Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) softball team reinforced its staff this past August with the additions of assistant coaches Katelynn de Leon and Shelby Petik. The new coaches aim to enhance both player development and team dynamics for the upcoming season. 

De Leon was a former standout player for the Owls who returns to the program a year later as a coach after a distinguished collegiate career. In the 2023-2024 season, she appeared in 44 games with 35 starts. She ended her final season with a .247 batting average, 20 hits, 15 RBIs and a home run. Her impactful performance earned her a spot on the 2024 American Athletic Conference (AAC) First Team All-Conference.

“My biggest transition, I would say, is gaining the respect from the newer girls and even past girls,” de Leon said. She thinks that her experience as a teammate will help her provide balanced feedback to the players. De Leon wants them to feel comfortable coming to her for areas of playing improvement and emotional support as a friend.

By addressing both strengths and weaknesses, de Leon feels the players develop as better people. “In general, you become a better human often on and off the field,” she stated.

FAU softball’s head coach, Jordan Clark, praised de Leon’s, highlighting her empathetic nature and competitive edge. 

“Kate is mature and she’s been through things that most people haven’t had to go through or will go through in their life for a long time,” Clark said. “When she came to the team, she was a motherly figure for everyone else.” 

Clark said that de Leon’s story is “unique.” She explained that de Leon has experienced hardships, with her mother passing away from cancer prior to her starting her career at FAU. The tragedy gave de Leon a level of maturity to bring to the team. Clark believes that de Leon’s personality holds positive coaching qualities like loyalty, reliability and passion. 

“Everything happens for a reason and Kate ended up with us for her last year,” said Clark. “Her mom passed away last fall before she got to watch her first fall game here, which was really sad. But her mom helped her design her glove and it’s just really special.” 

Over the summer, de Leon coached a travel ball team with her father. She credited most of her success to his unwavering support since she was eight years old. “My dad is my rock, my ride or die, and the reason I’m here today,” de Leon said. 

De Leon thinks softball has brought out her passion, grit and determination. “Without him, I don’t think I would have experienced all of that,” de Leon said, emphasizing the impact of softball and father on her life. 

As de Leon’s travel ball team began gameplay over the summer, she noticed that Jordan regularly attended her team’s games over the summer. “I was curious why she kept coming out, instead of scouting other girls.” 

De Leon said that she had hopes of a softball coaching position opening up. “ I really just don’t want to be working in corporate, I don’t want to be wearing heels. I don’t want to be wearing business clothes. Like, that’s not who I am.” De Leon said. 

Then, Jordan called and asked, “Is coaching still in your mind?” De Leon was shocked when Clark offered her the chance to coach for the Owls. She called it the moment when everything fell into place. 

“I took a chance on myself and Coach Jordan took a chance on me,” de Leon said.

Clark admitted that at first she had doubts about hiring de Leon. She was unsure if it was strange to hire a former player while their teammates are still on the team. However, after watching de Leon’s coaching demeanor over the summer, Clark realized that she was made for coaching and would do great in that role. 

The process of hiring Petik was more straightforward as she came to FAU from Eastern Florida State College Titans (EFSC) in Brevard County, Fla., where she achieved record breaking success as a head coach. Over three seasons, Petik guided the Titans to 85 victories and led the team to their best season in program history with 40 wins. 

Under her leadership, the Titans made their first National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 8 championship appearance and reached a national ranking of No. 13. Petik also saw her student-athletes earn numerous accolades, including 20 All-Conference honors and a Gold Glove award.

“The success [Jordan] and her team have achieved in such a short period is truly impressive,” Petik said. “Seeing a coach my age, taking over a program and achieving such notable success, made me realize how exciting and impactful it could be.”

Petik stated how she saw FAU from a different eye, seeing as Clark is FAU’s second head coach in program history. She began after the passing of the renowned Joan Joyce,   who’s tenure lasted from 1994 until 2022. In 2019, Joyce received an induction into FAU’s Hall of Fame. 

“It’s really hard to come in and find success right away,” Petik said, noting that from an outsider’s perspective, it seemed like the new FAU coaching staff managed to do just that. She found it inspiring, especially since it was the first time FAU had a new head coach in her lifetime.

“We’re about the same age, so when I took over the program at Eastern Florida, I wanted to model what FAU was doing,” Petik explained. Seeing how the FAU staff generated buzz on social media and attracted top recruits, she thought, “Why can’t we do the same at the junior college level?”

Petik’s coaching philosophy is rooted in preparation and adaptability. 

“We practiced everything, from practicing standing for the national anthem to how we run out for lineups to defensive reps,” Petik said. “If we can be prepared for every single possible situation as best as possible, then we’ve already lived it to some extent.”

De Leon’s energy and empathetic approach are complemented by Petik’s grit and strategy, making it the perfect time to bring the two on staff. 

“Both aspects of the coaches were really good pieces to our puzzle that we needed,” said FAU infielder Cameryn Orland. 

The new selections come as the Owls look to build on a successful season, as they made an NCAA Regional appearance last season. With the new coaching staff in place, the team is working to continue its growth and development.

Looking at the season ahead, de Leon and Petik emphasized distinct goals for the team. Petik is focused on ensuring the team remains prepared and resilient and uses the words trust, confidence and energy to describe the 2025 season. De Leon highlighted the importance of enjoying the game. 

“If we’re not having fun, then we’re not the Owls,” de Leon said. “One game at a time. You know, I think that was our biggest thing last year, was like, you can’t move forward unless you play the game before then.” 

De Leon stressed the importance of taking every game individually. She doesn’t want players to think of the big picture but focus on going 1-0 everyday. 

With a renewed sense of energy and the support of its new assistant coaches, the FAU softball team is ready to tackle the upcoming season. The Owls first game is on Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. against Keiser University Hawks in Fort Pierce, Fla.  

Sophia Rodriguez is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @sophiaa.rodriguez_.