Kelsey Bing is considered one of the best shot-stopping goalkeepers in women’s field hockey.
The 2024 Summer Games in Paris could be her first Olympics. But before being an Olympic hopeful, Kelsey grew up playing soccer in Houston.
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Bing loved going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with her family and going on field trips to NASA.
It wasn’t until middle school at St. John’s School in Houston that field hockey fell into her lap.
“The options were volleyball, cross country and field hockey. I like playing sports outside, so that ruled out volleyball; and I’m not the best long-distance runner,” Bing told KPRC 2 anchor Daniella Guzman. “My mom was like, you should do field hockey because it’s like soccer. You should give it a go. You’ll like it.”
Bing said she had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she knew she really liked it, and she turned out to be a natural. In fact, she turned out to be so good, she went on to Stanford University where she played goalie and graduated in engineering in 2019.
She was so talented she caught the eye of Team USA.
Winning several world championships around the world, representing not just her country, but also, her beloved hometown of Houston.
“It’s hard to wrap my head around it. As a kid, growing up in Houston, obviously we have a lot of state pride, that’s one of the things I love so much about our state and our city. It’s an honor,” said Bing.
Bing says playing in Houston’s hot and humid summers while wearing about 40 pounds of safety gear took her training to a whole new level and gave her an advantage to other players.
“It definitely taught me how to hydrate at an early stage, and now I have teammates who are in the learning process with that,” said Bing.
Bing continues to train with Team USA in North Carolina. She also has a real job as an engineer, working at an aircraft company.
When she’s not training or working, she likes to focus on doing things that bring her joy, that give her peace and spend time with her teammates.
Bing said, “My hope is young athletes can see where I am and follow in my footsteps,”
Bing moved out of Houston in 2021 but visits her family when she gets breaks. When asked what she missed the most about living in Houston, she said, “Definitely the food. I didn’t realize how spoiled I was in Houston with all the diverse cuisine there. The first thing I do when I visit back home is go out to eat and enjoy the delicious food Houston has to offer.”
Team USA women’s field hockey has already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.