How Alex Bethea built a wrestling dynasty in Trenton
For decades in the capital city, the Bethea name was synonymous with athletic toughness and community leadership. But Alexander “Alex” Bethea envisioned something far beyond personal accolades. A former district teacher, coach, and administrator, Bethea—alongside his family and co-founders —laid the groundwork for a grassroots wrestling dynasty designed to transform the lives of Trenton’s youth on and off the mat.
By founding the Trenton Youth Wrestling & Learning Center, Bethea merged rigorous athletic instruction with academic tutoring and mentorship, building a foundation that turned local gyms into safe havens and catapulted neighborhood kids to Ivy League mats and state podiums.
Beyond wrestling, Alexander Bethea has dedicated decades to Trenton as a former City Council President, local NAACP leader, and Assembly candidate. Whether in classrooms, on the mat, or in public office, his lifelong service has left a lasting, transformative mark on the city for future generations.
A native of South Carolina, Bethea told the Trenton Journal how he was a part of the “Great Migration,” which eventually brought him to the “Garden State.”
Bethea’s brother was a powerful 200-pound fullback—gentle off the field, but unstoppable on it. After a college scholarship didn’t work out and his brother returned home, a high school coach leveraged a connection in Paterson, New Jersey, that led to 15-year-old Bethea moving to the state.
“I was coming from all-Black everything. I never went to school with white kids. When I came to Paterson, I went to Paterson Eastside High School,” Bethea recalled.
It was in New Jersey that Bethea would discover his love for wrestling.
“I never heard of organized wrestling until I came to New Jersey. I was asked whether I wanted to try for the wrestling team. I used to wrestle kids down in the sandlot,” he said. “We wrestled pretty tough, and I could hold my own for my weight. Since I was country strong, I could throw the guys around a little bit. That’s how that experience started.”
After high school in 1968, he enrolled in Essex County College in Newark, where he received an Associate’s degree in 1972. Eventually, he graduated from The College of New Jersey in 1975 and began working for the Trenton Board of Education. Shortly thereafter, he helped to develop his son’s talent for wrestling.
“I got married and had nine children that we homeschooled. I got my boys started early in wrestling,” Bethea said. “I got started late, so I wanted them to start earlier than I did. My son Raamiah won the state championship in 2012, the first and only state championship in the history of Trenton High School.”
Raamiah shared how it feels to be the only wrestling champion in the history of Trenton High School.
“It was very special for me and for me when we accomplished that,” said Raamiah. “I think it’s something that we did together and something that we still hold as just a special moment.”
Raamiah also shared that he was growing up in a family full of wrestlers and the impact of his father.
“I started wrestling officially when I was seven years old. Now I was wrestling at home for as long as I can remember. One of the cool things that we would do when my older brothers were wrestling in high school was that we would go watch their matches, and then we would come home and wrestle our own matches,” Raamiah continued.
All in the Family
Even today, Bethea beams with pride when talking about his son’s achievements.
“When they won that championship in Atlantic City, I was crying. It brought tears to my eyes because I did something for the school [and] did something for the city,” Bethea explained.
Following Raamiah’s success as the state wrestling champ, Bethea was on the cusp of launching Trenton Youth Wrestling & Learning Center.
“That was the beginning of the seed to get the Trenton youth wrestling program started,” he added. “We wanted to find little boys who were not necessarily on the top of the academic scale, on the pipeline to prison, get them in a wrestling program, and win some state championships,” Bethea recalled.
Ever the competitor, Bethea spoke about how he’s still in search of his first state champion to come out of his program. “We haven’t gotten a state champion. One of our girls placed in the state two or three years in a row. We were counting on her to win a state championship, but we haven’t had a boy get that close yet,” he said. Looking toward the future, Bethea said Trenton Wrestling wants to get its own facility that will include an educational component to attract local kids. “I passed the baton,” he said. But the legacy he built remains in motion.
Originally published in Trenton Journal’s Fall 2026 Collector’s Edition, “Standing On Business,” celebrating Trenton’s entrepreneurs. Get your copy at Classics Used Book Store, Out of Step Off Beat Boutique & General Store at the Trenton Farmers Market, or online at TrentonJournal.com.
