Barry Beattie knows that the opportunity to coach a player like Natalie Chudowsky (Westport, Conn.) doesn’t come around very often at a public high school.
But Beattie had that luxury for the last three seasons at Staples High School (Westport, Conn.), as Chudowsky, a Class of 2026 Duke commit, was a do-it-all force for his program.
She even helped lead Staples to a state championship in 2022 as a freshman.
"Her talent is obvious. At high school, she would be the best player in every position," said Beattie. "We’ve used her as a central defender, central midfielder, right or left winger and striker. Primarily, we’d play her as an attacking midfielder, though, because her ability to take the ball under any pressure and retain possession, or dribble free of pressure is unmatched. If we need a big goal, she will always pop up and score it.
