Hampton Roads, Virginia has produced some of the most prolific athletes not only in Virginia sports history, but nationwide as well. One of the most decorated athletes to come out of Hampton Roads in the past 30 years is Hampton’s Allen Iverson. Iverson was a nationally awarded student athlete at Hampton’s Bethel High School, where he excelled at both football and basketball. I cannot imagine the phone ringing off the hook at the Iverson residence, his family was probably flooded by national recruiters in both college football and basketball during his time at Bethel. Eventually, Iverson would choose to play basketball exclusively at Georgetown University, then onto the NBA, and the rest is basketball history. He was one of the best players in the NBA and certainly, one of its fiercest competitors. And is an NBA Hall of Famer. Bethel High School has honored Iverson several times over. Check out this piece on YouTube featuring a special homecoming and a gym to be renamed…

On a recent fall visit to Newport News, I decided to take a small detour and check out nearby Hampton and the Bethel High School baseball field. Who knows, maybe Iverson threw a no-hitter on this field or perhaps hit an extra inning grand slam to win a state title for Bethel? Well, after doing a small amount of research, I have yet to find any mention of Allen Iverson playing baseball at Bethel. Still, it was cool to take a look at the Bethel Bruins baseball field.

Bethel High School has had a number of its former student athletes play in the NFL, NBA, as well as participate in the Olympics. Quick search didn’t produce any MLB players, but I am sure if I dig a little I can find some superstar Bethel Bruins, current and former. It was a beautiful drive over to Newport News and Hampton, and I was psyched to check out the Bethel High School Bruins baseball field.

Something tells me that if Allen Iverson wanted to play baseball full-time, he would have been absolutely electric at that as well. Overall, a pretty cool Bethel Bruins baseball experience on a beautiful fall afternoon in Hampton, VA.