Green Flags: Haley Hofmann and the ASU Prep Color Guard
Haley Hofmann, Head Coach of the ASU Preparatory Academy Polytechnic color guard, is cultivating a distinctive educational experience that extends beyond traditional academics through meaningful extracurricular activities. With the only K–12 color guard program in Arizona, she is preparing students not only for competition but for life, instilling undeniable self-confidence, dedication and personal growth—and the most colorful affinity to Arizona State University.
A passion rooted in classroom and community
Coach Hofmann is currently in her sixth year with ASU Prep. She first heard about the school through Amy Kochis, a respected figure in the color guard community, who encouraged her to apply for a teaching role following her graduation from ASU.
As an ASU Prep World History teacher, Hofmann said, “I appreciate that our administration is tremendously supportive. I have had incredible experiences with our leaders that make me keep coming back every year. The kids are also a very creative bunch, which makes class fun.” These experiences help reinforce strong academic performance and overall academic achievement.
A legacy of high performance
Hofmann’s journey to lead the color guard began unexpectedly. She first discovered color guard through the marching band. She was initially a clarinet player, but during her first marching band season, she witnessed a senior’s dance and flag solo.
“I was so impressed,” she said. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Hofmann said she went home to tell her mom about it and discovered that her mom had performed with the color guard in high school, too. “She said, ‘Well, you know I was the captain of my color guard in high school, right?’ I had no idea! I guess it runs in the family.”
That was how Hofmann discovered her niche. She joined the color guard and agreed to also coach at ASU Prep, which has a long history of partnering its color guard with ASU’s.
Each year, the ASU Prep color guard usually marches and performs with the university’s color guard at the ASU Homecoming game. Hofmann assists with the ASU collegiate team in the fall and performs as a captain with them during the winter competitive season, entering her fourth year in that leadership role. She also coaches the K–12 ASU Prep color guards twice a week as part of ASU Prep’s after-school activities and extracurricular participation offerings.
Mentorship in motion: Developing more than just skills
For Hofmann, the greatest reward comes from direct student mentorship. “My favorite part about coaching our students in color guard is watching the excitement when they learn a new skill,” she said. “I love creating and designing the shows they perform, but it’s working 1-on-1 with them on something that they have been working hard on and seeing their effort pay off that brings me the most joy.”
Eliza, an ASU Prep Poly second grader, said she learned about color guard last year and loves it. “My favorite part of color guard is performing and doing nice parades,” she said.
I have seen this activity bring the quietest kids out of their shells and give them courage they never knew they had.”
The power of practice, discipline and competition
Hofmann said her goal is for every student to increase confidence and personal growth. “A really big thing we stress when talking about competing is that you need to be undeniable with your performance. I have seen this activity bring the quietest kids out of their shells and give them courage they never knew they had.”
“It not only builds a lot of skill physically, but you grow a lot as a person,” said River, an ASU Prep 10th grader who has participated in color guard since Kindergarten. “My favorite part is definitely the people. Every person is absolutely phenomenal, they’re so kind, so sweet,” she said. “Genuinely the nicest people you will ever meet, and I love them so much.”
Hofmann said her color guard training emphasizes consistency, teamwork, and time management, which are fundamental to success in both competition and academics. “Training consists of learning basics and practicing intensively,” she said. “At the older levels, we have defined technique exercises and skills that students should be working on every day. Consistency is the biggest word in the realm of color guard. You want to be able to do your skills 10 out of 10 times.”
The competition season begins in January and includes six to eight performances at local high schools, encompassing both state and national circuits. Hofmann said the color guard also travels to an out-of-state competition every other year or so, allowing students to see some of the best color guards in the country.
A direct pipeline to ASU
The ASU Prep color guard program is distinguished by its direct and beneficial relationship with ASU’s collegiate team. This partnership provides students with opportunities rarely afforded to K–12 extracurricular activities.
“Students should join color guard because it is an activity like no other, and we here at ASU Prep have a very unique program,” Hofmann said. “We have a really great connection with the college team and get amazing opportunities.”
These opportunities include annual participation in the ASU Homecoming Parade on the Tempe campus and performing alongside the ASU color guard at their pregame “Concert on the Steps” directly before the Homecoming football game. The JV and Varsity teams are also often handed down costumes from the collegiate team. “So the costumes the JV/Varsity team are wearing for the parade are the same ones I wore in college!” Hofmann said.
Building a family, one routine at a time
Gelila, an ASU Prep 9th grader, said she would encourage students to join color guard because it is such a great community. “We’ve all grown up with each other—we’re like one big family. It’s so fun, you get to dance and you get to perform and see the crowd cheer for you…it’s amazing.”
Students gain more than performance skills; they develop valuable life competencies that support college admissions and strong college applications. “The skillset you get after joining color guard is special as well,” Hofmann said. “Students learn so much about preparedness, effort and determination. It’s not easy to understand how to do some of the skills on your first try. It takes a lot of perseverance to succeed in this activity. My absolute favorite thing, however, is there is no limit to what you can do.”
Students are constantly encouraged to explore new movements and skills, embodying the belief that there is “no limit to what you can do.”
Claire, an ASU Prep 6th grader, said her sister participated in color guard, so she also joined after seeing her love it. “My favorite part of color guard is the friendships you make with it. You get a lot of discipline from it, but it’s a lot of fun.”
The program’s status as the only K–12 color guard in Arizona allows students to begin rigorous training well before the high school level, strengthening long-term academic achievement through consistent extracurricular participation. Hofmann recognizes this achievement is a collective effort, and she also extends her gratitude to Ms. Kochis for trusting her to lead the program she so beautifully built.
“I am SO thankful for everyone who has helped with this program in any capacity,” Hofmann said. “It is definitely not a one-person job! There are so many staff, parents and students who have volunteered their time to help out, and I will never be able to thank them enough for their dedication to our school and our program!”
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