Tiger coaches Jon Baehr, Ken Streff and Aaron Sterup each had a child on their teams this past season. They are, from left, junior Koda Baehr, senior Lauren Sterup and sophomore Philip Streff.
Winter Tiger teams a family affair
by Nathan Arneal
Published 3/25/26
Most coaches who spend their careers mentoring high school athletes will eventually end up coaching their own children at some point.
North Bend Central has an interesting situation this winter as the head coaches of wrestling, boys basketball and girls basketball all had their own children on the teams they coached.
Girls basketball coach Aaron Sterup just guided daughter Lauren through her senior year. Junior Koda Baehr played for his dad, boys basketball coach Jon Baehr, while Ken Streff saw his sophomore son Philip reach the pinnacle of high school wrestling last month.
Rather than being the coach’s pets, the three students said it can feel like the opposite at times.
“I think they expect more,” Koda Baher said, “so you might take a little extra heat, but it’s worth it.”
The perception is not off base.
“I would think if you ask any wrestler or coach in our practice room they would tell you Philip has probably received more butt chewings than any other wrestler in our room,” Ken Streff said. “I am pretty open about it and not afraid to admit that I hold him to a higher standard than most of our wrestlers.”
Aaron Sterup said when Lauren joined the team as a freshman, he made an effort to treat her like any other player.
“I really tried to do that as well as I could,” he said, “but there are certainly times that it’s tough to do. She certainly got the brunt of my anger in stressful times more than most, mainly because I knew she could handle it, and I had high expectations for what she could do.”
When Philip Streff won a state championship this season, his dad was there matside to greet him after the final whistle.
“That was awesome because I got to share the experience with someone I loved,” Philip said, “and they understand winning it, too. It means as much to me as it does to them.”
Ken Streff said the biggest moments can be the most difficult time to separate the dad and coach roles.
“I get nervous just like any parent,” Ken said. “I’m not going to lie, Philip was probably less nervous than me before his state finals match this season. There was a time I needed to step away for a few minutes and let my assistants talk to Philip while I regrouped and refocused. I had to trust our technique and scouting report and then go let Philip go and wrestle his match.”
Koda Baehr got varsity playing time as a freshman, but having people think he was playing just because he was the coach’s son was the least of his dad’s concerns. At the time Koda was a 5-foot-3, glasses-wearing, 106 pound guard.
“I was more worried about opposing student sections picking on him and having my wife hear it,” Koda’s dad Jon said.
Sometimes coaching can get in the way of fully experiencing a child’s career compared to a parent sitting in the stands.
“You get so locked into the whole group and trying to do what is needed,” coach Baehr said, “that I probably don’t appreciate the moments during games the same way I would if I wasn’t coaching.”
With one final year remaining in his son’s high school career, Baehr said he is determined to slow down and enjoy the experience. He recently read a stat that said by the time a child reaches 18 years of age, the parents have already spent 90% of all the in-person time they will get with their child throughout his or her life. That stat hit hard.
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