From the Baseball Field to the Softball Diamond, Kierstyn Lambeth Pursues Team USA Dreams

What started on a baseball field in the suburbs of Houston resulted in a path to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex for the USA Softball High Performance Program National Selection Event.

Kierstyn Lambeth, and the other top players in the country, converged on Vero Beach, Fla., on the weekend of Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2023 with hopes of being selected for a USA Softball Women’s National Team program.

Lambeth earned an invitation to the 2023 event following her performance at the 2022 National Selection Event where she was chosen as one of the top 18 players in the U-13 division.

The HPP program was created by USA Softball in 2020 with the goal of identifying a pool of athletes to train, compete and represent USA Softball in domestic, and international, competitions.

“I would be so honored to play for Team USA. There would be so much pride that I would be able to play with all those amazing athletes and I think playing with those people would make me a better person and a better athlete in general being surrounded by those great athletes and amazing coaches.”

The National Selection Event included drills and evaluations in addition to on-field competition.

“I had a little bit of nerves, but having gone through the process before I knew what to expect. But it’s always a little different when someone is evaluating everything you are doing.”

Day two at the HPP included on-field evaluations from Ally Carda, Taylor Edwards, Sam Fischer, Baylee Klingler, Haylie McCleney, Michelle Moultrie, Gwen Svekis, Blaine Milheim and Nick Mullins.

Players started with a hitting duo and then moved onto throwing. Following a short break, players were timed in the 40-yard dash and completed a 5-10-5 drill.

Players were then placed on teams and played one game on Dec. 1 and two games on Dec. 2.

When Lambeth took the field as a member of Team U-14 Bustos it was just like being at one of her travel ball games. In the circle was her Impact Gold 2K9 National teammate Macie Bryant and behind the plate was her Impact Gold 2K9 National teammate Izzy Lawrence.

“Having Macie as the pitcher and Izzy as her catcher made it feel almost normal, especially when I was at first base and she was pitching and Izzy was catching. I was just so comfortable when I went onto the field with them, it just felt right.”

Additionally, Bryant has served as an inspiration for Lambeth in her quest to represent Team USA.

Bryant was named to the USA Softball U-15 team last year and helped lead Team USA to gold medals at the WBSC Americas Qualifiers, the Utsugi Cup and the U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup.

“I’ve talked with Macie about her trips to Japan and Peru and she told me what an incredible experience it was and that she loved being able to compete and represent our country.

“Her experience has definitely pushed me to work even harder and never settle. I love being on the field with her and it would be an amazing experience for both of us to be able to play for Team USA.”

Lambeth is chasing the dream of playing for the USA Softball Women’s National Team because she is always pursuing achievement at the highest level. She also has an appetite for competing against, and learning from, the best players in the country.

“It’s awesome. Playing with these kinds of athletes is great because you don’t have to worry about them making a mistake or not making a play. You just trust that they’re going to be there and get the ball to you.”

For her mother Keri Lambeth, watching her daughter compete for a spot on the USA Softball Women’s National Team is gratifying and inspiring.

“I always tell her I wish I was as good as she is. She works so incredibly hard, so for her to have the opportunity to even do this is special. As a mom, knowing how much she loves the game, it just makes it really special. I’m really proud of her.

“It’s never enough with Kierstyn. It’s always one more pitch or can you throw me one more bucket of balls. She just loves the game through and through and to see all her hard work paying off is just amazing. She wants to go play ball in college and she wants to work in sports. She’s not quite sure what yet, but she’s playing with all these ideas. She wants softball to be part of her professional life and she was made for this.”

Kierstyn will learn if she has been selected as a top performer for her age-specific group in the coming weeks with a possible invitation to a National Team trial as the reward.

The Journey

A baseball field is not a customary beginning for a career in softball, but for Kierstyn Lambeth circumstances dictated the path.

Her family moved back to the Houston area, but due to the timing of the move, the deadline to register for youth softball had already passed. But Kierstyn wanted to play so Keri Lambeth reached out to a friend and she registered her for a youth baseball league.

“I’ve always wanted to play ball. It didn’t matter if it was baseball or softball back then,” Kierstyn said. “I just wanted to hit the ball hard and run around the bases.”

“She was one of two girls that played baseball and she just did it and has never looked back.” Keri said.

It didn’t hurt that she may have received a little extra boost in terms of genetics.

Her mother Keri played softball at the University of Houston and coached at George Washington University and the University of Houston-Victoria while her father Ryan played collegiate baseball at Texarkana College.

Keri and Ryan were careful not to force Kierstyn into the game of softball. There were other stops along the path – volleyball, basketball and even dance.

“We let her choose, but she did not want to dance. That was a mama choice,” Keri said. “She has literally grown up on the softball field. Seeing all the kids that I’ve coached throughout the years, she probably wanted to do it too and she wanted to do it better because that’s her mentality.”

For Kierstyn, the choice was easy because she felt comfortable on the diamond.

“I love the competition from playing softball and it has always been one of my favorite things to do even when I was little. I played soccer, basketball, volleyball and I did some dance, but when I got out to the softball field it just felt like home.”

Since then, her softball career has taken off as she currently plays for the Impact Gold 2K9 National travel team and attends Clear Creek High School.

Her success on the softball field is directly tied to her desire to compete against the best.

“I love being surrounded by great athletes, especially since we’re so elite on my team. Playing alongside them also brings in the competitive part. You never want to think you are the best because then you won’t want to get better. When you’re surrounded by so many great athletes you are always getting pushed to the next level. The competition gets stronger and stronger, and everyone is pushing each other to become better.”

The lefty first baseman and outfielder has plans to pursue softball in college and is already drawing interest from Power 5 schools.

“I really hope to be able to attend a DI college that has the right education for me to support what I want to do following graduation. I want to major in sports marketing or sports administration, and I want a good education, but I also want to be at an elite level for softball.”

Having raised her, and as a coach on the Impact Gold 2K9 National team, Keri has a unique perspective on what makes her daughter a special player.

“There are certain players that are game changers and playmakers, and Kierstyn is both. We played in Colorado last year and we were down seven runs in the semifinals, and she hit a home run that just inspired the entire team, and we ended up winning the game.

“When she says she is going to do something, she will do it. She’s not a power hitter, but she puts the ball in play every time. She just has that mentality that not a lot of players have, which is the ability to overcome failure.”

The journey to a career in softball is never a solo quest and Lambeth embraces the role her family has played in bringing her to this point.

“My family is super important to me because they’ve given me so many opportunities, especially letting me go to the USA Softball HPP events. My family has done so much for me. They’ve created so many opportunities and everything for me and I know I wouldn’t be here without my family.”

Having a platform on which to be successful is only half the battle. The real challenge is putting in the energy, effort and dedication to get better every day. Lambeth is doing that with her softball career.

You will see Lambeth in the near future at a softball field, possibly wearing the red, white and blue of Team USA or wearing the uniform of the college she chooses to attend.

She definitely was destined for this.

*****

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