South End Gem Awards | Michael Bethea: Coaching Stars on the Basketball Court and in the Community

The South Seattle Emerald will host T'Challaween, a trick-or-treat costume parade on Oct. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m., that will recognize heroes in our families, our friend groups, and throughout our community. In honor of T'Challaween, the Emerald is highlighting several community heroes who have made a difference.

To many, Michael Bethea may be known as the basketball coach who led Rainier Beach High School (RBHS) to nine state championships and helped train numerous athletes who have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association. But he has also been a pillar in the community who has helped mentor and transform students' lives.

"I don't measure my wins with titles, number of wins: That's just a by-product," Bethea said. "I measure it by all the young men who have gone on to college and had a chance to make a positive impact, not just in their lives, but in the community's lives."

Bethea was born and raised in the South End. He went to Franklin High School and has been coaching the RBHS boys basketball team for the past 32 years. When he walks through the hallways, he is greeted by students, and the school's renovation features a new athletic complex, named in his honor.

When he first started coaching, he said it was a time when there was a lot of gang activity in the South End, and some young people were caught up in gang life. Seeing what was happening in the community, Bethea wanted to use basketball as a way to make a positive difference among youth. At times, he's become a second father to many youth who often grew up with adversity.

"It was the prime time for me to step in and try to steer the kids the right way," Bethea said. "I see the positive that it's actually putting in these young men's lives, so as long as I can do that and keep them on the right track, I think that basically is what keeps my fires burning."

Being a coach keeps him busy. When basketball season starts, Bethea wakes up every day at 4 a.m., and his nights end after practice around 7 p.m. On game nights, he's done around 11 p.m.

While the program has led to careers for many professional athletes, including Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Kevin Porter Jr., and more, he also values the success of students who have gone on to become teachers, lawyers, and coaches.

"I want to open up that whole spectrum, to just let them understand that basketball is a vehicle to take them places they need to go in life," Bethea said.

He's noticed how a lot of students tend to only focus on basketball and "put all their eggs in one basket." But not everyone goes on to play professional basketball, which is why he emphasizes that his players be a student first and athlete second.

He attributes his mentorship style to the values his parents instilled in him, such as a positive work ethic, integrity, and high moral character.

"He's a true coach because he knows how to coach them through adversity, he knows how to coach them through even discriminatory practices that they experience," said his wife, Virginia Bethea, who is also a community advocate for RBHS and has overseen the school's renovation.

"I think the mix of being stern, but having a heart and allowing [students] to see his vulnerability, provides a good balance for our boys," she added.

The most important thing to him is making sure that students know how to handle wins and losses, how to handle their teammates, and how to reach their academic goals.

Even though he's aware the South End can get a bad rap, he said people who live there see the area differently. "We just feel like it's such a close-knit group."

This is the third of a series of South End heroes highlights leading up to the Emerald's T'Challaween event. Our previous South End Gem Award honorees were Jose Luis Rodriguez and Leona Moore-Rodriguez, business owners of The Station coffee shops, and Maria Batayola, a community advocate known as the "unofficial mayor of Beacon Hill."