Hom to make apearance at World Series

Now, less than seven months later, Kendall Hom is slated to compete at the National Finals for her 11-12 age group during the World Series later this month.

“This was her first time checking out the program and we never thought in our wildest dreams she would make it this far,” Elisa Hom sad. 

PHR is a free event held yearly for boys and girls between 7 and 14 years old. Athletes are tested on their pitching ability by getting five chances to hit the strike zone from a designated line, where a bullseye is worth 100 points and hitting the target is worth 50. They’re also given five chances to hit a ball as far as they can off a tee with the farthest score recorded. Finally, athletes run the bases twice and their fastest time is kept. The three scores then get added together to determine the top finishers. 

The kids are divided by age group and can compete at a local and regional level for the chance to qualify for nationals at the World Series. Just five athletes from around the country and Puerto Rico compete nationally for each division and Kendall is one of them for her 11-12 group. 

“A lot of proud feelings as a parent,” Elisa Hom said. “I’m just really excited for her and this opportunity because it’s once and a lifetime.”

Kendall first competed locally in March through Foster City Little League. She recorded a score of 840. This allowed her and a handful of others who scored high in her division to qualify for regionals in September at the Oakland Coliseum, home of the Oakland A’s.

It wasn’t until the regional event when everything sank in for Kendall and Elisa. Girls in the 13-14 age bracket were competing at the same time as Kendall Hom, but she still stood out from the rest.

“Her scores were actually a lot higher than a lot of them,” Elisa Hom said laughing.

Kendall Hom would go on to record a total of 1,280 points at regionals, the highest in her age group. Other regional competitions around the nation were held leading into October, and the MLB posted an updated scoreboard tracking the best results. The Homs monitored the other scores for weeks until it became official.

Kendall Hom’s 1,280 was the highest score nationally in her age group. The athletes representing the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins will be her competition later this month at the World Series, along with a representative from Puerto Rico. Kendall Hom will represent the A’s, but more importantly, all of California. 

“I was very excited and also a little shocked,” Kendall Hom said. “I got the highest score, but I was thinking there would be a lot better people.”

For qualifying for the finals, Kendall Hom receives an all-expenses covered trip to Game 2 of the Fall Classic, with her competition set to take place on the same field the next day. 

“I’m excited to be on the Jumbotron,” Kendall Hom said. “I’m also just excited to just watch the games. It’ll be my first time watching and actually being there.”

Kendall Hom’s softball success has extended far past MLB recognition too. 

In August, Kendall Hom was picked as one of the top 12U players to compete in the All-American Games in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the softball hotspot of the nation. In December, Kendall Hom will be a part of the High Performance Program hosted by USA Softball, where the top talent nationwide will be identified by age group to compete for the national team. She offers advice to any young athlete looking to compete at the highest level possible.

“Even if you don’t make it just use that as motivation and keep working harder to get better.”