Beasley was born in Fort Wayne in May 1982 to Joetta and Henry Beasley, and began playing the game in his backyard with his older brother, Jamar. After playing his freshman and sophomore seasons at South Side High School, Beasley opted to attend IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
In March 1999, two months before his 17th birthday, Beasley signed with Major League Soccer (MLS) and was assigned to the L.A. Galaxy. His star continued to rise in November of that year, as Beasley won the Silver Ball as the tournament’s second best player at the U-17 World Cup in New Zealand.