Twenty years before Krissy Wendell-Pohl was named a member of the 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame class, she was first inducted into the Little League® Hall of Excellence, the highest honor the organization can bestow.
As one of 23 females who have played in the Little League Baseball® World Series (LLBWS), Mrs. Wendell-Pohl has been leaving her mark long before she stepped onto the ice wearing a Team USA jersey in the 2002 Winter Olympics. The daughter of a baseball fan, when Mrs. Wendell-Pohl was not lacing up her skates in the winter, she was tightening the strings on her baseball cleats and stepping out on the field with Brooklyn Center (Minn.) American Little League.
After spending a few years tagging along with her family to her older brothers’ practices, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl joined a team, and in 1994, she traveled to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to represent the Great Lakes Region in the 1994 LLBWS, making her the fifth female to make the trip and the first girl to start as at catcher in the world’s largest youth sports tournament. While her team did not take home the championship banner, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl did end the series with one hit, two runs, and a new perspective on the world.
“We didn’t travel a ton growing up, so my life was really in Minnesota. The World Series was the first time I ever left the state to compete in any other sport and to meet people from other countries. In that environment, you quickly realize just how big the world really is,” said Mrs. Wendell-Pohl. “Plus, even though there were language barriers, we were able to still play the sport that we all loved together and against each other. It was cool to see how a sport can really unite people.”
Mrs. Wendell-Pohl lived out the dream of many Little Leaguers®, making the trip to the World Series, but she would not go on to make baseball her life-long career. It was ice hockey that she felt a true love and passion for.
“I really fell in love with the sport of hockey from a young age. The fast pace, the creativity, and the understanding that you’ll go into every game not knowing what to expect, plus the constant shifts and changes to the motion, are all reasons that made hockey my first love as a sport,” said Mrs. Wendell-Pohl.
Mrs. Wendell-Pohl carried her passion for ice hockey into a successful career. After leading her high school team to a state championship, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl played for the University of Minnesota. In 2005, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl tallied a Minnesota record 24-winning goals, including the deciding goal in the 2005 NCAA National Championship against Harvard. In the same year, she became the first player from Minnesota to receive the Patty Kazmier Award, recognizing her as the best female collegiate hockey player.
Both during and after her college days, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl represented the United States in 147 total games, scoring 106 goals. During her career, she played in six International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, including in 2005 when she helped the U.S. win its first-ever gold medal in the event and was named Most Valuable Player. In 2002 and 2006, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl helped lead the U.S. to an Olympic Silver Medal (2002) and an Olympic Bronze Medal (2006) in the women’s ice hockey competition. In the 2006 Olympics, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl served as captain of the team.
Today, Mrs. Wendell-Pohl has hung up her skates, but continues to make an impact in the sport as an amateur scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In June 2024, it was announced that Mrs. Wendell-Pohl would add to her long list of accolades as an official member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
To learn more about her experience in the LLBWS and her career as a professional ice hockey player, Little League sat down for a special Girls with Game 50 (#GWG50) Six-Inning Conversation with Mrs. Wendell-Pohl:
First Inning: In 1994, you became the fifth female to play in the Little League Baseball World Series. What do you remember from this experience both on and off the field?
It was such a whirlwind. I really did not know much about it, so I went into it a little blind. We just kept advancing and then it really was not until we were physically in Williamsport that we realized how big of a deal it was to be there. Baseball is not really Canada’s main sport, we have more winter sports, so the World Series and the reaction from the public was super new to us. We went from working our way through regionals thinking ‘this is cool, this is fun’ to a realization of ‘oh my gosh we are under the lights and on this big stage.’ It felt like our lives changed overnight.
Second Inning: As a young female athlete, what was the best advice you received?
It goes back to having fun. As a parent now, I understand that a little bit more because I was such a competitive kid. So even though I might not have wanted to hear it then, being reminded to just have fun and to remember that it is just a game, win or lose, was great. The other piece of advice or lesson that stuck with me is not being afraid to fail and to be okay with being pushed out of your comfort zone. That is where the most growth comes from as you get older. Sometimes things turn out okay as long as you’re willing to take the risk.
Third Inning: In 2002 and 2006, you were a member of the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team for the Winter Olympics. How do you think your exeriences growing up prepared you for this type of spotlight?
The Little League Baseball World Series definitely prepared me. Even though you don’t think of a Little League game as an environment with high pressure, when you get into the spotlight at the World Series, you feel more pressure than you would expect. It was a huge benefit to have that exposure at a young age… Both of my Olympics experiences are kind of a blur, but my first memory is when we had the Opening Ceremonies. We walked in and it was like ‘oh my goodness, I made it to the Olympics.’ That had been a goal of mine for so longer, to be a part of that team and to just be competing at that level. It’s funny because you remember those moment almost more than you remember the details of any game.
Fourth Inning: Today, you now work for the Pittsburgh Penguins as an amateur scout, becoming the third female to hold this position within the NHL. What is it like for you to now be “behind the scenes”?
It has allowed me to continue to enjoy the sport that I love because even though I no longer can play at the competitive level, I can still be involved, participate, and make an impact in a new way. I feel really lucky. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been an awesome organization to work for. When I go to meetings, I don’t feel like a ‘girl’ in the room. I just feel like another mind they are trying to pick and collaborate with, which is a great feeling. There has been a lot of growth and there are a lot of qualified people out there that are now getting the opportunity to be able to feel that same way and continue to work in the sports they love.
Fifth Inning: If you had the opportunity to speak with a young female athlete who is just starting her athletic career, what advice would you give her?
It sounds so cliché, but just have fun and enjoy it. The older you get, sometimes the thing you love starts to feel more like a job. When anything starts to feel more like a job, especially when you’re a kid, it becomes less fun… It is also important to learn early how to be happy for other people’s success, too. Sometimes, we are so worried about our own success that we lose that feeling of excitement because somebody else on our team or in our organization is doing better than us. You can be happy for them and still succeed in your own way. Having the ability to be happy for other people’s success and learning how to always find the fun along the way are two ways you can ensure you will continue to love your sport at every level.”
Sixth Inning: Little League is celebrating 50 years of female involvement in the program. While we celebrate the past, what do you think is the future for females in sports whether it is on the field or behind the scenes?
It’s interesting because we have seen so much growth in so many areas both on and off the field. Female athletes can not only play at the professional level, but they can now go beyond their career of competitive play and move into management roles and coaching roles, which is awesome. I think there is no limit for women. If we continue to see growth, which only happens if females are willing to work their way up the ladder, then there will continue to be opportunities. I have three daughters, and the opportunities for them are completely different than mine were when I was their age and the only girl on an all-boys team. Now, we see less and less of “the only girl.” Hopefully, one day, we won’t be having conversations about being “the only girl” on a team, it will just be normal, whether that is on the field or behind the scenes. It will be about who is the most qualified for the job and when you’re willing to collaborate and work together, that is when we will see the best results.
NOTE: To read more of the Special “Six Inning” Features as part of the Little League Girls with Game 50 Celebration, visit LittleLeague.org/GWG50. The #GWG50 celebration is proudly supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods, a long-time Little League partner that is committing to creating opportunities for girls and women in sports and will be activating for this celebration around key events and milestones this year.