Every young baseball player dreams of being coached by a professional ball player, and that dream has become a reality to players in West Windsor. “As a Little League player growing up, I never had the opportunity to work with professionals,” says Plainsboro resident Bill Bethea, a former professional baseball player who has founded Power Pitching & Hitting Professional Baseball Instruction. “Kids have always gone for private lessons in everything else. There have always been private music teachers.”##M:[more]##
Bethea, 27, has designed Power Pitching & Hitting to offer professional baseball instruction in all aspects of the game — including hitting, pitching, fielding, and catching. “We work with any level of player,” he says. “We don’t seek out the elite players. They just have to like the game.”
Although his pro statistics aren’t glittering (3-9 record, 8.37 ERA and 60 strikeouts), Bethea says that he learned a lot pitching for the Elmira Pioneers, then a part of the Boston Red Sox farm system, as well as the Ozark Mountain Ducks in the Central League. “Every player is completely different, and you can’t teach in a one-size-fits-all kind of way,” he says. “There are a lot of players who are great in high school and have the physical attributes to make it in college. But many don’t make it because they get distracted or they get injured because they don’t train in the proper way.”
Born and raised in Edison, Bethea’s parents, Bill and Barbara, started teaching him how to play baseball when he was five years old. His father still works in the family business, selling cleaning supplies to businesses. His mother works in medical records at a community mental health facility. His wife, Denise Bonnin-Bethea, will graduate from Temple School of Podiatric Surgery in May. They have been married since the fall of 2002.
At Edison High School, Bethea was part of a team that won two Middlesex County titles and one NJSIAA Group 4 state title. The Eagles ranked number one in New Jersey and ranked fourth in the national by USA Today in 1993. At New Jersey City University, he was a four-year starter and is only one of six players in the school’s history to play professional baseball. He graduated from college in 1999 with a bachelor of science in business administration and sports management.
His coaching career sprang up, quite unexpectedly, in a Shoprite supermarket when he ran into a former teacher. “It was over seven years ago, when I was still in college,” says Bethea. “He told me he had read about me, and he asked me to teach his son.” Power Pitching by Bill Bethea began as a hobby and led to lessons, camps, and baseball clinics in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties.
Before moving to Plainsboro, Bethea sent fliers to introduce himself and his new company to Little Leagues in the area. He soon formed a relationship with West Windsor Little League’s Andy Lupo and Bill Madden and was invited to work with them in the new West Windsor Little League Indoor Facility. Together they have run camps, clinics, and private lessons in the new building.
According to Bethea, the prerequisite for any successful camp experience is enthusiasm. “Kids have to like playing,” he says. “There are cases where players feel pressure from parents or friends, but I think kids should play the game because it is fun and not because they think they have to. You can identify the ones who don’t have an interest in the game pretty quickly.”
When that does happen, Bethea will have a talk with the player’s parents to find out just what the intentions are. “As long as the players want to be there, we want them,” he says. “But if it’s forced on a player they are not going to get the results from our program.”
While there are a number of baseball clinics and coaches who specialize in private instruction, Bethea says that he enjoys being the new kid on the block. “We’re younger guys, the newer generation, and we identify with the players very well,” says Bethea. “I would only hire guys that I knew could identify with the players. We have some younger instructors who work really well with high school kids because they are closer to them in age. We also have some older guys who identify with the real young kids.” The instructors, coaches at area high school or colleges, have all played at the college level or even the professional level.
Bethea admits to being an average player who played on good baseball teams and considers himself a late bloomer. In college, he gained close to eight miles in velocity on his fastball. “I was able to pick up six to eight miles-per-hour of consistent velocity by experimenting with mechanical styles, the right conditioning program, and getting the right coach,” he says. “I happen to be in touch with a pitching coach who worked with me and taught me to take care of my arm. I’ve never had an arm problem, knock on wood.”
Arm problems are something that even young pitchers should be concerned about. Bethea says that many young pitchers are taught to throw curve balls and sliders too soon, while their bodies are still developing. “I don’t believe in curve balls for young kids,” he says. “Even if you teach the right way, the kids just don’t have enough awareness to continue doing it the right way. Also the tendon that they are flexing when they throw is connected to the growth plate, which does not set until the early teens. That’s how kids come down with ‘Little League elbow syndrome.’”
Bethea’s objectives include safety, playing smart, having a good attitude, and having fun. “Safety is number one,” he says. “I like to teach the proper ways to reduce injury risk. At the same time we can increase velocity and power.”
Single lessons are $70; five-lesson package, the cost is $60 per lesson; and an eight-lesson plan. Bethea coaches Little League players, ages 6 to 12; Babe Ruth players, ages 13 to 15; high school; and college players. Both private and group lessons are available.Two one-week camps this summer begin on Mondays, June 28, and July 12. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the cost is $309. Sibling discounts are available.
Power Pitching & Hitting, 609-716-7181. E-mail: powerpitching@yahoo.com. Www.powerpitchingandhitting.com.
Sports Camps
Arena Gymnastics, 745 Alexander Road, West Windsor, 609-951-9868. Website: www.arenagymnastics.com.
Summer Camp: Full and half days, one to five days a week, early drop-off, extended hours, summer skills for ages 5 to 16. Through August 25. 490 to $160 per week.
Hun School, 176 Edgerstoune Road, Princeton, 609-921-7600. Website: www.hunschool.org.
Girls’ Basketball: One-week camp in girls’ basketball for all levels. $185. Begins on Monday, June 21. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Boys’ Basketball: One-week camp for all levels. $185. Begins on Monday, August 2. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ice Land Skating Center, 6 Tennis Court, Hamilton, 609-588-6672. Website: www.ice-land.com.
Summer Hockey School: For players ages 7 to 14 at all skill levels.
Mercer County College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, 609-586-9446. E-mail: campcollege@mccc.edu. Website: www.mccc.edu.
Sports Camp: Week-long intensive play and instruction in baseball, basketball, golf, inline hockey, lacrosse, soccer, soccer/basketball, tennis, and advanced tennis. For ages 7 to 17. Call for dates and prices of individual camps.
Nassau Swim Club, Lower Springdale Road, Princeton, 609-921-7282.
Nassau Swim Team: Swim and diving teams for students ages 5 to 17. Daily practice 9 a.m. to noon. Club membership required.
Notre Dame High School, 601 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville, 609-882-7900. Website: www.notredame.k12.nj.us.
Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Softball, Lacrosse, Cheerleading, and Soccer camps for grades 3 and up. Begins on Wednesday, June 23.
Peddie School, Hightstown, 609-371-7676. Www.peddie.org.
Athletic Camps: Soccer Academy, July 12 to 16; and Hot Shots Lacrosse, July 19 to 23. Call for information about Basketball Camp, Tennis Camp, and Tri-State Lacrosse Overnight Camp.
Princeton Day School, The Great Road, Princeton, 609-924-6700. Website: www.pds.org.
Sports Camps: Sports Academy Camps include ice hockey, basketball for both boys and girls, football, soccer, and boys’ lacrosse. Programs for ages 6 to 15. $325 to $425. Begins on Monday, June 21.
Princeton Fitness and Wellness Center, Princeton North Shopping Center, 1225 State Road, 609-497-4480. Www.mcp.org.
Youth Program: Classes for youth include yoga, aqua fit, hip hop dance, indoor cycling, and boxing. Call for schedule. Classes are $15 per class. Registration required.
Princeton International Regatta Association, Mercer County Park, 609-799-7100. E-mail: seanmccourt@princetonregatta.org. Www.princetonregatta.org.
Pira’s Resolute Racing Camps: Two one-week sessions for boys and girls ages 13 to 18. Open to rowers of all ability. July 11 to 16, and July 25 to 30. With housing at the Peddie School, $750. Day campers, $675 per week. Begins on Monday, June 28.
Princeton Racquet Club, 150 Raymond Road, 732-329-6200.
Tennis Network: One-week sessions for ages 7 and up. Morning, afternoon, or all day options. $120/week. Full day, $210/week. Through August 20. Multiple week discount available. Camps begin June 7. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Princeton Tennis Program, Veteran’s Park, Princeton, 609-924-4343.
Rookie Camp: For all levels ages 8 to 14. Half day, $125 per week; full-day, $165 per week. Extended care available. Begins on Monday, June 28.
Princeton Tennis Program, Princeton University, 609-924-4343.
Girl’s High School Prep: For girls, ages 14 to 17, July 26 through August 6. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Davis Cup: Fun team format for ages 10 to 17 who can hit full-court. August 23 through August 27. 9 a.m. to Noon. Pagoda Training Camp: Tennis for all levels, ages 12 to 17. Full-day, $195 per week. Begins June 21. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Princeton Tennis Program, Community Park, Princeton, 609-924-4343.
Rookie Camp: For all levels ages 7 to 12. Half day, $130 per week; full-day, $170 per week. Extended care available. Begins on Monday, June 21.
Princeton YMCA, YMCA, 609-497-9622. Website: www.princetonymca.org.
Sports Camps: For grades K to 8. Monday, June 21, through August 20. K to 5, $212 per week. Teens in grades 6 to 8, $228 per week.
Schafer School of Gymnastics, 1880 Princeton Avenue, Lawrenceville, 609-393-5855. Www.schafergymnastics.com.
Gymnastics camp for ages 3 to 16 from June 21 to August 27. Ten one-week sessions. Full or half days. Half-day, $25; full-day, $48; $220 for a full-day session. Early drop off and extended hours.
