Kayla Minst Leaving a Legacy at SLU

Flashback to 2008, when six- year-old Kayla Minst ’24 put on her softball uniform. Sporting a pink tank top jersey, pink shorts, and a black visor with a pink paw print on it, Kayla was ready for her first game as a Pink Panther. After playing tennis and basketball, her parents decided it was time to try softball.

“All of a sudden, I blinked, and I was playing my first tournament,” said Minst. “Next thing you know, the time flew by, and I was finishing my last ever tournament.”

Growing up in McKinney, Texas, a city just north of Dallas, Minst played softball all year. From January to the Toys for Tots holiday tournament in December, Minst’s days were filled with softball with anywhere from one to 15 games a week. She once played eight games in one day.

“Tournaments out west are huge,” said Minst. “The hotels are filled with different softball teams, and you’re playing for a week in front of college coaches and two or three games a day.”

Minst remembers the exact day that she saw Elisa Van Kirk, the former St. Lawrence head coach who recruited her.

“I was playing on a 16U team, and we were playing in Colorado Springs at a Fourth of July tournament called Sparklers,” said Minst. “We had just finished game one of our doubleheader when we saw a few coaches outside with the rest of the crowd, later finding out one of them was VK.”

Minst had one of her best performances that game, playing multiple field positions and hitting a monster home run.

“I don’t know what was in the air,” said Minst. “I was playing my best that game, and she saw me in multiple different field positions, being a DH, and then hitting a huge home run.”

Although Minst had an impressive performance and had a coach watching her, she also had someone else watching: her dad.

Minst played for her dad, La Mar Minst, for her travel team — the McKinney Magic — up until she came to St. Lawrence.

“From day one to now, the experience was amazing,” said La Mar Minst. “Seeing her pick up the skill set quickly was great. She was a quick and fast learner, and from both perspectives [as her dad and coach], it was just nice to see how easy it seemed for her to learn the sport and the skill.”

There is no doubt that Minst has softball in her blood, with multiple awards and recognitions throughout her years. In both high school and travel ball, she earned Second-Team All-District, Defensive MVP, and multiple All-Tournament Team honors.

“It was tough because I wanted everyone to see that I didn’t do daddy ball, as they call it,” said La Mar Minst. “I expected more from her because of what we worked on and how quick of a learner she was. I wanted her to lead by example.”

Minst did just that, becoming a team captain at the age of 14 and continuing all the way through high school, and once again as a senior for the Scarlet and Brown.

“Kayla had really strong leadership qualities even as a sophomore, and her freshman year was a COVID year,” said St. Lawrence Head Coach Rosie Phillips. “Going through that COVID year as a freshman, that’s your first impression of college athletics. Then you pivot to a new coach, a normal-ish year, she embraced the change, and one thing that stuck out about Minst was that she was always willing to do what the team needed.”

“I remember we were playing RIT my sophomore year, and there was a point where I had to make a throw from the outfield to home,” said Minst. “I went to throw the ball, and it felt like I just got stabbed in the shoulder. There was a lot of tension, but then as I finished the throw, there was the release of tension, but it was straight pain.”

Minst didn’t think anything of it and continued on with the two remaining games of the season, where she subbed in as a center fielder in one game and had two at-bats. After going home, Minst took a few days off before picking up another softball, something that she normally does to give herself a break. She was with her dad at a clinic when she went to walk to the car and saw a ball over the fence, so she threw it back. During that throw, she felt her shoulder pop out and then pop right back in, which was when she realized something was wrong.

After three appointments, a week of physical therapy, and four doctors’ appointments in the summer, Kayla thought her shoulder was going to be fine before she started her junior season.

Unfortunately, her shoulder didn’t get better last year, and she was never able to play during her junior season, leaving her eager to return for this, her senior season.

When practices started this year, Minst felt the same shoulder pain she felt a year ago. After multiple doctor’s appointments, it was determined that she would also be unable to play this season, putting her 16-year playing career to an end.

“It was tough at first,” she sad. “I didn’t really know how to grasp the idea that I wasn’t able to play, but I knew that it was probably for the better that I didn’t continue to play on a hurt shoulder. I had already stepped into a different role last season when I couldn’t play, so going into this season, it just feels the same. It hasn’t really hit yet that I’m not going to be able to play.”

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about how she’s in a different role,’ said Phillips. “She’s still a member of the team, but she’s a second set of eyes.”

Over the last two years, Minst has been a vocal person and has become a mentor for the underclassmen.

“Kayla has been awesome,” said sophomore catcher Emily Crain. “She’s able to give such great advice and tips on how to improve our game, and I think it’s been super beneficial.”

“After she got injured, we were scrambling for someone behind the plate,” said Phillips. “We had two first-years who hadn’t had any experience at the college level catching. Minst, without being asked, stepped in and immediately started helping our two first-years. That’s Kayla’s instinct of leadership stepping in. She did this without being asked.”

“Kayla helped Crainer, and I step up to the college level, and I’ll forever be grateful she did,” said catcher Emily Sianksy ’26.

“Crainer and I came to St. Lawrence not knowing Kayla was going to be hurt and we knew we were going to have to step up. Kayla was nothing but amazing and was truly willing to help us. There were times we struggled, but Kayla was there, reassuring us that we were going to be fine. I think it’s something I always look back at and remember.” Already serving in a coaching role for the Saints, Minst says it’s a role she may pursue after graduation, though she isn’t sure at what level.

“I don’t think I could see myself being a full-time coach,” she said. “I definitely could see myself being a graduate assistant for a few years or even helping out for a travel team, but I don’t see myself being a college coach. Who knows, though, my plans could always change.”

Off the field, Minst also continues to hold leadership roles. As a member of the Chi Omega sorority, she held a two-semester position as a personnel chair, making sure that the chapter was in good standing with nationals.

“Kayla was a great PC,” said former Chi Omega President Karli Thompson ’24. “Kayla was someone who was always on top of it. She knew what rules needed to be focused on and what needed to happen to help make our chapter successful. Being a PC can be rough; people can see you as mean because you’re forcing everyone to follow the rules, but Kayla did it in a way where nobody ever got mad at her. We all just realized she was trying to make our chapter run efficiently.”

Minst has also been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and vice president since her sophomore year.

“She’s a part of a really strong team; the SAAC Executive board is trying to make it an interactive group,” said Phillips, who serves as an advisor for the group. “We met as a group online during COVID, and she’s trying to make it a better presence on campus.”

As a member of SAAC, Minst was able to give insights to people about what it’s like to be a student-athlete on campus. During this year’s Liberty League Indoor Track & Field Championships, student-athletes came up to Minst and talked to her about how impressed they were with her as a SAAC representative.

“We had just finished a clinic, so we were walking through the gym, and a group of athletes came up to her like they were part of Kayla’s fan club,” said Phillips. “It was honestly awesome to see how she’s connected with other Liberty League athletes through SAAC, and it was awesome to see as a coach.”

Minst looks to finish out her season and college career within the next few months. As for whatever is next for her, she will continue to take her leadership roles with her, whether it’s coaching or something else.