Lindell Beach, British Columbia Canada
Name: Hailey Bethune
Nickname: Hailz
Graduation Year: 2023
Hometown: Lindell Beach, British Columbia Canada
High School: Yale Secondary
Travel Team: White Rock Renegades 2005 Gold
Travel Team Coach: Allison McMillan
Positions: Third Base / Middle Infield / Catcher / Utility (5-Tool)
Height: “5’5”
Bat/Throw: Right/Right
Overhand Velocity: 66 mph
Exit Velocity off Tee: 75mph
Home to First: 3.01
Legacy & Legends Softball National Player Ranking: Elite Top 100
Links to Videos: https://sportsrecruits.com/athlete/hailey_bethune
Please tell us about yourself … Who are you?
I am someone who loves my family, friends, and the game of softball. I am someone who has very high goals for myself and takes seriously the work and effort it will take to achieve them. I want to be a student athlete in the NCAA, represent Canada in the Olympics, and serve my community as a firefighter.
How did you become interested in playing softball and when did you begin?
At a young age my parents put me in many different sports. But the one that stood out to me the most was softball. I always enjoyed it growing up and at about the age of 10 I knew it was something I wanted to take seriously. My mom was a great softball player growing up, and I wanted to be just like her.
Why do you play?
I play because I love the feeling of my teammates cheering me on, and being able to cheer for them. I love feeling the adrenaline of making a game winning play, or being a part of a big team win. Softball gives me something to always look forward to.
Please explain how it is to play softball in Canada. How does it compare to USA softball?
In Canada we definitely struggle with the weather at times. In BC we get very similar weather to Seattle. It doesn’t snow much in the winter, but we do get a lot of rain. Our team stays together for a full 12 months starting each September. We do a short fall season locally, followed by several trips to the US for tournaments over the winter. We train indoors 4-5 times per week until March when we start our season that goes until mid August. We play in both Canadian and US tournaments, and try to qualify for the national championships in both countries. Our team is super close. Most of us have played together for many years, and we do everything together.
There really aren’t many differences in the game between Canada and the US other than the amount of teams and that we don’t have high school softball. We love coming down to the US to face different competition from our regular local teams. We always do pretty well too! Our team went 5-0 on our most recent trip to California!
If you could spend a day with a softball player or coach, who would it be and why?
I would spend it with Sis Bates. She is such a great player and her personality is so fun. I feel like I would have such a great time with her and it would be great to pick her brain on the defensive side of the game.
Who do you try to emulate when you play softball?
I really try to match my game to Canadian Olympian Emma Entzminger. She is such a strong player both offensively and defensively. She is the one who got me playing third base because I wanted to play just like her.
What is your best softball strength or skill set?
I think that my best strength is being a fierce competitor. I take pride in being a very well rounded five tool player, but I really hate to lose the most. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done!
What is your softball dream or goal?
My goal is to be the best student athlete that I can be in the NCAA, and then earn a spot to play for Team Canada in the 2028 Olympics. For a team goal, we are working very hard to win the U17 Canadian National Championship in 2022. It has been cancelled the last two seasons due to COVID, so this year we are going all in!
Best or favorite softball memory?
My favorite memory is from a game that we played in last year's Provincial Championships. We won a 3-1/2 hour game over our biggest rival. It was back and forth all game and the energy was intense! I’ve never seen our team and coaches come together like that before. I will never forget that feeling, and how loud that park was the entire game.
Who is your hero or role model and why?
My role model is Kelsey Jenkins Harshman who plays second base for Team Canada. I had always liked her when watching Team Canada when I was little. But I got the chance to meet her at a Team Canada camp when I was about 13 years old and she was so nice to me. She is such a great person on and off the field, and she showed me the type of person that I would like to be to younger kids if I am able to go far in softball. She’s so kind.
Other hobbies and interests?
I love doing things outdoors such as skiing, mountain biking and hiking. I also used to play Hockey, and am still a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan!
Coach’s Evaluation by Allison McMillan
Hailey is a hard-working and talented player!
She puts in a huge amount of effort on her own time to improve her game and is relied on to contribute to the team defensively and offensively when it matters most. On our team she is counted on to be a vocal leader on and off the field and always sets the best example for her teammates. She shows up early, stays late, creates a positive atmosphere, and pushes her teammates to be their best. For high school she attends Yale Softball Academy with some of the best coaching and development of any program in the country. This has taken her game to a new level.
When the game starts, she's a strong competitor. She bats third in our lineup because she puts the ball in play almost every single time to score baserunners. She can drive the ball to all fields with power and led our team in homeruns during our shortened season this year.
She's not your typical power hitter doing it with sheer size; she has solid mechanics, great hand / eye coordination, and she's incredibly strong.
Defensively she can play any position on the field. She starts for us at either second or third base. I love her at 3rd for our team because of her quickness and arm strength. She takes away a lot of hits. Slappers / Bunters don't want any part of her. She's awesome up the middle and we even made her a back up catcher just because of her arm, athleticism and compete level.
This is a top-level athlete if I've ever coached one. She has all the tools and is a first-class person from a great family. Hailey would be a huge asset to any program.
- Allison McMillan
Head Coach - White Rock Renegades 2005
604-999-3083
Dad's (Steve Bethune) Thoughts About Hailey
Hailey has always been a very driven, self motivated kid. She’s always had a fire inside to be the best she can be, whether that is school, sports, or competing with her younger sister! Her mom and I are very proud of the person she is growing into and fully believe that she will accomplish the goals she has laid out for herself. We love watching her play. She puts so much time into her game, it’s amazing watching her hard work pay off. Seeing the smile on her face when she’s on the field makes it all worth it.
What makes you the ideal player for a college softball team?
I am willing to do whatever the team needs from me. I will play any position, bat anywhere in the order, hit a homerun, lay down a bunt, or just cheer like crazy from the bench. I love being part of the team, and will always take a leadership role with my actions. I want to go to a school that I am proud of, and perform at the highest level I can for them.
Would you like to say anything else?
I want to say thank you to all of my teammates and coaches for making softball the greatest part of my life. My sister Chloe, who is an AMAZING 2024 Catcher and my training partner, thank you for pushing me every day. And thank you to my parents for everything they do to make it all happen. The time, money, love and support I get from them means the world to me.
