Quinn Jamieson
ASU Student Journalist

Hatch/Strawn family ties run deep in Mesa

October 14, 2018 by Quinn Jamieson, Arizona State University


Annie Hatch, Amy Strawn and Kate Hatch. (Photo courtesy of Amy Strawn)

Upon first glance, anyone that watches a Mesa High School volleyball game would see a good team with a passionate and encouraging coach on the sidelines and the dominant duo of a powerful 6-foot-1 outside hitter and a well-rounded 6-foot setter leading the way on the court.

This scene doesn’t sound much different from your average volleyball team, except the three are connected by a bond much tighter than that seen on the court. They are a family, and one that has been a constant at Mesa High School over the past 20 years.

Before the duo of Annie and Kate Hatch were lighting up the Arizona prep volleyball scene, they were spectators, scorekeepers, and members of a family synonymous with Mesa High School.

They have been in and around Mesa High as long as they can remember, and think of it as a second home. The first volleyball practices they attended were when they were in car seats and playpens.

Annie is a senior and one of the premier volleyball players in the state. The outside hitter racks up kills and is nearly unstoppable on the court, where she displays a jovial and passionate competitive spirit. She is a natural leader and vocal throughout the game. Off the court, she displays a calm and collected demeanor.

Kate is her little sister and a junior on the team. She is a setter and assists on nearly all of Annie's points. Her consistency is remarkable, and the game usually flows through her.

The pair shares the team captaincy (voted on by their teammates), and both display leadership on and off the court. The sisters chemistry on the hardwood is evident and can be seen by watching just one set. Off the court, the two are self-proclaimed best friends and are often seen together joking around before and after games. Like normal siblings, they admitted to the occasional tense sisterly moment, but they try not to let those moments get in the way of their play.

“She (Annie) is the best ever to play with because I feel like she brings so much intensity and love for the game. I think that shows in our whole team,” Kate said.

Annie was quick to point out that Kate does a better job picking up her teammates and staying positive on the floor.

Their mother, Amy Strawn (she kept her maiden name) is a seasoned volleyball coach who has been at Mesa since 1998. She is a positive figure in the huddle and treats her daughters like any other players when they’re on the court. She also is a social studies teacher at Mesa.

Coaching her daughters “means the world” to Strawn.

“It’s just special to get be a part of your kids life in something they love,” Strawn said. “They're so passionate and I get to share in it. I just feel privileged to be there with them.”

It was never difficult for Strawn to separate being their mom and their coach. She admittedly pushes them a little harder than she does others on the court. She credited her daughters accountability and maturity regarding the situation as reasons why it works so smoothly.

Kate Hatch knows that when Strawn criticizes her or suggests something, it’s her coach speaking, not her mom.

“At school and on the volleyball court I think of her as just a coach,” Kate said. “You try and put away the mom side of things. If she yells at me you can't think ‘oh my mom's mad at me.' I think of it like no, coach is mad at me. At home, we’re back to our normal lives.”

Annie admitted that the “game sometimes follows you home,” but they try not to talk about volleyball too much past the confines of the court.

Strawn and her two daughters have taken center stage as the leading figures on a contending volleyball team, but the family is much more ingrained in Mesa High School than just those three.

The patriarch of the Hatch/Strawn family, Kirk Hatch, can be seen roaming the halls during the school day. He is a science teacher at Mesa, a former assistant basketball coach, and current volleyball dad. He can be found cheering from the bleachers as his daughters light up the scoreboard.

Annie and Kate are in the midst of their time donning the purple and gold of the Jackrabbits, but before them came three older brothers who were athletes in their own right. J.T., Drew and Mark all represented the Jackrabbits during their time in high school and saw considerable success.

Mark and Drew were members of the Mesa basketball team that won the Division 1 Arizona state championship in 2016, while their father, Kirk was an assistant coach.

J.T. is a recent graduate of UCLA and represented Team USA in volleyball at the Pan American Cup in September.

Strawn is happy that sports kept her kids busy and away from the dangers of the world. She never had to force them into it. They just loved it.

“We’ve been lucky that all five of them loved being in the gym and playing sports,” Strawn said. “Anytime we had free time, that’s what we as a family were doing.”

The accomplishments of the family can be felt throughout the school in the form of banners, trophies, pictures and memories. It is impossible to be around the school without feeling the impact of the family so deeply intertwined with it.

Kate, the youngest of five, spent countless hours attending her older siblings’ sporting events, and she couldn’t wait for it to be her turn.

“I couldn’t wait to get to high school and have that Mesa High on my jersey,” Kate said. “Carry on what they set up.”

Annie echoed a similar sentiment.

“Growing up, I felt like was always in Mesa’s gym, so it’s really fun to finally be a part of it,” Annie said.

Strawn couldn’t be happier that Mesa is where all her kids ended up.

“I take a lot of pride in the fact that our five kids have come to this school and been successful and done well,” Strawn said. “And we’ve had a great time.”

Maryann Stegall a coach of a various sports (soccer, tennis, softball and badminton) at Mesa has been around the school for the past 18 years and seen the impact of the family firsthand.

“They’re all so talented and dedicated to their sport,” Stegall said. “They’re the true meaning of the "bleed purple and gold'.”

The sisters have elegantly dealt with the expectations that come with the family name.

They maintain straight A’s, never miss a practice and showcase the positive values instilled in them by their parents.

Similarly to their older brothers, the sisters have seen tremendous athletic success as Jackrabbits and have taken leading roles in Mesa’s 26-12 campaign this season. Mesa currently sits atop the 6A East Valley volleyball standings, with four matches remaining in the regular season.

Annie and Kate have both been members of the varsity team since their freshman year and have played integral roles in the volleyball team’s six straight seasons as city champs.

The family may be known for their athletic prowess, but it’s their love for the school and community that truly sets them apart.

On the back of the team's jersey this season is a poem written by legless wrestler Anthony Robles, a Mesa alum and Arizona State legend.

"Every soul who comes to earth

with a leg or two at birth

must wrestle his opponents knowing it's not what is,

it's what can be that measures worth.

Make it hard, just make it possible

and through pain I'll not complain.

My spirit is unconquerable,

fearless I will face each foe, for I know I am capable.

I don't care what's probable,

through blood, sweat, and tears, I am unstoppable."

-- Anthony Robles

It was Annie’s Idea to highlight the poem because she felt it encapsulated what the team and Mesa High School represent: a community that is capable, hardworking and unstoppable.

Strawn acknowledged that the school gets the reputation of being “inner city” and “ghetto” but she nor her daughters let that stigma affect the spirit of what they know to be true about their beloved school.

“We try to represent our school really well,” Strawn said. “The girls are representing their family, but they also know that they’re representing Mesa High everywhere they go. That's important to us because we have a great school and a lot of people don't give us credit for being as great of a school as it is.”

They are proud of the fact that Mesa is a program that “homegrows” all of its players. One of the things that Strawn is most proud of regarding her team is the comraderie shared between teammates. She credited the countless hours spent together working hard, the Mesa community and the culture surrounding the program as the catalyst for this.

The motto of Mesa High -- “carry on” -- is something the family and the team take to heart. According to Mesa High lore, the motto came about in 1932 following the tragic death of football player Zedo Ishikawa. His final words “carry on” were a message to his coach and teammates before their first game of the season against Gilbert High School.

Annie interprets the motto as a slogan to live by.

“When things get tough, just keep on going and keep on pushing"Annie said. “We definitely try to do that as a school and as a family.”

Strawn relishes the extra time that working and coaching at Mesa High has afforded her to spend with her family. This time is made up of practices, car rides, all-day tournaments, and the occasional lunch.

In the not-so-distant future, this will no longer be the scene.

Next year Annie will be off to Iowa State to play volleyball, while Kate completes her senior year.

The prospect of that separation is bittersweet for the sisters, who have been teammates for the majority of their lives. The duo isn’t focused on that right now. They're on the court doing what they love and trying to make their final season together a special one for their community.

“It’s definitely sad,” Annie said. “We’ve progressed together and been through so much. I keep thinking about all the years we’ve played together. I definitely want to make it count.”

Regardless of how this volleyball season ends up, or where life carries the Strawn/Hatch family, they’ll always be Jackrabbits and they couldn’t be prouder.