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Alex Bartlett is a 2013 B-A alum who is making a huge impact not only in Bellwood-Antis, but in all of central PA.

Bartlett is the son of Carol Bartlett, who is an English teacher at B-A. He is now a physical education teacher at Tyrone who also coaches the Tyrone soccer team, which operates in a co-op with Bellwood-Antis.

Bartlett has been heavily involved in soccer for most of his life. He was named Mountain League MVP in 2013 when he played for the co-op team and was the team’s leading scorer. He went on to play two years soccer in college at Penn State Altoona before playing a year of club soccer at University Park.

Since 2019, he has been the head coach for the co-op team while overseeing youth soccer across northern Blair County with an extensive program he runs through the Northern Blair Rec Center. He has a C license through the USSF.

In his five seasons as the head coach, Bartlett has led the Eagles to the District 6 finals twice.

Along with Bob Crook, Bartlett’s dad, Jeff Bartlett, is credited with being one of the main pioneers for advocating a CO-OP soccer team with B-A and Tyrone.

“They fought tooth and nail through long school board meetings, discussions, and some community push-back yet preserved in their fight to help allow Bellwood students play high school soccer,” Bartlett said.

His family has always been very involved with the community. He and his brother Kyle found a love for soccer at a very young age and that has evolved into a passion for both of them, with Kyle serving as an assistant on the varsity team.

Bartlett said his main goal is to give every child the opportunity to find and avenue to be successful and learn to fall in love with the sport.

“Our youth program is growing each day. There’s a very bright future,” he said. “Our youth program philosophy is FOIL – fun, organized, inclusive, learning.”

Bartlett says that Bellwood-Antis gave him a foundation to grow from all throughout high school.

“The friends I have made, the teachers and administrators, and the coaches at Bellwood have shaped my life in a very positive way,” he said.

Tyrone recently completed the installation of a turf field, replacing their old soccer field at the Harry K. Sickler Athletic Park, and Bartlett is nothing less then ecstatic. When asked about how the field will affect the teams play style, he said, “The biggest impact will be the consistency the field brings. We don’t have to worry about a bumpy surface or how wet it is going to be when it rains and have to guess the status every single day.”

Bartlett believes that the team’s slick and fast playing style will fit the new field perfectly, but more importantly, the field is a huge milestone to not only him, but the team. To him, the field is a snapshot of the hard work and dedication that so many individuals close to him have put into the program.

Bartlett is very proud to lead the team into a future which is, “extremely bright,” and his expectations for the team next year are high.

“We have a great core group coming back. A nice mix of upperclassmen leadership and many young players that have bags of potential to make an impact,” Bartlett said.

We wish Coach Bartlett good luck in the upcoming season and congratulations on the new field!