When it comes to any sport or athletic challenge, Reed Beighau craves the internal competition of striving to be better than the previous day or outing. It is that gamesmanship that has helped carry him to being a sensational senior leader on multiple Valley Regional teams.

The senior defender first began in soccer while he was in kindergarten after the suggestion of a friend, and he stuck with the sport all the way through this past fall for the Warriors. He additionally picked up baseball at the age of 11, which he also still plays for Valley. Following the catcher being part of a Warriors’ club that won 22 total games in 2022 as a Shoreline Conference Tournament finalist and Class S State Tournament quarterfinalist, Reed returned to the pitch this fall and was a key guiding force for a younger Valley squad this past campaign.

“Just working hard has been the biggest thing for me,” says Reed when speaking to his successes in sports. “A lot of us on the soccer team would go onto the field and kick the ball before the season to get better for the season. At the beginning of a season, you are not as sharp, so it takes time, but if you put in the work and the time, then you will be better and get sharper.”

Speaking more to his affection for athletics, Reed relishes not only striving for his solo triumphs, but he also has an affinity for playing the games he loves the most alongside his closest companions.

“I really enjoy both soccer and baseball; I love the friendships that go with it, too,” Reed says. “I have a good group of buddies in soccer. I love hanging out with friends, plus it is also love for the game. I like having something where I need to get better at.”

As he admits, swiftness is not Reed’s strongest skill set in soccer. Yet it is a source of mental development within the white lines in being a more cerebral player rather than the fastest on foot.

“I am not the fastest person, but I have gained speed over the years,” says Reed. “Mentally, I learned how to take angles against some of the faster guys and just make sure they do not get by me. I learned how to be the smarter player rather than the quickest to the ball. It’s something I learned a lot more my senior year.”

Growing up through the Warriors’ program, Reed idolized the team’s senior members when he was a youngster. Those memorable experiences fueled Reed’s fire this fall when it became his time to assume that senior leadership role over a youthful bunch.

“As a freshman, I saw the seniors and looked up to them; I wanted to be just like them,” Reed says. “It became reality this year as a senior on the team. I realized I had to lead the younger kids into this year, because we had a younger team, and it was our responsibility as the seniors to be the leaders of the team.”

All along the defensive backfield, Reed really enjoys whenever the Warriors can blank any adversary off the scoreboard.

“I am a big preacher of defense wins championships,” says Reed. “You have to keep balls out of the net in order to win. The thing I am most proud of is when we shut someone out, because it is credited to the defense. It shows it is a time where we had a successful game both as a defense and as a team.”

Valley Regional boys’ soccer Head Coach Mick Fearon notes that Reed was recognized accordingly for his leadership quality within the squad while being such a dependable person.

“Reed received the team’s Warrior Award during his junior season,” says Fearon. “He was always a positive and reliable player as a defender and two-year starter.”

Reed still has one more go-around with the diamond behind home plate this spring with Warriors’ baseball. Still, in his parting comments regarding his fall forays, he appreciated and cherished the camaraderie via soccer through all the peaks and valleys.

“Soccer has grown on me a lot more,” Reed says. “Now, senior year showed me how much it meant to me since I miss it because it is gone now. The biggest thing that stuck with me are the good times I had with friends on the team. We had a really successful junior year, and a tough season this year, but I had fun no matter what.”