De Anza Welcomes new Coach: Dons’ alum back to revive softball program

Turning around a struggling program is never easy, but the new head coach of softball team, De Anza alum Megan Finney Kravets, has taken on that task.

 
Kravets became head coach in October 2015, amid turmoil over the departure of the previous coach.
Kravets said she believes a player’s mentality is key to excelling at softball.

 
“It’s not necessarily about your skill; it’s about your attitude and your dedication for the game,” Kravets said. “You definitely have to have pride in what you do.”

 
Also working as a K-8 substitute teacher at Almaden Country School, Kravets acknowledges that while there are differences between coaching and teaching, “there are  a lot of similarities” in both roles as a mentor.

 
Kravets lists communication and motivation as her team’s strengths, but acknowledges that they don’t always get along.

 
Freshman Marissa Trejo credits Kravets for ensuring there would be a softball team at De Anza this year.

 
“We had a lot of coaching problems in the beginning of the season, so she kind of came and saved our whole program,” Trejo said.

 
Freshman Karina Jacobs said the team is trying to rebound after a disappointing 4-30 record last season.

 
“We’re kind of starting from the bottom,” Jacobs said. “We’re in the rebuilding process.”

 
Kravets’ softball pedigree runs deep, with both her parents being highly involved in softball.

 
She started playing T-ball at age 4, then soccer and softball during her time at Leland High School. Kravets continued to excel at those two sports throughout her college career.

 
She achieved First Team All-Conference twice in softball while completing her associate’s degree at De Anza from 2005-2007. Kravets then transferred to Menlo College, breaking many of the school’s records in softball during her two seasons there.

 
In coaching experience, Kravets has been an assistant softball coach for one year at Menlo College and one year at De Anza. She was then the head softball coach at Pinewood School for two years, leading them to a league title in 2014.

 
In her free time, the San Jose native enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter and playing indoor soccer.