Kelli Duimstra was named Kalamazoo College's head softball coach on June 16, 2017. She begins in this role July 1st.
Duimstra comes to Kalamazoo from Hope College where she served as an assistant coach from June 2014-17. Duimstra helped lead the Flying Dutch to an MIAA co-championship in 2017, a second-place finish in 2015 and a third-place finish in 2016. Hope qualified for the NCAA III Tournament in 2015 and 2017 and advanced to the regional finals both seasons.
"Words cannot express how excited I am to be named the head softball coach at Kalamazoo College," Duimstra said. "I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of such a prestigious institution.
"I've seen firsthand the growth the Kalamazoo softball program has shown over the past few years. I'm looking forward to building on that progress and advancing this program to new heights. I believe this program has great potential and it's my goal to turn it into an MIAA, regional, and ultimately a national contender while maintaining the academic excellence that is expected at Kalamazoo College."
Prior to coaching at Hope, Duimstra was an assistant varsity softball coach on two MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) Division I state champion teams at Hudsonville High School from 2010-2014. She also assisted the junior varsity girls basketball team at Hudsonville from 2009-2012.
Duimstra was the starting first baseman during her four seasons playing at Hope. Her senior year Duimstra was the MIAA's Most Valuable Player while earning first-team All-Region and first-team All-American honors. She earned All-MIAA honors three times and was a member of Hope's 2006 MIAA championship team.
Duimstra earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Hope College in 2009 while minoring in psychology. She graduated first in her class at Grand Valley State University's Police Academy in 2010 and earned a master's degree in management from Cornerstone University in 2015. In addition to coaching, Duimstra served as a police officer from 2010-2017.