Coach Beets Classic

Coach Beets

This tournament is being played to recognize a Pasco County coaching legend. Following his playing career at Austin Peay State University, where he captained his team to an Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Coach and his wife Donna moved to Florida to pursue their careers in education. Here, they both taught and raised their daughter, Bethany. For 47 years, he gave his all to educate and mentor all the young people in his classroom and on the field.

His first head coaching job was at Gulf High (79-81) where he set a school record for victories. He did the same at Hudson HS (82-83) at a school that had never had a winning season. In 1984, he led the inaugural program at Ridgewood HS. That season, with just grades 8-10, the Rams won an astonishing 10 games. From there, Ridgewood became a mainstay in the playoffs. During his 27 years at the helm of the Rams, coach Beets teams won 37 championships. In 2002, the Rams shocked the baseball world knocking off the country’s number one ranked team; undefeated Dunedin, in the state semifinal game. The Rams lost the following day to Bishop Kenney and ended the season ranked #9 in the country. He won 494 games at Ridgewood and 565 total as a high school head coach in Pasco County. Coach Beets retired in 2011 and spent the next 10 seasons at PHSC as an assistant and made the Junior College World Series on two different occasions.

In 2007, Ridgewood’s field was named in his honor. As a former PA announcer use to say at home games, “this is the house that Beets built”. This is no understatement! He took a field that had the bare necessities and turned it into a cathedral of baseball. The number of improvements to the facility are just too long to list. However, block by block, volunteers of coaches, players, and friends enclosed the wall that surrounds Beets Field. In addition, the same was done with the press box. It was an event to watch and play at Beets Field!

What a legacy he has forged in our community! All the life lessons that players and assistant coaches lean on in their day to day lives with his mission of Hit the Top Step Running. The pedestal that his former players and coaches put him on is perhaps the highest honor bestowed to a coach. Forget the victories and the field, it is the relationships he created through his many years of service to those who crossed his path. He always said, “you have to give up being good to be great”. Coach, you are the greatest!