Longtime Valencia coach Lee retires after 28 years
When Valencia High School opened its doors in 1994, Donna Lee was there.
After 28 years, Lee has decided to step down as the Vikings' softball coach.
“When I started in 1994, I focused on the process, not the results, building a solid foundation,” Lee said. “The more we believed in the process, the more we began to win, and you couldn't stop us.”
Lee led Valencia to 14 Foothill League titles, including 10 consecutive crowns from 2001-2010. The Vikings appeared in three CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals, winning back-to-back championships in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 team was crowned national champions by CalHiSports, and Lee was named the national coach of the year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
“We had so many talented kids on that team,” Lee said of the 2007 squad. “Our biggest thing was our chemistry. Everyone was accepting of their role.”
Not only were Lee's teams good, but so were her players, including standouts Jordan Taylor (who went on to play at Michigan), Jessica Spigner (Tennessee and Arizona), Shea O'Leary (Texas), Ally Shipman (Tennessee and Alabama) and many others.
Lee had 28 All-CIF players through her years.
A lot has changed in the nearly 30 years Lee coached Valencia. The rise of private schools, private coaching, social media, and of course, the athletes themselves.
“There are so many distractions nowadays,” said Lee when comparing the players of the 1990s to today's athletes. “There are more athletes focused on one sport. There are less multi-sport athletes nowadays. I always encouraged players to play more sports because it makes them better athletes.”
Lee said she will continue to teach at Valencia, but her softball days are over.