Bethel Park notebook: Coach enjoying middle school experience

By: Ray Fisher
Saturday, December 7, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Did you know that Bethel Park girls middle school volleyball coach Adam Foote is a social studies teacher at Baldwin High School?

“I’ve been coaching girls middle school volleyball at Bethel Park the past three seasons and last year coached the boys JV team,” said Foote, who formerly coached volleyball at Baldwin for several seasons.

“Middle school has been a good experience,” Foote said, “with lots of focus on development and loving the game and less intense focus on winning each match.

“It’s also been fun to see the range of coaches at middle school. You either find young coaches looking for their start, teachers from the schools who have been doing it for years or old high school coaches.”

Students attend summit

The 15th annual WPIAL Summit on Sportsmanship took place Nov. 13 at the Senator John Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.

Student-athletes from the schools in attendance listened to keynote speakers discuss topics related to the importance of sportsmanship in athletics.

Bethel Park was represented at the prestigious event by two sophomores, Colton Fisher (wrestling, baseball) and Lyla Miller (cheerleading), and two freshmen, Ellis Stearman (soccer, volleyball) and Jenna Benlock (basketball, track & field, cross country).

Featured speakers at the summit included Brian Gulish, representing the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank; Anne Madarasz, Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum director; Kathy McConnell-Miller, Carnegie Mellon women’s basketball coach; Scott Seltzer, WPIAL executive director; and Neil Walker, retired infielder of the Pittsburgh Pirates and a Pine-Richland graduate.

Bruckner bonanza

Don’t be surprised to see a player named Bruckner competing for the Bethel Park boys basketball team this season.

Or maybe two, or three, Bruckners.

Jack Bruckner is a senior guard for the Black Hawks.

“I’m really looking forward to sharing the court with my brother Brayden and my cousin Mike,” Bruckner said before the season began. “We all work extremely hard and push each other to be great. It could be really memorable for three Bruckners to be representing Bethel Park on the hardwood at the same time.”

Brayden is a sophomore guard. Mike is a junior forward.

Signing day

Five senior athletes at Bethel Park signed letters of intent Nov. 13 to continue their athletic careers at the next level.

The five that signed are Ryan Walsh: Virginia Tech (baseball), Freya Blatz: Akron (soccer), Grace Ferency: Duquesne (soccer), Trent Powell: IUP (swimming) and Cally Edner: IUP (swimming).

All-star selection

Bethel Park’s Jackson Friday was selected to play for Class 3A at the recent Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association boys all-star event at Pine-Richland. Friday, a senior, manned a forward position for the Black Hawks this season.

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