Spring Sports

Baseball

Head Coach: Ray Turek

Email: turekr@bethel.k12.ct.us

Coach Turek has been at Bethel High School as a Chemistry teacher since 1998. While at BHS, he coached under Jim Lacey for three years before taking over the varsity basketball program in 2002. He coached freshman baseball at BHS under Bill Hunt, and took over the Varsity program in 2011.

Assistant Coach: Sean Fesh

JV Coach: Greg Minor, minorg@bethel.k12.ct.us

Freshman Coach:

Softball

Head Coach: Jill O'Connell

joconnellj@bethel.k12.ct.us

High School: Trumbull High School

College: Western CT State University (WCSU)

Major: Financial Accounting

Grad. year: 2021

Playing experience: I started playing softball when I was just old enough to hold a bat, and played through my freshman year of college. I played for both the Trumbull and CT Seahawks travel teams from 12u-18u, and played all 4 years at Trumbull High.

Coaching experience:

2017-2019: CT Seahawks 14u

2019-2020: CT Hurricanes 16-18u

2021-current: Bethel Blast Travel 12u-14u

2021-2023: Bethel Assistant V Coach

Coaching philosophy: My goal is to create an environment where my athletes feel empowered and confident in

themselves to perform to the best of their abilities, by teaching self respect, accountability, and

ownership.

Personal: I live in Shelton with my family and 2 dogs, and I’m a huge Yankees and NY Giants fan! I also

play on my company’s co-ed slow pitch team in my spare time

Boys Track and Field

Head Coach: Yvonne Grimes

grimesy@bethel.k12.ct.us

BHS Coach Indoor Track & Field and Outdoor Boy’s Track & Field: 1996 to present

Track & Field Athlete, Coach, and Master Official: 1974 to present

Binghamton University BA/MAT

Connecticut Celebration of Excellence Award for Teaching: 1991

Special Olympics Connecticut Director Unified Distance Running Team: 1991 to present

Mother of five

Girls Track and Field

Head Coach: Marsha Turek

turekm@bethel.k12.ct.us

High School: East Providence HS, RI

Major: Sports Biology

Additional degrees: MAT Instructional Technology

Playing experience:

HS: Cross Country, Basketball and Track and field.
College: Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
Post Collegiate: 11 Marathons (including Boston, NYC, Chicago and Marine Corp), 1 Ultra Marathon (NorthFace Endurance Challenge 50K)

Coaching experience:

1997-1998 - Assistant Track Coach Plainfield HS
1998 - Assistant Track Coach Griswold HS
1999-2004 - Head Cross Country and Head Track coach Newtown High School
2004-2020 - Head Cross Country Coach Danbury High School
2022 - Freshman Volleyball Coach Bethel High School
2023 - JV Volleyball Coach Bethel High School
2024 - present - Head Cross Country Coach Bethel High School
2025 - present - Head Girls Outdoor Track Coach

Coaching/team awards:

1999, 2004 SWC Track and Field Champions (Newtown)
2002,2003 SWC Cross Country Champions (Newtown)
2017 State OPEN Runner Up, NE Qualifier (Danbury)
2018 FCIAC Champions, Class LL Champions, State OPEN Champions, NE Qualifier (Danbury)
2019 NE Qualifier (Danbury)

Coaching philosophy:

My coaching philosophy is built on four key principles: Individual improvement, a lifelong love of track and field, a strong sense of team and a desire for continuous growth, on and off the field.

Boys Lacrosse

Head Coach: Chris Collison

collisonc@bethel.k12.ct.us

High School: Trumbull High School

College: Union College

Major: History

Grad. Year: 2004

Additional Degree: Master of Arts in Teaching

Playing Experience:

Trumbull High School, 4 years

Union College, 4 years

Walcountain Blues Lacrosse Club, London, England, 2 years

Coaching Experience: I've coached for the better part of 15 years, including 2 years in England, 10 years for Primetime Penguins select lacrosse and 8 years as Assistant Varsity Coach for Melrose Lacrosse in Massachusetts.

Coaching/Team Awards:

Middlesex Assistant Coach of the Year, Melrose Lacrosse, 2x

Middlesex League Title, Melrose Lacrosse, 3x

Coaching Philosophy: As a coach I believe it's my responsibility to put players in the best position to succeed and to get the best out of every player on the team. A lot of my coaching philosophy revolves around building and having the right mindset. Understanding how to work hard at something to get better, respecting your opponents, refs., etc. and, most importantly, controlling what you can control. All of these skills are important not only in lacrosse, but in their lives as well.

Girls Lacrosse

Head Coach: Olivia Boman

bomano@bethel.k12.ct.us

High School: Bethel High School

College: Central Connecticut State University

Major: Technology and Engineering Education (K-12)

Graduation Year: 2020

Coaching Experience:

USA Lacrosse, Level 1 Coach

Ambition Lacrosse, Head Coach

Playing Experience:

4 years Varsity - Bethel High School

3 years WCLA - Central Connecticut State University

Coaching Philosophy:

Winners are those who put their all into every game and practice they are a part of. Behind every successful team are players and coaches who are constantly striving to be the best they can be, not only individually, but as a team.

Boys Tennis

Head Coach: Hannah Cox

coxh@bethel.k12.ct.us

High School: West Haven High School

College: University of Vermont

Major: Education K-12

Grad. year: 1989

Additional degrees: Masters in TESOL, School for International Training, VT

Playing experience:

Played tennis in high school and USTA for several years

Coaching experience:

Coached a middle school team in Saitama, Japan, where I was teaching English. This is my first year coaching in Bethel.

Coaching philosophy:

To create a positive environment that encourages players to keep learning skills and developing their game. To share my love of the game with hopes that they will learn to love the game as well.

To help players learn to enjoy and appreciate the training, teamwork, and improvements made along the way.

To demonstrate the importance of tennis etiquette and to encourage players to always be ‘humble in victory and gracious in defeat” (which is the essence of good sportsmanship).

Personal:

I first picked up a racquet when I was about 10 years old. My older sister taught me the basics and then I had a few lessons at summer camp. I remember running to the sign up area every morning so that I would be sure to get on the list to play. I loved playing and couldn’t get enough of it, even though it was frustrating at times. I played singles on my high school team and did pretty well. The hardest thing for me was to not show my frustration when I was losing - I hated losing. My coach was awesome though, and with his help, learned how to control my emotions when playing and to stay positive and focused - “mental toughness” is so important in tennis.

My favorite tennis quote is by Bill Tilden (who dominated the sport in the 1920s and was the first American tennis player to compete at Wimbledon):

“Thinking about past points you lost only costs you future points.”

This not only applies to tennis, but to life as well! Words of wisdom.

Girls Tennis

Head Coach: Jeremy Heyel

heyelj@bethel.k12.ct. us

High School: Immaculate High School

College: Western Connecticut State University

Major: BS Secondary Education/History

Grad. year: 1994

Playing experience:

I learned to play tennis when I was about 9 or 10 years old. My grandparents wanted my brother and me to learn so that we’d always have a game that we could easily pick up with a friend, and it worked! I’ve played recreationally ever since then.

Coaching experience:

I began my coaching career as a field hockey coach several years ago, working in Woodbury at the middle school and high school levels and more recently at Bethel High School. I completed my third season with the school in the fall of 2023.

My time as a tennis coach began just this year - March of 2024.

Coaching philosophy:

Coaching is more than teaching athletes the mechanics of the game and definitely more than simply playing to win. Coaching also teaches athletes how to manage life in general, from building (and maintaining) relationships, setting and exceeding personal goals, the importance of teamwork, learning from failure and savoring the victories, among many other life skills. A great coach leads by example and sets the tone for the team and the season. But more than that, a great coach helps athletes manage life outside of - and beyond - the sport. Winning, of course, is always great. But how you get there is equally as important.

Personal (if you would like to include):

Joining the BHS tennis team was an easy move not only because I love tennis, but also because I’ve known most of the BHS athletes from working in the high school in various teaching roles. In fact, I’ve known some of them since elementary school since my kids are/were Bethel students. My daughter Kelsey graduated in 2019 and my son Josh currently is a junior. My wife Kris also works at the high school.

Any other information you’d like to add:

Ultimately, I believe that an athlete’s progress and improvement stems from a basic formula:

Attitude + Effort = Ability

What an athlete puts into a sport largely determines their success. While not everyone can be the “best,” so to speak, the mindset of a positive attitude and putting forth your best effort will lead to personal improvement as well as team success. I expect this mindset from my athletes - and also of myself.

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