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Former All-American Named to Softball Coaching Staff
9/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 27, 2010
HOUSTON - The University of Houston softball team announced the newest addition to the program as Kristin Vesely was named to the coaching staff on Monday.
Vesely joins the program as an assistant coach focusing primarily on hitting and coaching the outfield after an impressive playing career at the University of Oklahoma.
"Coming from the program that she came from, playing in the College World Series, being a semifinalist for the USA Player of the Year and an All-American, I just think that's a history and an experience that is needed for this group," head coach Kyla Holas said. "They need to be around people everyday who've played at that level and have done it with that caliber of program to understand that there is another level out there."
Vesely will have plenty of elite softball experience to share with her new team, as the Phoenix, Ariz., native begins work with the Cougars on Monday. A USA Player of the Year semifinalist during her junior season and a quarterfinalist during her senior campaign, Vesely has a wide selection of success stories to pull from.
The Sooner all-time hits leader (293) started all but four games in the outfield during her freshman year in Norman, Okla., and took off from there. She was named to the All-Big 12 team in each of her four years and an NFCA All-American for her last two seasons.
Her role with the Cougars as the hitting and outfield coach will be backed by her strong resume in both aspects of the game. Vesely held a 73-game errorless streak that stretched from her junior to senior seasons, and the 97 hits she recorded as a junior still stands as the most in a single season by any Big 12 player.
Aside from being one of the most decorated players in Oklahoma's storied softball program, Vesely competed all four years on the Sooners' soccer team as well. She helped guide the Sooners to its best start in program history, as they posted an 11-1 record to open her senior season en route to earning a Big 12 Tournament berth.
Following the completion of her collegiate career, the New England Riptide took Vesely in the first round of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) 2006 College Player Draft. The fourth-overall selection played professionally for the organization for one season.
Now, Vesely is ready for the transition from playing at an elite level to coaching at one. After starting her career coaching younger players and acquiring the skills needed, the All-American is looking forward to guiding collegiate athletes.
"Since I started coaching younger kids, I had to work on my communications skills and finding ways to explain things in a way they could understand it," Vesely said. "Working with older kids is easier. Sometimes it can be frustrating because it came naturally to me, but it's been an easy transition into coaching. It's what I want to do."
After receiving several phone calls speaking highly of her coaching addition, Holas' excitement to work with the newest member of the Houston softball family is evident. The team prides itself on its closeness and team chemistry. Holas knows that welcoming a new coach as committed to the program as Vesely is something the group will quickly accomplish.
The first-time assistant returns the sentiment when it comes to working under the founder of Houston softball.
"It's going to be exciting," Vesely said about working with Holas. "Just watching her coach and hearing how she talks to the athletes, I just love it. She's someone I can learn from and someone with different ideas so I know I'll continue to grow from being around her. She has made a huge impact with these girls and the community here, too."
Vesely will jump right into the team's preparation for its fall schedule. The Cougars open against the Texas A&M Aggies at the Spring Klein Fall Classic on Sat., Oct. 2 at 11:45 a.m.