Isabella Duran is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Centennial High School for AZPreps365.com 

Soccer is not a foreign topic in the Beck household. The sport runs through the family's blood. 

Haley Beck, 22, grew up playing soccer and from a young age knew that it was what she wanted to do with her life. 

Her father, Tim Beck, has spent the past 27 years coaching boys soccer at Ironwood High School. 

Haley said that her father had a strong influence on the family when it came to their choice of sport. Her sister, Tatum, and brother, Noah, both played soccer. The sport was a way for the family to bond together, Haley said.

Currently, Haley is Centennial’s world history teacher and just completed her first season as an assistant coach for the girls varsity soccer team. 

Haley graduated from Centennial High School in 2016 and when she took that last step off campus, she thought it was going to be her last. 

Haley went off to Northern Arizona University to study secondary education with an emphasis in social studies. As part of the curriculum, professors had their students pick a school of their choice to become a student teacher and get real-world experience. 

Flagstaff and Peoria were the two options she most seriously considered.Coming back home made more sense to Haley so she could save money before moving out from college. She also felt more comfortable working in an environment that she was familiar with.

While she was still a student teacher, Coyotes soccer coach Marc Shrake approached Haley with an opportunity that left her curious. Shrake mentioned how he would love to get Haley involved in the soccer program once she graduated. He said that Haley would be a good person to pass the program over to in order to build it up. 

Haley applied to various school districts but two positions opened up at Centennial for world history. She wasn’t planning on teaching at Centennial but it was the first school that reached out to her and it was an opportunity she couldn’t give up. 

“It’s kind of cool to be back here with the teachers who taught me that now are my colleagues,” Haley said. 

Originally, Haley was hired as the JV coach but due to the implications from COVID-19, fewer girls than expected tried out for the team. There weren’t enough girls to create two teams so that left one -- varsity.  

Haley said It was a blessing in disguise to be able to advance her coaching skills at the varsity level. She said that coaching varsity was a dream come true. After this year, coaching at the varsity level is where Haley said she wants to continue to be. 

In the next two or three years Shrake will step down from coaching, allowing Haley to take the reins of the varsity squad. 

Shrake said he couldn’t be happier to have Haley on his coaching staff. 

“I like to have ties to our community, like one of my first assistant coaches also graduated from Centennial,” Shrake said. 

Shrake said that having someone on the coaching staff who has been in the same position as the girls gives them a relatable role model. 

Balancing being a new teacher and a coach for the girls team is a new adjustment.

“I feel like I’ve established myself as a teacher over here at Centennial with the students, staff, and my classroom with putting a lot of effort into my curriculum,” Haley said.

Haley’s father, Tim, is also a history teacher at a competing school, Ironwood. Haley said that she can ask her father questions in regards to school or soccer and bounce ideas off him. 

They believe they have a special relationship from their similar career paths.

In the future, Tim believes that his daughter would like to run her own program and move on from there. 

“We’re always as parents going to support her and the fact that it’s kind of linked directly to me is kind of more of a tribute to her than it is to me,” Tim said.