
“I think there’s a history with the girls’ basketball program there of being very good, and that’s exciting. My son played for the boys’ basketball team, and I really think it was a great experience for him. So it’s kind of like a second home to me. I’ve been there with my children, and now I’m back as a coach; it’s always one of my favorite gyms to play in,” she began.
Before starting her new journey, Litkenhaus made sure to honor the mentors who guided her at every level of the game— each helping shape her into the coach she is today.
“I was coached by Bob Daggett and Pat Daggett, very well known and excellent coaches on Staten Island at St. Christopher’s, Joan Gumb in high school and then Harry Peretta, who coached for 42 years at Villanova.”
“I think those coaches taught me everything I’ve learned, and it’s what I’m going to draw on — everything they taught me, their knowledge of the game. I’m going to try to teach that, and I’m going to try to coach how I was coached,” she shared.
Litkenhaus also thanked the tight-knit borough basketball community for the congratulations and well wishes following her appointment, noting that the support she’s received has “been all positive feedback.”
“A lot of people have reached out to congratulate me and say it’s great and about time. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from people who just heard through the basketball community and texted me or mentioned it when I ran into them at Staten Island Academy or around the borough.”
“The basketball community is pretty small — you run into a lot of people, and we’re all doing the same thing, trying to teach the game, give back to what we were taught, and pay it forward to the kids,” she said.
As for her coaching background, Litkenhaus believes that all of her previous experiences — whether running camps or coaching AAU — have prepared her to take on a high school team.
St. Joseph by-the-Sea’s Kristine Curcio (22) defends St. Peter’s Sandy Litkenhaus (11) during a game on Jan. 24, 1987. (Staten Island Advance)
“I always did a lot of workouts, ran clinics, and stayed involved in basketball — either playing or coaching. I’ve played in an adult league since I graduated from college, and I’ve always done camps. I started coaching AAU for seventh and eighth-graders with the Staten Island Mavericks right around the time COVID hit. Three of those players I coached with the Mavericks are playing in college now,” Litkenhaus shared.
The former Jaques Award winner also works full time as a school nurse — a career she believes has given her the compassion and patience essential to working with kids in any setting.
“I think with school nursing, you talk to kids a lot and realize they have a lot of stress in their lives. You have to look at them as a whole person — not just a basketball player, but what’s happening in school, at home, and everything else that affects them — and try to help them create a balance,” she said.
Lastly, when asked what she hopes to accomplish in her first season with a team that went a strong 20–6 last year, Litkenhaus didn’t mention championships or win total goals. Instead, she offered a more holistic answer.
“I feel that I bring a female player perspective to my coaching approach, so I can offer guidance to these girls through my own playing experience,” Litkenhaus said.
“But I think what’s really important is that I want to challenge them to figure out what kind of player they want to be, help them reach that goal, but also help them understand that they play a role within a team system and help them figure out what is going to make them a better teammate and how they can help make the team better,” she concluded.
With the Tigers’ season opener set for Nov. 26, it’s clear that while Litkenhaus will aim to help her players win games, she’s even more focused on helping them grow into well-rounded young women in the process.
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