Alex Hernandez is an ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge High School for AZPreps365.com

GOODYEAR — In seventh grade, Deziare Torres was the only girl on the flag football team, now she’s a team captain setting a positive example for her teammates and coaches at Desert Edge.

Torres says she loves being a leader, and one of her passions is working with kids. She helps out with her dad’s basketball team and works with kids ages 18 months to 7 years to learn the sport of soccer.

Her passion for helping future generations fits perfectly with her desired career path.

"I will end up being a teacher one day. That is what I’m going to college for,” Torres said.

Torres’s leadership style blends presence and freedom. 

She draws inspiration from a laissez-faire leadership style, meaning she allows her teammates to ultimately make their own decisions while remaining involved and having her voice heard.

“I do like to be very hands-on and involved, but I also like to leave a bit of room for other people to do what they need to do as well,” Torres said. “I like to help directly, but I also want you to figure out what you’re doing for yourself.”

Torres wasn’t always the leader she is today. Wide receiver Brooklyn Baker has watched Torres grow immensely since the two met as sophomores.

“If we get into arguments on the field or there’s disagreements, she’s always the first one to be like, ‘we need to chill and come together,’” Baker said.

Baker praised Torres for her competitive spirit and for never giving up. Regardless of how the game plays out or if fatigue sets in, Torres will always give maximum effort.

“You always see her pushing herself, even if she’s tired, or if we’re down, she’s always going for flags and doing her best,” Baker said. “I feel like if we see someone still pushing on the field, even though we’re also tired, we still need to push through.”

Head coach Sean Ellicott had nothing but praise for Torres’ leadership. He described her as selfless and highlighted the work she does to ensure JV players are prepared.

“I think one thing that sets Dez apart is she’s not afraid to hold people accountable,” Ellicott said. “Dez is probably the closest we had to a senior leader that really just wants to hold people accountable, and that’s not always easy.”

One day, Torres hopes to return to Desert Edge flag football as a coach.

Ellicott said coaching with a former player would be a dream of his, and he noted the growth it can bring to the team and sport as a whole.

“That would be one of the best feelings in the world for me,” Ellicott said. “That’s one of your ultimate goals as a coach, to grow your sport in a healthy way, and players coming back is the ultimate sign of respect between you and your players.”

Torres said some JV players joked they would only return if she were on the coaching staff, a sentiment showing how much a future role with Ellicott would mean to her.

“It’s just kind of crazy to know that these girls look up to me so much and do want to see me coaching them next year,” Torres said. “I would love to be alongside this program and build it for however long I end up staying here.”