By Catherine Garrett | [email protected]

The defending 5A state champion Corner Canyon High School team will have a new look this fall, replacing seven seniors as they move up to the 6A ranks this season.

Their sideline will also be different with new head coach Bayleigh Steed, who assisted the Chargers program the past two years, taking over for Krissa Reinbold, who resigned in June.

“Bayleigh was part of that great program at Alta, where she was coached by Lee Mitchell, and her other strengths include familiarity with the program, the girls and the community,” athletic director Patrick Thurman said. “The timeline was short to replace the previous coach and I think Bayleigh will help with a smooth transition.”

Steed said she is thrilled to be back with Corner Canyon, particularly after helping lead the girls to the state title last season. “Having moments with these girls like winning state keeps bringing you back,” she said. “I’m excited to keep it going with these girls.”

Steed, a Draper resident who played for two state championship Hawks teams in 2009 and 2011, said she will continue to draw on her own experiences in the sport to teach the game while also focusing on the sports psychology side — an area she is getting a master’s degree in currently.

“I want to build resilient players on and off the field,” Steed said. “I can help be that resource for them to address the mental side of the sport.”

Since playing for Alta and the club team Avalanche, Steed attended Washington State where she helped start a recreational team and began her own journey into coaching.

“I love coaching different skill levels and staying involved in the game after my playing days are now over,” she said. “It’s also a great chance for me to give back to all that soccer has given me.”

Steed said she knows what it’s like to be a 16-year-old who gets injured and has to fight back to get healthy and also reclaim her spot in the lineup. “I know personally what that feels like and the physical and mental strength you have to find within yourself to overcome that adversity,” she said. “My focus with my schooling is rehabbing through injury and coming out stronger physically and mentally.” 

The 24-year-old said her experience in the successful Alta program helps bring her own understanding of the pressures and situations the players go through as well as what it takes to create and maintain a winning culture.

Steed loves the team aspect of soccer as well as the many life lessons that can be learned on the field. “It’s great that you can learn discipline while being creative so there’s a real expression of yourself within a good structure,” she said. “That focus sets up these kids for success in life as they learn to be resilient in spite of losses, adversity and other challenges.”