America Needs More Kids Wrestling
Beat the Streets-Chicago sets goals to expand feeder programs for inner city wrestling
By Gary Abbott USA Wrestling 02/18/2011
Wrestling leaders in Chicago have announced a re-launch of the Beat the Streets Chicago program with a focus on growth and expansion.
Beat the Streets-Chicago is dedicated to teaching the youth of Chicago the benefits of wrestling and how they apply to success in the classroom, community and personal growth.
The program was created in 1997 and now serves 12 clubs and 18 elementary schools with over 1.000 participants, representing some of Chicago’s most challenged neighborhoods.
Brian Giffin, a leader in the development of the Beat the Streets New York program, now serves as President and Executive Director of the Chicago program.
“Our mission is simple, to expand youth wrestling in the third largest metropolitan market in the USA, provide learning opportunities to the student-athletes in Chicago through a summer camp program and expand the coaching base via USA Wrestling’s coaches education program. We can’t accomplish this mission alone,” said Giffin.
Giffin said Beat the Streets-Chicago set a campaign goal is to deliver 60 elementary wrestling programs by 2016 in coordination with the Chicago Public School League as a feeder program to the existing Chicago Public High Schools.
Long term plans include student mentoring and summer camp programs, with ongoing involvement in USA Wrestling’s coaches education. For more information go www.btschicago.org ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Bill Crum named Chief Operating Officer for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc.
NEW YORK, New York (January 7th, 2011) – Mike Novogratz, Chairman of the Board of Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. (BTS), today announced changes in the organization's management structure.
Bill Crum, one of the organization's founders and Senior Advisor since its inception, has been named Chief Operating Officer. He takes over program supervisory responsibilities from Brian Giffin who moved on to the Beat the Streets-Chicago.
Crum is the former Vice President of USA Wrestling where he was a board member for 20 years and a former Executive Director within the Boys and Girls Clubs of America movement. Along with Board members Rich Ranalli and Al Bevilacqua, former Treasurer Rob Schoenberg, and others, Crum founded both the Beat the Streets movement and Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. beginning with a springtime club in 1999. Novogratz joined the movement in 2003. Since that time the organization has added 35 new High School Programs and 60 Middle School programs in New York City. Additionally, BTS sponsors several city-wide training centers in the off-season as well as a program that has sent over 2,000 city kids to summer wrestling programs over the last four years.
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Beat the Streets-Milwaukee and City Kids organization
announces their Freestyle and Greco-Roman Spring Program
Learn to Wrestle. For Real .
www.citykidswrestling.org
| · Tournaments available · March 7 to May 1 · Life Skills training at practice · Riverside HS, 1620 E. Locust St: · Monday & Wednesday: 6 - 8 pm · |
Five other CKWC youth coaches also qualified for the high school state championships - congratulations to these successful role models on a great season.
· Ferriez Johnson (112 pounds), Bradley Tech HS
· Luis Resendiz (119 pounds), Bradley Tech HS
· Brandin Thomas (135 pounds), Bradley Tech HS
· Russell Palmer (215 pounds), Custer HS
· John Jude (285 pounds), Custer 
HS
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Beat the Streets Philadelphia travels to New York City for Exhibition against Beat the Streets New York
Beat the Streets Philadelphia was fortunate enough to be able to send 27 youth wrestlers from the Wissahickon Charter, Martin Luther King Youth and PAL Rizzo Wrestling programs to New York City for an exhibition against wrestlers from Beat the Streets New York sponsored teams. For many of the kids that attended the trip this was their first time going to the “Big Apple.” The trip was a collaborative effort between Beat the Streets Philadelphia and Beat the Streets New York and was aimed at providing an opportunity for our student-athletes not only to compete against wrestlers from another city, but also to have the chance to visit another college campus.
CK PROMO VIDEO - Click here to see what City Kids Wrestling is all about!
1The event was held in the Dodge Fitness Center in the famed University Gym on the campus of Columbia University. Each of the kids who travelled to New York City were able to compete in exhibitions prior to the University of Pennsylvania vs. Columbia University collegiate dual meet. Although many of our wrestlers are new to the sport, they competed exceptionally well and, more importantly, came back with fond memories of the trip. Following the completion of the youth exhibitions, the youth wrestlers and their parents were able to watch the Penn vs. Columbia collegiate dual meet, which included a number of very exciting matches. The experience exposed the kids to another college campus and encouraged their continued participation in the sport.
Beat the Streets Philadelphia strives to use the sport of wrestling to provide youth with an opportunity to develop character traits that lead to success not only on the mat, but more importantly in the classroom and in life. We would like to thank Mike Torriero from Beat the Streets New York for organizing their teams and for securing a wonderful venue for the exhibitions. We would also like to thank Columbia University for hosting our kids. It is our hope that we can make this an annual event with wrestlers from Beat the Streets New York coming to Philadelphia on the years that Columbia visits the University of Pennsylvania for the annual match-up between the two teams.
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We are have a few more cities organizing to develop and recruit people in major urban centers to develop a program.
Wrestling is a great activity for kids!
For more information about the Beat the Streets USA Wrestling contact:
Chairman: Al Bevilacqua-631-598-2281 or e-mail: albevi@optonline.net
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