It was 1999 when Washington High School boys basketball coach Ty Bauer went to see Moon Valley, his alma mater, play for the Arizona State Championship.

That was when he decided he wanted to coach at the high school level.

At the time, Bauer was teaching elementary school and coaching fifth and sixth grade basketball.

“It was hard to get into places being an elementary school teacher,” he said. “I actually have a special education degree, so I got in here at Washington High School teaching special ed.”

His first season, he was an assistant on the varsity girls team. He went on to become the head coach, leading the team to three straight state titles from 2006 to 2008.

Bauer said the 2006 championship was his favorite coaching moment.

“We beat Sinagua in 2006 in the state championship,” he said. “They beat us twice during the regular season, and we beat them in overtime in the state championship game.

Bauer is entering his second season as the boys’ coach, and is expecting a lot from his team this campaign.

“We were basically picked to finish last in our region,” he said. “But my kids are good and I think we’re going to surprise and shock a lot of people.”

Off-the-court practice is something Bauer values and uses to better his team.

“We do weight training and a lot of physical conditioning,” he said. “We watch film and we do lot dealing with positive mental frames and a positive attitude … to get the kids to believe in themselves and create a winning attitude.”

On the court, Bauer likes to turn to speed and agility rather than size and compares his style to that of Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni.

“We don’t really get the 6-10 kids, so we run and we teach shooting,” he said. “I really like that fast-paced basketball."

During the season, Bauer works 13-hour days. He arrives at school a 7 a.m. and has practice until 8 p.m., but that does not take away from his passion for coaching.

“I live for it,” he said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.