Whiz Kid: Humble Beginnings for a St. Michael-Albertville Girl Who Has High Hopes

Meeting Katie Bierstedt, a smiling, soft-spoken 11-year-old at St. Michael Middle School East, one could find it easy to believe she is a stellar athlete or a cookie selling Girl Scout or a fast pitch softball player or a rising star in volleyball. Yet this St. Michael sixth-grader is all of those things and more. Katie achieves her feats with a self-effacing attitude that requires her mother to remind her of previous accomplishments Katie had forgotten when answering questions about her life.

Katie is just finishing up a fantastic season of volleyball with the JO Olympic 12 U Gold Team. This team travels locally and plays many of their games at the Ralia Sports Center in Maple Grove. Katie’s placement is particularly impressive given this is Katie’s first year on competitive volleyball. They call that being a natural athlete. Katie’s favorite position to play is setter – the second of three players to touch the ball, and the one who coordinates the offensive movements of the team.

“I like setter because I’m close up to the net and I get to decide who gets the ball next. It’s a pretty important job.”

When volleyball wraps up, Katie moves right into fast pitch softball where she plays on the St. Michael Albertville 12U CML Gold team, a select travel team that plays roughly March through the end of July. Hands down Katie’s favorite position is catcher.

Why catcher?

“I love it because I get to see everything, communicate with the pitcher and have the most contact with the ball!”

Along with volleyball and softball, Katie has also played soccer but had to choose when it conflicted with her key sports. She danced for a few year but “didn’t get into all that hair and make up stuff”. She loved gymnastics and took many years through STMA’s outstanding in-house program.

Who gives Katie the best sports advice?

Her 17-year-old brother Jake – a Junior at St. Michael Albertville High School. Jake is himself a football and baseball player along with a weight lifter. Katie looks up to him and his ambitions in sports and life. He plans on college and dreams of becoming a surgeon. But in the meanwhile, he is a devoted big brother, teaching his kid sister the tricks of the trade.

“Jake plays catch with me and teaches me all kinds of important stuff. He gets me to use my mechanics – to turn my body sideways so I can throw faster and harder. Stuff like that.” Katie explains.

When not at practice, Katie is thriving as a Girl Scout Cadet in Crow River Service Troop 12673. She’s been in Girl Scouts most of her life, and enjoys how the adventure level rises with each year. When asked what her best selling cookie was this last sale, she thought for a minute then replied, “Samoas”!

When asked how Samaos could beat out Thin Mints, Katie smiles, shrugs and says, “I don’t, but they just do!”

A strong student, Katie advanced to the St. Michael Albertville District Spelling Bee this year. Through scoring in the top 20 to 25 percent of fifth through eighth-graders on the preliminary tests, Katie earned this spot.

Parents Marci and Mark Bierstedt are devoted parents eager and happy to support their children. Although busy with his own local new home construction and remodeling business – MRB Construction – Mark is always there to support his kids. The parents find a way to be at everything, no matter the scheduling challenge.

“We divide and conquer” laughs Marci, “You take this one and I’ll take that one and next time we’ll switch!”

The Bierstedts cherishes their slivers of off season – a week in early August and again at Christmas break. When they have some free time, the family watches videos at home or visits their cabin in Baylake or their Grandma’s place in Merrifield.

Judging from Katie’s happy disposition, she clearly follows her parent’s advice, "Do your best, stay positive and have fun!"